Deep-water formation supplies oxygen-rich water to the deep sea, spreading throughout the ocean via the global thermohaline circulation. Models suggest that gases in newly formed deep-water do not come to equilibrium with the atmosphere. However, direct measurements during wintertime convection are scarce, and the controls over the extent of this disequilibria are poorly quantified. Here we show that oxygen is consistently undersaturated at -6.3% to -7.6% in the Labrador Sea at the end of convection, when convection reaches deeper than 800 m. Deeper convection resulted in greater undersaturation while convection lasting later in the year resulted in values closer to equilibrium, from which we produce a predictive relationship. We use dissolved oxygen data from six profiling Argo floats in the Labrador Sea between 2003 to 2016, allowing direct observations of wintertime convection. Four of the six optode oxygen sensors displayed in situ drift of -2.98 μmol O2 kg-1 year-1 on average, which we corrected to stable deep-water oxygen values from repeat hydrography. Observations of low oxygen intrusions during restratification and a simple mixing calculation demonstrate that lateral processes act to lower the oxygen inventory of the central Labrador Sea. This suggests that the Labrador Sea is a net sink for atmospheric oxygen, but uncertainties in parameterizing gas exchange limit our ability to quantify the net uptake. Our results constrain the initial oxygen concentration of Labrador Sea Water and allow more precise estimates of oxygen utilization and nutrient regeneration in this water mass. / Graduate

This research investigates the character and significance of shelf-edge deltas within the sedimentary source-to-sink system, and how variability at the shelf edge leads to different styles of deep-water deposition. Because the shelf-edge represents one of the key entry points for terrigenous sediment to be delivered into the deep water, understanding of the sedimentary processes in operation at these locations, and the character of sediment transported through these deltas is critical to understanding of deep-water sedimentary systems. The research was carried out using three datasets: an outcrop dataset of 6000 m of measured sections from the Permian-Triassic Karoo Basin, South Africa, a 3D seismic data volume from the Eocene Northern Santos Basin, offshore Brazil and a dataset of 29 previously published descriptions of shelf-edge deltas from a variety of locations and data types. The data presented highlight the importance of sediment instability in the progradation of basin margins, and deep-water transport of sediment. The strata of the Karoo Basin shelf margin represent river-dominated delta deposits that become more deformed as the shelf-edge position is approached. At the shelf edge, basinward dipping, offlapping packages of soft-sediment-deformed and undeformed strata record repetitive collapse and re-establishment of shelf-edge mouth bar packages. The offlapping strata of the Karoo outcrops record progradation of the shelf margin through accretion of the shelf-edge delta, for over 1 km before subsequent transgression. The Eocene Northern Santos Basin shelf margin, in contrast, exhibits instability features which remove kilometers-wide wedges of the outer shelf that are transported to the basin floor to be deposited as mass-transport packages. In this example, shelf-edge progradation is achieved through „stable. accretion of mixed turbidites and contourites. The data also emphasize the importance of the role of shelf-edge delta processes in the delivery of sediment to the basin floor. A global dataset of 29 examples of shelf-edge systems strongly indicates that river domination of the shelf-edge system (as read from cores, well logs or isopach maps) serves as a more reliable predictor of deep-water sediment delivery and deposition than relative sea level fall as traditionally read in shelf-edge trajectories or sequence boundaries. / text

名古屋大学年代測定総合研究センターシンポジウム報告

Předkládaná práce se zabývá návrhem a konstrukcí dálkově řízené sondy pro průzkum zatopených krasových oblastí. Cílem práce je zhotovení cenově přijatelné sondy pro speleologický výzkum. Soustava senzorů a dálkově řízený kamerový systém umožňuje pořízení záběrů z velkých hloubek, které lze později analyzovat.

