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In coastal erosion studies, the erosion and accretion index is a vital research tool for analyzing types of erosion and accretion. This index is primarily empirical or semi-empirical and is usually validated through tank experiments or open beach datasets, resulting in significant variation across different beach environments. In this study, 11 beach profiles of eight beaches measured along the Qiongzhou Strait in China, measured from 2018 to 2021, were analyzed to quantitatively determine coastal erosion or accretion by calculating each profile's volume change per unit width. Additionally, sediment and wave data were used to calculate five erosion and accretion indices monthly to determine erosion and accretion conditions. These conditions were then compared with actual beach erosion and accretion data to evaluate the applicability of various discriminant indices. Furthermore, optimizing the threshold values of discriminant indices. The results show that: (1) Overall annual erosion and accretion are minimal, but seasonal variation is significant for beaches on both sides of the Qiongzhou Strait; (2) The five discriminant indices have some limitations in this study area, necessitating careful consideration when applying them to headland bay arc-shaped beaches with fetch-limited environments like the Qiongzhou Strait; (3) The selection of discriminant index parameters and their respective contribution degree of each parameter affects the formula's applicability, with two-parameter formulas proving superior to the three-parameter formula in the study area; (4) Beach environmental factors, particularly those influenced by headlands and fetch-limited environments, impact the indices' applicability; (5) Increasing the threshold value to a certain extent can improve the formula's applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the horizontal and vertical distribution characteristics of temperature and salinity in the central and eastern regions of the Beibu Gulf, based on conductivity measurements in summer 2022, temperature, and depth (CTD) measurement data from the Sino–Vietnamese cooperative project "Demonstration Study on Ecological Protection and Management in Typical Bays: Seasonal Survey of the Beibu Gulf". Furthermore, the study utilized the computational results from the numerical Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) to elucidate the intrinsic patterns that formed the temperature and salinity distribution characteristics in August 2022 from both thermodynamic and dynamic perspectives. The circulation in the Beibu Gulf drives external seawater to move northward from the bay mouth. During this movement, numerous upwelling areas are created by lateral Ekman transport. The formation of different scales of cyclonic and anticyclonic vortices and current convergence zones is influenced by topography, runoff, and the water flux from the Qiongzhou Strait, which are key factors in the formation of upwelling and downwelling. The surface circulation in August 2022 significantly differed from the 20-year average surface circulation, with an influx of 1.15 × 104 m3/s more water entering the Beibu Gulf compared to the multi-year average. The water flux from the Qiongzhou Strait is a critical factor affecting the circulation patterns in the Beibu Gulf. The northeastern waters of the Beibu Gulf are characterized by current convergence zones, where extensive upwelling occurs. The rich nutrient salts in these areas promote the reproduction and growth of phytoplankton and zooplankton, making this the most favorable ecological environment in the Beibu Gulf and serving as a natural reserve for fisheries, coral reefs, dugongs, and Bryde's whales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tunnel Construction / Suidao Jianshe (Zhong-Yingwen Ban) is the property of Tunnel Construction Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In coastal erosion studies, the erosion and accretion index is a vital research tool for analyzing types of erosion and accretion. This index is primarily empirical or semi-empirical and is usually validated through tank experiments or open beach datasets, resulting in significant variation across different beach environments. In this study, 11 beach profiles of eight beaches measured along the Qiongzhou Strait in China, measured from 2018 to 2021, were analyzed to quantitatively determine coastal erosion or accretion by calculating each profile’s volume change per unit width. Additionally, sediment and wave data were used to calculate five erosion and accretion indices monthly to determine erosion and accretion conditions. These conditions were then compared with actual beach erosion and accretion data to evaluate the applicability of various discriminant indices. Furthermore, optimizing the threshold values of discriminant indices. The results show that: (1) Overall annual erosion and accretion are minimal, but seasonal variation is significant for beaches on both sides of the Qiongzhou Strait; (2) The five discriminant indices have some limitations in this study area, necessitating careful consideration when applying them to headland bay arc-shaped beaches with fetch-limited environments like the Qiongzhou Strait; (3) The selection of discriminant index parameters and their respective contribution degree of each parameter affects the formula’s applicability, with two-parameter formulas proving superior to the three-parameter formula in the study area; (4) Beach environmental factors, particularly those influenced by headlands and fetch-limited environments, impact the indices’ applicability; (5) Increasing the threshold value to a certain extent can improve the formula’s applicability.

