A preliminary study on thermoluminescence characteristics of sediments from the North Pacific

Thirty-eight surficial deposit samples were collected from the equatorial North Pacific, and the natural thermoluminescence (TL) characteristics of both bulk and clay fraction samples ( < 2 mu m fractions) were studied by the FJ427 - Al automatic TL Dosimeter for the first time. With the measurements of clay mineral composition, element composition by XRD and ICP, the correlations between TL intensity and sedimentary environment proxies were analyzed, such as water depth, ratio of FeO to Fe2O3 contents, LOI, and major clay mineral concentration, and it was found the bulk sample's TL signal was stronger than the clay ones. Usually, increase in the clay components may result in the decrease of TL intensity. From the shape of TL curves, the pelagic sediments can be divided into two groups: the majority group has two glow peaks, in general, the first peak is broad and flat, but the second narrow and sharp; the minority group only has a single peak because the first is absent. The peak centers of TL curves are almost fixed, falling in the temperature sections 230 similar to 260 and 390 similar to 405 degrees C respectively. Lorentz model packed in the Origin 7.5 was chosen to deal with the TL curves. From the processing results, three parameters ( H, C and A), corresponding to the height, center, and kurtosis of TL curve, were obtained to describe the curve characteristics. The correlations between TL curve parameters and sedimentary environment proxies were also calculated. On the basis of the above work, the relationship between TL characteristics and sediment type, mineral composition, sedimentary environment of surface sediments was discussed in the study area, and a conclusion is: sediments from the environment of shallower water, higher organic contents and weaker reductivity have stronger TL signals.

Mineral provinces and matter provenance of the surficial sediments in the western Philippine Sea: implication for modern sedimentation in West Pacific marginal basin

The characteristics and distribution patterns of detrital minerals (0.063 similar to 0.125 mm) in marine sediments provide a significant indicator for the identification of the origin of sediment. The detrital mineral composition of 219 surface sediment samples was analysed to identify the distribution of sediments within the western Philippine Sea. The area can be divided into three mineral provinces: ( 1) province east of the Philippine Trench, the detrital minerals in this province are mainly composed of calcareous or siliceous organisms, with the addition of volcanogenic minerals from an adjacent island arc; (II) middle mineral province, clastic minerals including feldspar, quartz and colorless volcanic glass, sourced from seamounts with intermediate-acid volcanic rock, or erupting intermediate-acid volcano; (III) province west of the Palau-Kyushii Ridge, the matter provenance within this province is complex; the small quantity of feldspar and quartz may be sourced from seamounts or erupting volcano with intermediate - acid composition, with a component of volcanic scoria sourced from a volcano erupting on the Palau-Kyushu Ridge. it is suggested that, ( I) Biogenic debris of the study area is closely related to water depth, with the amount of biogenic debris controlled by carbonate lysocline. (2) Volcaniclastic matter derived from the adjacent island are can be entrained by oceanic currents and transported towards the abyssal basin over a short distance. The weathering products of volcanic rocks of the submarine plateau ( e. g. I Benham Plateau) and adjacent ridges provide an important source of detrital sedimentation, and the influence scope of them is constrained by the intensity of submarine weathering. (3) Terrigenous sediments from the continent of Asia and the adjacent Philippine island arc have little influence on the sedimentation of this study area, and the felsic mineral component is probably sourced from volcanic seamounts of intermediate-acid composition.

Formation of Fe-oxyhydroxides from the East Pacific Rise near latitude 13 degrees N: Evidence from mineralogical and geochemical data

The mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of Fe-oxyhydroxide samples from one dredge station (long. 103 degrees 54.48'W, lat. 12 degrees 42.30'N, water depth 2655 m) on the East Pacific Rise near lat 13 degrees N were analyzed by XRD, ICP-AES, and ICP-MS. Most Fe-oxyhydroxides are amorphous, with a few sphalerite microlites. In comparison with Fe-oxyhydroxides from other fields, the variable ranges in the chemical composition of Fe-oxyhydroxide samples are very narrow; their Fe, Si, and Mn contents were 39.90%, 8.92%, and 1.59%, respectively; they have high Cu (0.88%-1.85%) and Co (65x10(-6)-704x10(-6)) contents, and contain Co+Cu+Zn+Ni > 1.01%. The trace-element (As, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ba, Sr) and major-element (Fe, Ca, Al, Mg) contents of these samples are in the range of hydrothermal sulfide from the East Pacific Rise near 13 degrees N, reflecting that this type of Fe-oxyhydroxide constitutes a secondary oxidation product of hydrothermal sulfide. The Fe-oxyhydroxide samples from one dredge station on the East Pacific Rise near 13 degrees N are lower in Sigma REE (5.44x10(-6)-17.01x10(-6)), with a distinct negative Ce anomaly (0.12-0.28). The Fe-oxyhydroxide samples have similar chondrite-normalized rare-earth-element (REE) patterns to that of seawater, and they are very different from the REE composition characteristics of hydrothermal plume particles and hydrothermal fluids, showing that the REEs of Fe-oxyhydroxide are a major constituent of seawater and that the Fe-oxyhydroxides can become a sink of REE from seawater. The quick settling of hydrothermal plume particles resulted in the lower REE content and higher Mn content of these Fe-oxyhydroxides, which are captured in part of the V and P from seawater by adsorption. The Fe-oxyhydroxides from one dredge station on the East Pacific Rise near 13 degrees N were formed by secondary oxidation in a low temperature, oxygenated environment. In comparison with the elemental (Zn, Cd, Pb, Fe, Co, Cu) average content of hydrothermal sulfide samples from the East Pacific Rise near 13 degrees N, the Zn, Cd, and Pb contents of the Fe-oxyhydroxides are lower, and their Fe, Co, and Cu contents are higher.

Periodical mixing of MORB magmas near East Pacific Rise 13N: evidence from modeling and zoned plagioclase phenocrysts

Thirty-six basalt samples from near East Pacific Rise 13N are analyzed for major and trace elements. Different types of zoned plagioclase phenocrysts in basalts are also backscatter imaged, and major element profiles scanned and analyzed for microprobe. Basalts dredged from a restricted area have evolved to different extents (MgO=9.38wt%-6.76wt%). High MgO basalts are modeled for crystallization to MgO of about 7wt%, and resulted in the Ni contents (28 ppm) that are generally lower than that in observed basalts (> 60 ppm). It suggests that low MgO basalts may have experienced more intensive magma mixing. High MgO (9.38wt%) basalt is modeled for self-"mixing-crystallization", and the high Ni contents in low MgO basalts can be generated in small scale and periodical self-mixing of new magma (high MgO). "Mixing-crystallization" processes that low MgO magmas experienced accord with recent 226Ra/230Th disequilibria studies for magma residence time, in which low MgO magmas have experienced more circles of "mixing-crystallization" in relatively longer residence time. Magma mixing is not homogeneous in magma chamber, however, low MgO magmas are closer to stable composition produced by periodical "mixing-crystallization", which is also an important reason for magma diversity in East Pacific Rise. Zoned plagioclase phenocrysts can be divided into two types: with and without high An# cores, both of which have multiple reversed An# zones, suggesting periodical mixing of their host magmas. Cores of zoned plagioclase in low MgO (7.45wt%) basalt differ significantly with their mantle in An#, but are similar in An# with microlite cores (products of equilibrium crystallization) in high MgO (9.38wt%) basalt, which further shows that plagioclase phenocryst cores in low MgO basalts may have formed in their parental magmas before entering into the magma chamber.