Hurricane hazards result from the combined processes of wind, waves, storm surge, and overwash (Lennon et al., 1996). Predicting the severity of these hazards requires immense effort to quantify the processes and then predict how different coastal regions respond to them. A somewhat simpler, but no less daunting task is to begin to predict the hazards due to potential erosion of barrier islands. A four-part scale has been developed by Sallenger (2000) to provide a framework for understanding how barrier islands might respond during extreme storm events. These four regimes describe how beach and dune elevations interact with surge and wave runup. This study will produce estimates of potential hazards through combining lidar surveys of dune elevation with modeled elevations of storm water levels. Direct measurements of maximum wave heights during hurricanes are rare. We evaluated three simple equations proposed by Kjerfve (1986), Young (1988), and Hsu (1998) to forecast the maximum wave height (Hmax) generated by three 1999 hurricanes. Model results were compared to wave data recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wave rider buoys. The radius of maximum winds, wind speed, forward velocity, distance from buoy to the storm's eye-wall (r), and buoy's position relative to the quadrant of the storm (Q) were found to have significant and direct roles in evaluating recorded hurricane induced wave heights (H) and thus, were individually examined for each comparison. The implications of the r and Q on H were assessed when determining the overall effectiveness of the modelers' equations. Linear regression analyses tested the accuracy of each modeled prediction of the Hmax, comparing it to the observed wave heights. Three statistical criteria were used to quantify model performance. Hsu's model was the most reliable and useful forecasting technique. Despite the predictive skill of Hsu's model, direct observations of the maximum wave conditions, when available and appropriate, are preferred as inputs for SWAN, a 3rd generation shoaling wave model. Outputs from SWAN are used to calculate the empirical relationships for wave runup. For our test case, pre and post-storm topographies were surveyed as part of a joint USGS-NASA program using lidar technology. These data sets were used to calculate changes in the elevation and location of the dune crest (Dhigh) and dune base (Dlow) for the North Carolina Outer Banks. We hindcast potential coastal hazards (erosional hot spots) using the pre-storm morphology and modeled wave runup and compare those estimates to the measured results from the post-storm survey. Links among the existing topography and spatial variations in wave runup were found to be 95% correlated for the north-south and east-west facing barrier islands. Application of Sallenger's (2000) four-part Storm Impact Scale to the pre-storm Dhigh elevation survey and wave runup extremes (Rhigh and Rlow) were found to accurately predict zones of overwash and showed potential to forecast the inundation regime.

Overpressure, or abnormally low effective pressures, is hazardous in drilling operations and construction of sea-bottom facilities in deepwater environments. Estimation of the locations of overpressure can improve safety in these operations and significantly reduce overall project costs. Propagation velocities of both seismic P and S wave are sensitive to bulk elastic parameters and density of the sediments, which can be related to porosity, pore fluid content, lithology, and effective pressures. Overpressured areas can be analyzed using 4C seismic reflection data, which includes P-P and P-SV reflections. In this thesis, the effects on compressional (P) and shear (S) wave velocities are investigated to estimate the magnitude and location of excess pore pressure utilizing Eaton’s approach for pressure prediction (Eaton, 1969). Eaton’s (1969) method relates changes in pore pressure to changes in seismic P-wave velocity. The underlying assumption of this method utilizes the ratio of observed P-wave velocity obtained from areas of both normal and abnormal pressure. This velocity ratio evaluated through an empirically determined exponent is then related to the ratio of effective stress under normal and abnormal pressure conditions. Effective stress in a normal pressured condition is greater than the effective stress value in abnormally overpressured conditions. Due to an increased sensitivity of variations in effective pressure to seismic interval velocity, Ebrom et al. (2003) employ a modified Eaton equation to incorporate the S-wave velocity in pore pressure prediction. The data preparation and subsequent observations of seismic P and S wave velocity estimates in this