A high-precision three-dimensional hydrodynamic model based on the Semiimplicit Cross-scale Hydroscience Integrated System Model (SCHISM) was constructed to investigate the characteristics of residual currents in the Qiongzhou Strait during spring and summer. Results reveal an overall westward transport in the strait during spring and summer. However, the results also support the potential occurrence of transient eastward Eulerian residual currents, which should be evident predominantly at the surface in the central and eastern sections of the strait andmainly characterised by subtidal oscillations. The direction and intensity of these residual currents indicate a pronounced influence of pressure gradient forces on both sides of the strait. The eastward flow observed in spring may represent a compensatory mechanism resulting from the relaxation period of long-term easterly winds, whereas the generation of eastward residual currents in summer is influenced by wind stress curl differences in both the western and eastern areas of the strait. The direct impact of the summermonsoon on the flow field in the strait is relatively weak. Additionally, the direction and intensity of the residual currents in the strait exhibit potential interannual variations that are directly associated with interannual wind variations. This study provides valuable insights in relation to the ongoing discourse on the dynamics of residual currents in the Qiongzhou Strait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution and variation in environmental factors and the phytoplankton community in the Qiongzhou Strait were investigated in autumn 2015 and spring 2016. The environmental factors were different in the two seasons, as seen when using one-way ANOVA testing, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis. The temperature and levels of dissolved oxygen and soluble solids were higher in autumn, and the ammonia (NH4-N) level was much higher in spring (4.66 ± 0.97 µmol/L), which led to a higher concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in the northeast area. A total of 118 species of phytoplankton were found, with 47 common species in both seasons and more species in spring. Bacillariophyta (diatom) contributed to over 80% of the relative abundance in both seasons. The species of Chrysophyta and Xanthophyta were endemic species in autumn and spring, respectively. Skeletonema costatum and Chaetoceros curvisetus were the common dominant species, with nine dominant species in both seasons. Higher abundance and biodiversity of phytoplankton appeared in spring, and their differences were mostly determined by NH4-N level, hydrodynamic conditions and artificial activities in the coastal area in the Qiongzhou Strait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of the Strait Passage is an important part of improving the national comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network, one of the important strategic tasks of promoting the construction of a transportation power, and of special significance for China to construct a new production pattern. This paper focuses on the preliminary study of the Qiongzhou Strait cross-sea channel project, combs the research achievements of the Qiongzhou Strait channel over the years, and analyzes the necessity and feasibility of the Qiongzhou Strait channel construction. The study of the construction scheme of the Qiongzhou Strait channel, comparison and selection of the channel alignment, bridge and tunnel schemes, and highway and railway schemes respectively recommend to "plan once, construct by stages, and build the railway first" and construct midcourt railway of double-line in advance (reserve highway channels), and adopt the four hole parallel scheme of "double hole highway tunnel+single hole double line railway tunnel+service tunnel". It also puts forward suggestions for the construction of the Qiongzhou Strait from the aspects of construction opportunity, financing mode, construction concept, operation and maintenance plan, thematic research, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qiongzhou Strait subsea tunnel is a challenging project with a long-distance, large investment, and long construction period. Scientific location planning is the key to this project construction. Therefore, we attempted to establish a new evaluation method for the Qiongzhou Strait subsea tunnel site selection. By analyzing the geological data of the Qiongzhou Strait and combining it with previous literature research results, we selected nine first-level and seventeen second-level evaluation indicators. We employed an analytic hierarchy process to calculate the weight of each indicator and evaluated each alternative route using the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and the cloud model method. We obtained an accurate and reliable optimal route through mutual verification and the final results of the two methods. This research can provide guidance or reference for the evaluation and decision-making of complex system engineering problems, and indicate a direction for further research on site selection and decision-making issues of major projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using mesoscale numerical forecasting model WRF and National Centers for Environmental Prediction （NCEP） reanalysis data， two persistent sea fog events on 17-20 February 2018 and 4-6 February 2019 over Qiongzhou strait were simulated.Combined with visibility data of CMA Land Data Assimilation System， satellite and ground observations， the weather background， maintenance and development， water vapor transport， dynamic condition and cloud-fog structure of two sea fog processes were compared and analyzed.The results indicated that both persistent sea fog cases occurred at the back of denatured cold high moving in to the sea.During the 2018 sea fog events period， easterly water vapor convergence was strong， the high relative humidity in the lower layer was deep.The increasing relative humidity and strong water vapor convergence caused the advection fog last for more than 10 hours， with a minimum visibility of 100 m.Meanwhile， the mid-level cloud coexist with sea fog could reduce the shortwave radiation received by the ground in the daytime and weaken the warming effect， while played a role in heat preservation at night making surface-based lower temperature and inversion layer stability maintenance.Thus， the presence of clouds above the fog had a great effects on the maintenance and development of the lasting fog event.During the 2019 sea fog events period， the southeast water vapor convergence was weak， the high relative humidity was shallow， the sea fog with small area in Qiongzhou Strait developed first from inland， and dissipated after sunset.