Generation and evolution of magma beneath the East Pacific Rise: Constraints from U-series disequilibrium and plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions

Mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) samples from the East Pacific Rise (EPR 12 degrees 50'N) were analyzed for U-series isotopes and compositions of plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions. The Ra-226 and Th-230 excesses are negatively correlated; the Ra-226 excess is positively correlated with Mg# and Sm/Nd, and is negatively correlated with La/Sm and Fe-8; the Th-230 excess is positively correlated with Fe-8 and La/Sm and is negatively correlated with Mg# and Sm/Nd. Interpretation of these correlations is critical for understanding the magmatic process. There are two models (the dynamic model and the "two-porosity" model) for interpreting these correlations, however, some crucial parameters used in these models are not ascertained. We propose instead a model to explain the U-series isotopic compositions based on the control of melt density variation. For melting either peridotite or the "marble-cake" mantle, the FeOt content, Th-230 excess and La/Sm ratio increases and Sm/Nd decreases with increasing pressure. A deep melt will evolve to a higher density and lower Mg# than a shallow melt, the former corresponds to a long residence time, which lowers the Ra-226 excess significantly. This model is supported by the existence of low Ra-226 excesses and high Th-230 excesses in MORBs having a high Fe-8 content and high density. The positive correlation of Ra-226 excess and magma liquidus temperature implies that the shallow melt is cooled less than the deep melt due to its low density and short residence time. The correlations among Fe-8, Ti-8 and Ca-8/Al-8 in plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions further prove that MORBs are formed from melts having a negative correlation in melting depths and degrees. The negative correlation of Ra-226 excess vs. chemical diversity index (standard deviation of Fe-8, Ti-8 and Ca-8/Al-8) of the melt inclusions is in accordance with the influence of a density-controlled magma residence time. We conclude that the magma density variation exerts significant control on residence time and U-series isotopic compositions. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Living planktonic foraminifera from the northwestern Pacific Ocean: SSU rDNA sequences and their paleoceanographic significance

Living planktonic foraminifera (PF) samples from the Okinawa Trough of the northwestern Pacific Ocean were taken for DNA analysis. The SSU rDNA sequences of two PF species, Globigerina sp. and Pulleniatina obliquiloculata collected at Station WP01, were obtained and compared with those from the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Only small differences (< 0.7%-1.2% for P. obliquiloculata, and 0.3% for Globigerina sp.) were found between samples from the north- and south-western Pacific Ocean areas and this molecular evidence supported that these micropaleontological species are the same species, which implies that the West Pacific Ocean circulation system influences the planktonic foraminiferal gene communication.

The Obduction of Equatorial 13 degrees C Water in the Pacific Identified by a Simulated Passive Tracer

The obduction of equatorial 13 degrees C Water in the Pacific is investigated using a simulated passive tracer of the Consortium for Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO). The result shows that the 13 degrees C Water initialized in the region 8 degrees N-8 degrees S, 130 degrees-90 degrees W enters the surface mixed layer in the eastern tropical Pacific, mainly through upwelling near the equator, in the Costa Rica Dome, and along the coast of Peru. Approximately two-thirds of this obduction occurs within 10 years after the 13 degrees C Water being initialized, with the upper portion of the water mass reaching the surface mixed layer in only about a month. The obduction of the 13 degrees C Water helps to maintain a cool sea surface temperature year-round, equivalent to a surface heat flux of about -6.0 W m(-2) averaged over the eastern tropical Pacific (15 degrees S-15 degrees N, 130 degrees W-eastern boundary) for the period of integration (1993-2006). During El Nino years, when the thermocline deepens as a consequence of the easterly wind weakening, the obduction of the 13 degrees C Water is suppressed, and the reduced vertical entrainment generates a warming anomaly of up to 10 W m(-2) in the eastern tropical Pacific and in particular along the coast of Peru, providing explanations for the warming of sea surface temperature that cannot be accounted for by local winds alone. The situation is reversed during La Nina years.