thesis represent a preliminary analysis for pore pressure prediction. Six 2D receiver gathers in the regional dip direction are extracted from six individual ocean-bottom 4C seismic recording nodes for P-P and P-SV velocity analysis. The receiver gathers employed have minimal pre-processing procedures applied. The main processing steps applied were: water bottom mute, 2D rotation of horizontal components to SV and SH orientation, deconvolution, and frequency filtering. Most the processing was performed in Matlab with a volume of scripts designed by research scientists from the University of Texas, Bureau of Economic Geology. In this thesis, fluid pressure prediction is estimated utilizing several 4C multicomponent ocean-bottom nodes in the Atlantis Field in deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Velocity analysis is performed through a ray tracing approach utilizing P-P and P-SV registration. A modified Eaton’s Algorithm is then used for pore pressure prediction using both P and S wave velocity values. I was able to successfully observe both compressional and shear wave velocities to sediment depths of approximately 800 m below the seafloor. Using Hamilton (1972, 1976) and Eberhart-Phillips et al. (1989) regressions as background depth dependent velocity values and well-log derived background effective pressure values from deepwater Gulf of Mexico, I am able to solve for predicted effective pressure for the study area. The results show that the Atlantis subsurface study area experiences a degree of overpressure. / text

La Méditerranée Nord-Occidentale (MNO) est marquée par un processus de formation d’eau profonde en hiver qui induit une forte floraison phytoplanctonique au printemps. L'objectif de cette thèse a été de caractériser la dynamique de la communauté mesozooplanctonique à l'échelle régionale de la MNO, y compris dans la zone de convection profonde (ZCP), en évaluant ses stocks, sa composition taxonomique, sa structure en taille et ses liens trophiques avec le phytoplancton, en relation avec l'environnement hydro-biogéochimique. Trois campagnes océanographiques ont été menées en saisons contrastées: hiver, printemps et été, fournissant un jeu de données unique à cette échelle régionale. Le zooplancton est caractérisé par de faibles abondances et biomasses en hiver, surtout dans la ZCP, puis par une augmentation générale printanière, en abondance et en biomasse. Des différences spatiales s’observent, la ZCP présentant les plus forts changements de biomasse de l’hiver au printemps. Les valeurs d'été sont similaires aux valeurs hivernales et sont assez homogènes dans la zone d'étude. L'impact du broutage estimé n'est pas suffisant pour contrôler globalement la floraison printanière. Cependant, au printemps, toute la MNO, à l'exception de la ZCP, subit un contrôle top-down du zooplancton sur le phytoplancton, tandis que dans la ZCP, les valeurs de chlorophylle-a restent élevées malgré la forte demande en carbone du zooplancton, ce qui indique un contrôle bottom-up. Cette étude montre que la ZCP est probablement une zone d'intense transfert d'énergie vers les niveaux trophiques supérieurs ainsi que d'export de matière organique en MNO. / The North-Western Mediterranean Sea (NWMS) is characterized by a deep water convection process in winter, which induces a large phytoplankton bloom. The main objective of this thesis was to characterize the dynamics of the mesozooplankton community at the regional scale of NWMS including the deep convection zone (DCZ), by assessing its stocks, taxonomy and size structure, and by evaluating its phytoplankton-zooplankton trophic links in connection to the hydrological and biogeochemical environment. Three oceanographic cruises were conducted to map the NWMS in contrasting seasons: winter, spring, and summer. This represents a unique data set of zooplankton at this regional scale. The NWMS was characterized in winter by low zooplankton abundance and biomass. In spring, a general increase was found. Spatially DCZ was characterized by lowest stocks in winter and the highest in spring. In summer, biomass and abundance were similar to winter values and were quite homogenous over the study area. The estimated zooplankton grazing impact was not sufficient to globally control the spring phytoplankton bloom. However, in spring, all areas except the DCZ incurred top-down control by zooplankton on the phytoplankton stock. In the DCZ, the chlorophyll-a values remained high despite the high zooplankton biomass and carbon demand, indicating a sustained bottom-up control. This study indicates that the deep convection zone is likely an area of both enhanced energy transfer to higher trophic levels and organic matter export in NWMS.