Marine sediment deposits near the Qiongzhou Strait have great potential as sources for beach nourishment and infrastructure industry aggregates. Estimation of bedload transport during the spring tide improves the understanding of the sediment movement characteristic under dynamic conditions, which would further favor the assessment and mining of marine sand resources. To study the bedload transport at the eastern entrance of the Qiongzhou Strait, the surficial sediment distributions were obtained through hundreds of sediment samples from field work. A semi-implicit cross-scale hydrological science integrated system model was adopted and validated to simulate the tidal currents in the Qiongzhou Strait. With field observation and simulated data, we estimated the spring tide bedload transport in the study area using the Bagnold Model. The transport rate in the study area was found to have large temporal and spatial variation. The net transport direction during the spring tide cycle was eastward in the southern parts of the strait and westward in the northern strait. Our research has important implications for regional engineering and marine resources management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Plateau Meteorology is the property of Plateau Meteorology Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The characteristics and influencing factors of phytoplankton assemblages were analyzed in July (rainy season) and November (dry season) 2022 in the Qiongzhou Strait, China. A total of 68 species of phytoplankton belonging to 33 genera and 3 phyla were recorded. Diatom was the most dominant group. The broad-temperature widespread species were the most abundant. The dominant species in the rainy season were Skeletonema costatum , S. tropicum , Chaetoceros preseudocurvisetus and Thalassionema nitzschioides while those in the dry season were T. frauenfeldii , T. nitzschioides and Coscinodiscus granii. Phytoplankton cell abundance was significantly positively correlated with nitrite and total nitrogen concentrations, and negatively correlated with temperature and pH. Red tide algae occurred with high frequency. All sites were at eutrophic level except for 3 sites in the rainy season, which were at mesotrophic level. Therefore, there is a potential risk of red tides in the Qiongzhou Strait, which requires long-term monitoring and precautions. • Nutrient Quality Index was higher in the nearshore that that in the offshore. • Red tides species were dominant in both rainy and dry seasons. • Most of the sites of the Qiongzhou Strait were at eutrophication level. • The Qiongzhou Strait has a potential risk of red tides and requires precautions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk assessment and pollutant source analysis are crucial tools for the management and protection of coastal ecosystems. The distribution patterns, risk assessment, and potential sources of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Hg, and Pb) in surface sediment were analyzed in the Qiongzhou Strait, China, in summer and autumn of 2022. Heavy metals in autumn showed higher ecological risk than that in summer. Seasonal shifts in ocean currents may result in variations in heavy metal accumulation and dispersion. Cd and Hg were the priority heavy metals found, and according to the Positive Matrix Factorization results, the study area contains five sources of pollution, with natural sources, shipping-related activities, and industrial activities being the primary contributors. This study indicated that pollutants from adjacent areas should be considered for managing the environmental quality of Qiongzhou Strait. • Changes in ocean currents affected distribution patterns of heavy metals. • Heavy metal pollution risk in autumn was higher than that in summer. • Cd and Hg were the priority heavy metals in the Qiongzhou Strait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Engineering Mechanics / Gongcheng Lixue is the property of Engineering Mechanics Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Qiongzhou Strait Channel is an important part of Chinese railway and expressway networks. With the rapid development of economy and society on both sides of the strait, it is urgent to build a fixed transportation channel and provide all-weather service. On the basis of the natural geographical condition, hydrogeological condition and previous study results, expressway and railway tunnel scheme is proposed. Generally, expressway tunnel and railway tunnel should be built independently with shield tunnelling method. The strait construction condition is complex and tunnel construction faces three key technical problems : extra-large diameter shield, ultra-high water pressure and super-long distance tunnelling. Based on the rapid development of underwater tunnel technology in recent years, some key technical problems have been partly solved, while the shield sealing, cutting tool maintenance, shield docking and cross passage construction under ultra-high water pressure still remain to be studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, power spectral density and inverse analyses were performed to obtain the frequency characteristics and spatial distribution of temperature in the