Origin and Pathway of Equatorial 13 degrees C Water in the Pacific Identified by a Simulated Passive Tracer and Its Adjoint

The origin and pathway of the thermostad water in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, often referred to as the equatorial 13 degrees C Water, are investigated using a simulated passive tracer and its adjoint, based on circulation estimates of a global general circulation model. Results demonstrate that the source region of the 13 degrees C Water lies well outside the tropics. In the South Pacific, some 13 degrees C Water is formed northeast of New Zealand, confirming an earlier hypothesis on the water's origin. The South Pacific origin of the 13 degrees C Water is also related to the formation of the Eastern Subtropical Mode Water (ESTMW) and the Sub-Antarctic Mode Water (SAMW). The portion of the ESTMW and SAMW that eventually enters the density range of the 13 degrees C Water (25.8 < sigma(theta) < 26.6 kg m(-3)) does so largely by mixing. Water formed in the subtropics enters the equatorial region predominantly through the western boundary, while its interior transport is relatively small. The fresher North Pacific ESTMW and Central Mode Water (CMW) are also important sources of the 13 degrees C Water. The ratio of the southern versus the northern origins of the water mass is about 2 to 1 and tends to increase with time elapsed from its origin. Of the total volume of initially tracer-tagged water in the eastern equatorial Pacific, approximately 47.5% originates from depths above sigma(theta) = 25.8 kg m(-3) and 34.6% from depths below sigma(theta) = 26.6 kg m(-3), indicative of a dramatic impact of mixing on the route of subtropical water to becoming the 13 degrees C Water. Still only a small portion of the water formed in the subtropics reaches the equatorial region, because most of the water is trapped and recirculates in the subtropical gyre.

Bifurcation of Pacific North Equatorial Current at the surface

The grid altimetry data between 1993 and 2006 near the Philippines were analyzed by the method of Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) to study the variation of bifurcation of the North Equatorial Current at the surface of the Pacific. The relatively short-term signals with periods of about 6 months, 4 months, 3 months and 2 months are found besides seasonal and interannual variations mentioned in previous studies. Local wind stress curl plays an important role in controlling variation of bifurcation latitude except in the interannual timescale. The bifurcation latitude is about 13.3A degrees N in annual mean state and it lies at the northernmost position (14.0A degrees N) in January, at the southernmost position (12.5A degrees N) in July. The amplitude of variation of bifurcation latitude in a year is 1.5A degrees, which can mainly be explained as the contributions of the signals with periods of about 1 year (1.2A degrees) and 0.5 year (0.3A degrees).

A quasi-synoptic interpretation of water mass distribution and circulation in the western North Pacific II: Circulation

Using the data of conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) intensive observations conducted during Oct.-Nov. 2005, this study provides the first three-dimension quasi-synoptic description of the circulation in the western North Pacific. Several novel phenomena are revealed, especially in the deep ocean where earlier observations were very sparse. During the observations, the North Equatorial Current (NEC) splits at about 12A degrees N near the sea surface. This bifurcation shifts northward with depth, reaching about 20A degrees N at 1 000 m, and then remains nearly unchanged to as deep as 2 000 m. The Luzon Undercurrent (LUC), emerging below the Kuroshio from about 21A degrees N, intensifies southward, with its upper boundary surfacing around 12A degrees N. From there, part of the LUC separates from the coast, while the rest continues southward to join the Mindanao Current (MC). The MC extends to 2 000 m near the coast, and appears to be closely related to the subsurface cyclonic eddies which overlap low-salinity water from the North Pacific. The Mindanao Undercurrent (MUC), carrying waters from the South Pacific, shifts eastward upon approaching the Mindanao coast and eventually becomes part of the eastward undercurrent between 10A degrees N and 12A degrees N at 130A degrees E. In the upper 2 000 dbar, the total westward transport across 130A degrees E between 7.5A degrees N and 18A degrees N reaches 65.4 Sv (1 Sv = 10(-6) m(3)s(-1)), the northward transport across 18A degrees N from Luzon coast to 130A degrees E is up to 35.0 Sv, and the southward transport across 7.5A degrees N from Mindanao coast to 130A degrees E is 27.9 Sv.