Modern Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers, which both drain into Pine Island Bay, are some of the fastest moving portions of the cryosphere and may be the most unstable ice streams in Antarctica. I examined over 133 cores to conduct a detailed sedimentological facies analysis. These data, augmented by new radiocarbon and 210Pb dates, and bathymetric data, are used to reconstruct the post-LGM deglacial history of PIB and gain a better understanding of the causes of ice sheet retreat. My results record a clear retreat stratigraphy in PIB composed of, from top to base; terrigenous sandy silt (plumite), pebbly sandy mud (ice-proximal glacimarine), and till. Initial retreat from the outer-continental shelf began shortly after the LGM and before 16.4 k cal yr BP, in response to rising sea level. Bedforms in outer PIB document episodic retreat in the form of back-stepping grounding zone wedges and are associated with proximal glacimarine sediments. A sub-ice shelf facies is observed in central PIB that spans ∼12.3–10.6 k cal yr BP. Widespread impingement of warm water onto the continental shelf caused an abrupt change from sub-ice shelf sedimentation to distal glacimarine sedimentation dominated by dispersal of terrigenous silt between 7.8 and 7.0 k cal yr BP. The uppermost sediments in Pine Island Bay were hydrodynamically sorted by meltwater plumes. Inner Pine Island Bay contains several large basins that are linked by channels. The most recent release of sediment coincides with rapid retreat of the grounding line, and has an order of magnitude greater flux relative to the entire unit, indicating episodic sedimentation. This is the first identification of a meltwater-derived deposit in Antarctica and demonstrates that punctuated meltwater-intensive glacial retreat occurred at least three times throughout the Holocene in this region. Quartz sand grains were used to conduct an analysis of mode of transport for sediments in the Antarctic Peninsula region from the Eocene to present to record the onset of glaciation. Glacial transport imparts a unique suite of microtextures on quartz grains from high shear-stresses. Eocene samples are free of glacial influence. Late Eocene samples show the inception of glacially derived high-stress microtextures, marking the onset of alpine glaciation. Oligocene grains are similar to the late Eocene samples. Middle Miocene microtextures are characteristic of transport from far-field large ice sheets, originating from ice rafting from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The Pliocene and Pleistocene samples indicate the existence of the northern Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet at this time, consistent with other proxies.

Oil well blow outs are investigated to determine methods to quickly and accurately respond to an emergency situation. Flow rate is needed to guide containment and dispersal operations. The Stratified Integral Multiphase Plume, SIMP, model was used to investigate the range of initial conditions available to integral modeling. Sensitivity to initial conditions is modest, but without experimental data at the appropriate scale the most accurate condition is unable to be determined. Flow rates are difficult to directly measure in blow out situations, so another method must be determined; therefore, sensitivity of several parameters to flow rate was also evaluated. Methane concentration in the first intrusion can be used in conjunction with velocity and trap height measurements to determine flow rate using an integral model. Plume width and temperature were determined to have little sensitivity. Separately, a containment dome was tested in the laboratory to determine if a full scale dome can be used to contain an oil leak in the field. The dome was found to have satisfactory entrapment in the designed position.

Les écosystèmes hydrothermaux profonds hébergent des communautés présentant de fortes biomasses, issues de l’activité chimiotrophique des microorganismes, avec de nombreux exemples d’associations symbiotiques entre ces derniers et les organismes de la mégafaune dominante. La connaissance du cycle de vie de ces espèces, y compris de leurs symbiontes, et de la façon dont elles sont capables de disperser et de coloniser de nouveaux sites est incontournable pour la compréhension du fonctionnement des communautés hydrothermales.Dans cette étude, sont présentées de nombreuses avancées portant sur la distribution, la reproduction, la dispersion et le cycle de vie d’une espèce dominante des écosystèmes hydrothermaux de la dorsale Médio-Atlantique, la crevette alvinocarididé Rimicaris exoculata, et des espèces proches. Les outils méthodologiques utilisés incluent la description morphologique de larves, l’étude de la structure de populations et de leur état de reproduction, des approches moléculaires appliquées à l’identification des espèces via la reconstruction phylogénétique, la génétique populationnelle et l’étude de la diversité bactérienne. La plupart des observations et analyses ont été réalisées grâce aux prélèvements de la mission BICOSE qui s’est déroulée de janvier à février 2014 sur la dorsale Médio-Atlantique.L’analyse morphologique détaillée des premiers stades larvaires (zoé I) de quatre