Qiongzhou Strait using reciprocal sound transmission data obtained in a coastal acoustic tomography experiment conducted in 2013. The results reveal three dominant types of internal tides (diurnal, semidiurnal, and terdiurnal). Spectral analysis of the range-average temperature deviation along the northern and southern transmission paths shows that along the northern path, the energy of the diurnal internal tides was significantly larger than that of the semidiurnal tides. The semidiurnal internal tides, in contrast, were more pronounced along the southern path. A terdiurnal spectrum with an energy level equivalent to that of the semidiurnal internal tide was discernable for both the northern and southern paths. These three types of internal tides can also be recognized in the time variation of the zonal-average temperature deviation. The diurnal internal tides were strengthened along the northern coast, implying their westward propagation and the existence of coastally trapped effects. The other two types of internal tides, which have smaller wavelengths than the diurnal internal tides, were less resolved over the entire tomographic domain due to the insufficient resolution of the inversion. The data quality was verified to be satisfactory by error estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hydrographic Surveying & Charting / Haiyang Cehui is the property of Hydrographic Surveying & Charting Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Currently, one of the challenging tasks for Chinese engineering community is to construct a water-way crossing of Qiongzhou Strait in the south of China. This project has also gained significant attention from researchers in academia. The study presented herein is centered on providing a feasible solution for ac-complishing the above mentioned task. Initially, different alternatives as the best location, judged on the basis of the environmental constraints, are studied. Then the comparison between various structural solutions such as suspension bridge, submarine tunnel and SFT is presented. Among these solutions, SFT appears to be a very suitable alternative for Qiongzhou Strait waterway crossing due to distinctive advantages, like shorter distance, lower cost, less impact on environment and navigation, etc. Based on the appropriate conception for cross sections, support systems, materials, joints and connection schemes, a numerical model is developed by means of the FEM software ANSYS/Fluent. It is then analyzed under the influence of different environmental loading conditions, varying the wave heights and lengths, current velocities and water depths, which are typical in Qiongzhou Strait. The numerical results reveal that the proposed SFT solution performs safely even under extreme weather conditions.

Effects of currents on winter wind waves in the tide-dominated Qiongzhou Strait (QS) were numerically evaluated via employing the coupled ocean-atmosphere-wave-sediment transport (COAWST) modeling system. Validations showed satisfactory model performance in simulating the intense tidal currents in the QS. Different effects of sea level variations and tidal currents on waves were examined under the maximum eastward (METC) and westward (MWTC) tidal currents. In the east entrance area of the QS, the positive sea levels under the MWTC deepened the water depth felt by waves, benefiting the further propagation of wave energy into the inner strait and causing increased wave height. The METC and the MWTC could both enhance the wave height in the east entrance area of the QS, mainly through current-induced convergence and wavenumber shift, respectively. By current-induced refraction, the METC (MWTC) triggered counterclockwise (clockwise) rotation in peak wave directions in the northern part of the QS while clockwise (counterclockwise) rotation in the southern part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic structure and demography of the yellowbelly threadfin bream, Nemipterus bathybius, in the northern South China Sea were examined using the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene (1141 bp). High levels of haplotype and nucleotide diversities (0.98 and 5.26 × 10−3, respectively) showed that all populations exhibited a high level of genetic diversity. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), FST statistics, and haplotype networks suggested the absence of significant genetic differentiation along the coast of the northern South China Sea. Although the results suggested that the lack of differentiation within the population structure of N. bathybius was shaped by ocean currents, our results also showed that the Qiongzhou Strait limited their migration between Beibu Gulf and the northern South China Sea. Neutrality tests and mismatch distributions indicated population expansion, but the Bayesian skyline plots and approximate Bayesian computation approaches suggested that the population sizes recently contracted. The diversification of multiple stocks, which were induced by two ocean current systems, contributed to these discordant results. Although these analyses of demographic history revealed no evidence for recent population bottlenecks, the population demography needs to be evaluated further.