A quasi-synoptic interpretation of water mass distribution and circulation in the western North Pacific: I. Water mass distribution

With high-resolution conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) observations conducted in Oct.-Nov. 2005, this study provides a detailed quasi-synoptic description of the North Pacific Tropic Water (NPTW), North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) and Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) in the western North Pacific. Some novel features are found. NPTW enters the western ocean with highest-salinity core off shore at 15 degrees-18 degrees N, and then splits to flow northward and southward along the western boundary. Its salinity decreases and density increases outside the core region. NPIW spreads westward north of 15 degrees N with lowest salinity off shore at 21 degrees N, but mainly hugs the Mindanao coast south of 12 degrees N. It shoals and thins toward the south, with salinity increasing and density decreasing. AAIW extends to higher latitude off shore than that in shore, and it is traced as a salinity minimum to only 10 degrees N at 130 degrees E. Most of the South Pacific waters turn northeastward rather than directly flow northward upon reaching to the Mindanao coast, indicating the eastward shift of the Mindanao Undercurrent (MUC).

Interannual horizontal heat advection in the surface mixed layer over the equatorial Pacific Ocean: assimilation versus TAO analysis

The interannual anomalies of horizontal heat advection in the surface mixed layer over the equatorial Pacific Ocean in an assimilation experiment are studied and compared with existing observational analyses. The assimilation builds upon a hindcast study that has produced a good simulation of the observed equatorial currents and optimizes the simulation of the Reynolds sea surface temperature (SST) data. The comparison suggests that the assimilation has improved the simulation of the interannual horizontal heat advection of the surface mixed layer significantly. During periods of interrupted current measurements, the assimilation is shown to produce more meaningful anomalies of the heat advection than the interpolation of the observational data does. The assimilation also shows that the eddy heat flux due to the correlation between high-frequency current and SST variations, which is largely overlooked by the existing observational analyses, is important for the interannual SST balance over the equatorial Pacific. The interannual horizontal heat advection anomalies are found to be sensitive to SST errors where oceanic currents are strong, which is a challenge for ENSO prediction. The study further suggests that the observational analyses of the tropical SST balance based on the TAO and the Reynolds SST data contain significant errors due to the large gradient errors in the Reynolds SST data, which are amplified into the advection anomalies by the large equatorial currents.

An extended variable-grid global ocean circulation model and its preliminary results of the equatorial Pacific circulation

To investigate the interaction between the tropical Pacific and China seas a variable-grid global ocean circulation model with fine grid[(1/6)degrees] covering the area from 20degreesS to 50degreesN and from 99degrees to 150degreesE is developed. Numerical computation of the annually cyclic circulation fields is performed. The results of the annual mean zonal currents and deep to abyssal western boundary currents in the equatorial Pacific Ocean are reported. The North Equatorial Current,the North Equatorial Countercurrent, the South Equatorial Current and the Equatorial Undercurrent are fairly well simulated. The model well reproduces the northward flowing abyssal western boundary current. From the model results a lower deep western boundary current east of the Bismarck-Solomon-New Hebrides Island chain at depths around 2 000 in has been found. The model results also show that the currents in the equatorial Pacific Ocean have multi-layer structures both in zonal currents and western boundary currents, indicating that the global ocean overturning thermohaline circulation appears of multi-layer pattern.

Circulation in the western tropical Pacific Ocean and its seasonal variation

An assimilation data set based on the GFDL MOM3 model and the NODC XBT data set is used to examine the circulation in the western tropical Pacific and its seasonal variations. The assimilated and observed velocities and transports of the mean circulation agree well. Transports of the North Equatorial Current (NEC), Mindanao Current (MC), North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) west of 140degreesE and Kuroshio origin estimated with the assimilation data display the seasonal cycles, roughly strong in boreal spring and weak in autumn, with a little phase difference. The NECC transport also has a semi-annual fluctuation resulting from the phase lag between seasonal cycles of two tropical gyres' recirculations. Strong in summer during the southeast monsoon period, the seasonal cycle of the Indonesian throughflow (ITF) is somewhat different from those of its upstreams, the MC and New Guinea Coastal Current (NGCC), implying the monsoon's impact on it.