espèces d’Alvinocarididae (R.exoculata, Mirocaris fortunata, Nautilocaris saintlaurentae et Alvinocaris muricola), indique une combinaison de traits caractéristiques de cette famille et unique parmi les crevettes Caridés. Le premier stade larvaire lécithotrophe présente vraisemblablement une durée de développement prolongée, avec une transition vers la planctotrophie au cours des stades ultérieurs. La capture de ces larves près du fond suggère par ailleurs une dispersion bathypélagique. L’étude réalisée sur les populations de R. exoculata des champs hydrothermaux de TAG et Snake Pit met en évidence une ségrégation spatiale des sexes et des stades de vie. Les femelles, les sub-adultes et les juvéniles occupent la paroi des fumeurs actifs, tandis que les mâles se retrouvent majoritairement dispersés à la périphérie inactive des sites. L’identification de plusieurs cohortes d’individus, retrouvées au niveau des habitats des deux champs hydrothermaux indique par ailleurs un recrutement discontinu. Enfin, l’observation, pour la première fois, d’un grand nombre de femelles gravides sur les deux champs hydrothermaux, suggère une reproduction saisonnière, avec quelques différences mineures en terme de fécondité entre les populations des deux champs.Les embryons portés par les femelles jusqu’à l’éclosion des larves sont exposés aux fluides hydrothermaux. Nos résultats, encore partiels, d’analyses par clonage d’assemblages bactériens se développant sur les oeufs au cours de cette phase d’incubation indiquent une spécificité qui pourrait être le reflet d’une fonction symbiotique s’établissant à un stade précoce du cycle de vie de la crevette. La similarité de ces assemblages bactériens avec ceux colonisant le céphalothorax des crevettes adultes, suggère un possible rôle de détoxification et/ou de nutrition.Enfin la découverte, sur TAG, d’importantes « nurseries » de post-larves appartenant à R. chacei, espèce cohabitant avec R. exoculata mais relativement peu abondante, pose la question de l’origine de ce recrutement. Cette question s’inscrit également dans le débat taxonomique récurrent des délimitations d’espèces chez les Alvinocaridiés. Ainsi, de récents travaux de génétique suggèrent que R. chacei pourrait être identique à R. hybisae, une espèce des sites hydrothermaux de la Ride des Caïmans, qui paradoxalement, présente une écologie et un développement symbiotique beaucoup plus similaire à celui de R. exoculata que de R. chacei. Nos analyses de génétique populationnelle et une reconstruction phylogénétique réalisée avec plusieurs gènes […] / Deep-water hydrothermal vent host high-biomass communities based on chemoautotrophy supported by the metabolic activity of free-living and symbiotic bacteria associated to invertebrates, especially megafauna. Knowledge on the mechanisms of dispersal and the life cycle of vent species is essential to our understanding of the vent communities in terms of distribution, structure and temporal variation. In this study, I present some advances regarding the dispersal and life cycle of a dominant species of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) vent ecosystems, the alvinocaridid shrimp Rimicaris exoculata, and other related species. The methodological approaches applied include morphological descriptions of larvae, analysis of population biology and reproduction, and molecular genetics for species identification, phylogenetic reconstructions, population genetics and bacterial diversity. Most observations and studies presented here were conducted on samples collected in January-February 2014, during the BICOSE cruise on the MAR.Based on the analysis of Zoea I larvae of four species (R. exoculata, Mirocaris fortunata, Nautilocaris saintlaurentae andAlvinocaris muricola), we conclude that the alvinocaridid first larval stage is lecitotrophic with extended development, allowing large dispersal without external food requirement. A bathypelagical larval dispersal and a shift to a planktotrophic stage during the larval period is proposed. In terms of population biology, collections performed at the TAG and Snake Pit vent fields show variations in the population structure among habitats, according to sex and life stage. Large aggregations of shrimps found close of the vent emission comprise mostly females and young individuals, whereas scattered adults found at the vent periphery were mostly males. Multiple cohorts were found in both vents fields, denoting a discontinuous recruitment. Brooding females were observed in significant numbers close to the vent emission, which contrasts with their constant lack in previous field studies and suggests a seasonal reproduction with a brooding period the winter season. In addition, differences in the reproductive effort were detected between vent fields, including egg number, egg size and proportion of aborted females. The egg surface of R. exoculata is colonized by episymbiotic bacteria. Cloning approaches show that the bacterial assemblages on eggs seem to be specific, suggesting their symbiotic role, and evolve according to the egg development. The bacterial assemblages on eggs and their variation during the embryonic development remind the episymbiotic communities found in the branchial chamber of adults, suggesting