Based on a comparison of synchronized temperature and salinity data collected in the eastern Qiongzhou Strait and at coastal marine stations, this study finds that, in summer, the variation in salinity near the Weizhou Island in Guangxi is similar to that in the eastern and central portions of the Qiongzhou Strait. Additionally, the Beihai Station in Guangxi exhibits a small salinity variation, whereas the Longmen and Bailongwei Stations, both of which are located far from the Qiongzhou Strait, mainly exhibit continental hydrological characteristics in summer. Moreover, a comparison of the multi-year ocean current data from the Qiongzhou Strait and ocean current observations from the Weizhou Island Station and recently installed current-measuring stations shows that the residual current in the Qiongzhou Strait flows westward in winter and summer. The numerical simulation results also indicate that water from the eastern Qiongzhou Strait enters the Beibu Gulf. The characteristics of the temperature and salinity distributions and analyses of the residual currents further confirm that the western Guangdong coastal current is the main source of the westward transport of water in the Qiongzhou Strait. The primary driver of the formation of the western Guangdong coastal current is the westward flow of freshwater from the Zhujiang (Pearl) River. This water enters the Beibu Gulf via the Qiongzhou Strait and enhances the formation of the cyclonic circulation in the northern Beibu Gulf. In summer, the strong influence of the southwesterly wind leads to the formation of a strong northward coastal current along the western coast of the Beibu Gulf. This process promotes the transport of low-salinity diluted water toward the open ocean and the formation of larger-scale cyclonic circulation around Weizhou Island in the eastern Beibu Gulf. The results of this study regarding the effects of the water inflow from the eastern Qiongzhou Strait to the Beibu Gulf on the Guangxi coastal circulation directly challenge conventional conclusions concerning the transport direction of water through the Qiongzhou Strait in winter and summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chen, B.; Dong, D.; Qin, X.; Xu, M.; Chen, X., and Shi, M., 2019. Relationship between the occurrence of red tides and the dynamic response mechanisms in the northern Beibu Gulf. In: Guido-Aldana, P.A. and Mulahasan, S. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources and Exploration. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 93, pp. 185–193. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Unlike the common outbreak mechanism of red tides, the northern Beibu Gulf in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China experiences frequent red tides with distinct characteristics, such as large distances from the mainland and the presence of industrial pollution. By tracing the sources and transport of the high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, the relationship between pollutant transport and the dynamic response mechanisms was explored. The results showed that the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients in the areas of red tide outbreaks near Weizhou Island and in the Qinzhou Gulf in the northern Beibu Gulf were higher than those in the surrounding areas. However, the high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients in the northern Beibu Gulf did not originate from terrestrial pollution from Guangxi Province; rather, these pollutants originated on the east coast of China and were transported through the Qiongzhou Strait. The primary sources were the Pearl River Estuary and the coastal waters of eastern Guangdong. In addition, the differences in the concentration distributions of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients between the east and west coasts of the Qinzhou Gulf in the northern Beibu Gulf were clearly related to dynamic response mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike the common outbreak mechanism of red tides, the northern Beibu Gulf in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China experiences frequent red tides with distinct characteristics, such as large distances from the mainland and the presence of industrial pollution. By tracing the sources and transport of the high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, the relationship between pollutant transport and the dynamic response mechanisms was explored. The results showed that the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients in the areas of red tide outbreaks near Weizhou Island and in the Qinzhou Gulf in the northern Beibu Gulf were higher than those in the surrounding areas. However, the high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients in the northern Beibu Gulf did not originate from terrestrial pollution from Guangxi Province; rather, these pollutants originated on the east coast of China and were transported through the Qiongzhou Strait. The primary sources were the Pearl River Estuary and the coastal waters of eastern Guangdong. In addition, the differences in the concentration distributions of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients between the east and west coasts of the Qinzhou Gulf in the northern Beibu Gulf were clearly related to dynamic response mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tunnel Construction / Suidao Jianshe (Zhong-Yingwen Ban) is the property of Tunnel Construction Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Currently, one of the challenging tasks for Chinese engineering community is to construct a water-way crossing of Qiongzhou Strait in the south of China. This project has also gained significant attention from researchers in academia. The study presented herein is centered on providing a feasible solution for ac-complishing the above mentioned task. Initially, different alternatives as the best location, judged on the basis of the environmental constraints, are studied. Then the comparison between various structural solutions such as suspension bridge, submarine tunnel and SFT is presented. Among these solutions, SFT appears to be a very suitable alternative for Qiongzhou Strait waterway crossing due to distinctive advantages, like shorter distance, lower cost, less impact on environment and navigation, etc. Based on the appropriate conception for cross sections, support systems, materials, joints and connection schemes, a numerical model is developed by means of the FEM software