similar detoxification or nutrition role. In other Rimicaris species, questions about life cycle, vent connectivity and speciation have been raised recently. Genetic studies suggest that two species with contrasting distribution, morphology and ecology, R. hybisae and R. chacei, are the same species. This question is related also with the source of a massive recruitment of R. chacei found at TAG vent field, despite the low density of adults. Analysis of population genetics and phylogenetic reconstructions with multiple genes show that R. chacei and R. hybisae are separate lineages with recent or undergoing speciation. These species, as R. exoculata and other alvinocaridids, show a genetic population model associated with a migration pool. An extended larval period could contribute to the wide dispersal and high genetic flow between populations. Implications of these findings and perspectives of future research are discussed in terms of additional experiments and field sampling required to characterize the larval period of alvinocaridids, the variations of symbiosis of the different life stages and sexes inhabiting different habitats, the quantitative and functional characterization of the episymbiosis on eggs, and the evolutionary processes associated with the speciation in Rimicaris. / Las emisiones hidrotermales profundas albergan comunidades de elevada biomasa basadas en quimioautotrofía, soportadas por la actividad metabólica de bacterias de vida libre y bacterias simbiontes asociadas a invertebrados marinos, especialmente megafauna. El conocimiento de los mecanismos de dispersión y el ciclo de vida de las especies de ambientes hidrotermales es escencial para comprender los procesos ecológicos de ambientes hidrotermales asociados a la distribución, la estructura comunitaria y la variación temporal. En este estudio, presento algunos avances relacionados a la dispersión y el ciclo de vida de una especie dominante de los sistemas de emision hidrotermal de la dorsal medioatlántica. La aproximaciones metodológicas aplicadas en este estudio incluyen el estudio de la morfología larvaria, el análisis de la biologia poblacional y de la reproducciôn, así como genética molecular con fines de identificación, reconstructión filogenética, genética de poblaciones y análisis de diversidad de bacterias. La mayoría de las observaciones y análisis presentados en el presente estudio fueron realizados con muestras colectadas en enero y febrero de 2014 durante el crucero oceanográfico BICOSE en la dorsal medioatlántica (campos TAG y Snake Pit). El análisis morfológico de la larva Zoea I de cuatro especies (R. exoculata, Mirocaris fortunata, Nautilocaris saintlaurentae y Alvinocaris muricola) permite concluir que el primer estadio larvario de la familia Alvinocarididae es lecitotrôfico con una duración del desarrollo extendida, permitiendo la dispersión a grandes distancias sin requerimiento de una fuente externa de nutrición. Se propone para estas especies una dispersión batipelágica y un cambio a un estadio planctotrófico durante el periodo larvario. En relación a la biología poblacional, fue observada una variación en la estructura poblacional entre hábitats en relación al sexo y el estado de desarrollo.Las agregaciones densas de camarones encontradas cerca de las emisiones hidrotermales están compuestas principales de hembras y juveniles, mientras la mayoría de adultos dispersos encontrados en la periferia de las chimeneas fueron machos. Varias cohortes de tallas fueron identificadas en ambas poblaciones, lo cual denota un reclutamiento discontinuo. Una gran cantidad de hembras ovígeras fueron observadas cerca de la emisión hidrotermal, lo cual contrasta con la casi completa ausencia de hembras ovígeras en muestreos previos y sugiere una reproducción estacional con incubación y desove durante el invierno. La superficie de los huevos de R.exoculata está colonizada por bacterias episimbiontes. Los análisis de clonación muestran que los ensambles bacterianos parecen ser específicos, lo cual sugiere una relación simbiótica. Además estos ensambles cambian en relación al desarrollo embrionario. Los ensambles de bacterias observados en los huevos son similares a las comunidades episimbiontes encontradas en la cámara branquial de los adultos, sugiriendo la ocurrencia de procesos de detoxificación o nutrición similares. En otras especies del género Rimicaris, interrogantes en relación al ciclo de vida, la conectividad entre sistemas hidrotermales y la especiación han surgido recientemente. Estudios genéticos sugieren que dos especies alopátricas y con diferencias en morfología y ecología, R. hybisae y R. chacei representan una especie única. Esta hipótesis se encuentra relacionada además con el origen de un reclutamiento masivo de R. chacei encontrado en el campo TAG, a pesar de la baja densidad de adultos. Análisis de genética poblacional y reconstrucciones filogenéticas utilizando varios genes muestran que R. chacei y R. hybisae son linajes separados producto de una especiación reciente o en proceso. Estas especies, al igual que R. exoculata y otros alvinocarídidos, muestran patrones de conectividad asociados al modelo de migración colectiva (migration pool). Implicaciones de estos hallazgos y perspectivas de futuras […]