ANSYS/Fluent. It is then analyzed under the influence of different environmental loading conditions, varying the wave heights and lengths, current velocities and water depths, which are typical in Qiongzhou Strait. The numerical results reveal that the proposed SFT solution performs safely even under extreme weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Engineering Geology / Gongcheng Dizhi Xuebao is the property of Journal of Engineering Geology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although Beibu Gulf holds a significant geographical location and is rich in fishery resources, it has attracted only limited attention from researchers in recent decades. This study summarizes the conclusions based on the observations and model results regarding the circulation and cold water mass in the Beibu Gulf to provide a reference for further research. Affected by wind and density gradient, the spring circulation may be gulf-scale cyclonic and nested with an enclosed cyclonic gyre in the northern gulf and unclosed cyclonic gyre in the southern gulf. Meanwhile, the mechanisms of summer circulation remain controversial. Along with the results of a new numerical model, historical observations suggest that summer circulation is cyclonic and anticyclonic in the northern and southern gulfs, respectively. The northern and southern gulfs are mainly influenced by wind stress curl and South China Sea current, respectively. Similarly, although different views regarding the structure of winter circulation have been presented, a large amount of evidence supports the existence of two cyclonic gyres in the northern and southern gulfs. In addition, a southwestward current off the northwestern coast of Hainan Island is present. The circulation structure in the fall is similar to that in winter. However, the cyclonic gyre in the southern Gulf has a greater tendency to intrude northwards into the Beibu Gulf in fall than in winter, and the currents off the coast of Vietnam and the northwestern coast of Hainan Island are weaker in fall than those in winter. Most studies indicate that winter boreal circulation is driven by the monsoon wind. The most recent observations and model results suggest that the current in the Qiongzhou Strait (QS) is eastward on certain days in the boreal summer and is affected by the difference between the sea levels of the two ends of the QS and tidal rectification. Correspondingly, the volume transport is approximately −0.1 Sv (minus sign represents westward) in spring and from −0.1 to −0.4 Sv in boreal winter. By contrast, the volume transport in summer remains controversial. The cold water mass in the Beibu Gulf is generated locally in spring, matures in summer, and disappears in fall. Heat flux and wind dominate the formation of the cold water mass, and tidal mixing and topographic effects influence the variations in the cold water mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed heavy metal concentrations in a number of surface sediments and cores from the Qiongzhou Strait and surrounding marine areas. The areas of high concentrations are primarily outside the eastern mouth of the Qiongzhou Strait and on the west side of the Leizhou Peninsula, whereas the areas of low concentrations are located primarily in the eastern Qiongzhou Strait. The maximum Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations in the samples collected in our study do not exceed the official standards for marine sediments, whereas the concentrations of Cr and Cu slightly exceed the standards. Correlations exist between the concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr and Cd, and the concentrations of these metals are positively correlated with the mean particle size (φ value), indicating that the finer sediments have adsorbed greater amounts of heavy metal elements than the coarser sediments. An evaluation of the potential environmental risks demonstrates that certain indices of heavy metal pollution and environmental risks are relatively low and may be assigned low risk levels, thereby indicating that, in terms of heavy metals, the marine sedimentary environment in this region is only mildly impacted. Our analysis of the contaminant origins shows that the heavy metals in this region primarily originate in the Pearl River Estuary and that a small amount of them is derived from local runoff. The elevated heavy metal concentrations from the upper sections of the cores started 130 years ago, which indicats that heavy metals in the surface sediments are primarily due to human activities associated with industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the analysis of the historical origin and importance of building Qiongzhou Strait Passageway, comparing with construction time in built and super cross-sea engineering under study in the world and comprehensively considering the passenger and cargo flow volume of Hainan Island in future 10 years and 30 years, it is believed that now is the window period of building strait passageway. The paper has used engineering analogy method to make a detailed analysis on the advantages of submerged floating tunnel as fixed cross-sea passageway in nature conservation, construction cost, operation risk and other aspects by comparing with extra-large bridge. Lastly, the paper has discussed the key technology problems in applying submerged floating tunnel to Qiongzhou Strait from crossing way and structure plan, which can serve as reference for this engineering's future construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, an existing three-dimensional finite volume computational ocean model (FVCOM) was refined and configured including an algorithm for computing the power density and mean power density at Qiongzhou Strait of China. The refined model was validated with the measured tidal levels and tidal currents at different gauging stations. The model results are in reasonable agreement with the measured data. Based on the modeling results, we assess the resource of the tidal stream energy in the Qiongzhou Strait and discuss the temporal and the spatial distribution of the tidal current energy there. The conclusion is extracted: the higher power density occurs in the middle area of the strait, and lower at both sides. Characteristics of power density such as the maximum possibility speed, maximum power density during the spring tide period and the neap tide period, have the similar distribution. The southeast part and central area of the strait are of rich tidal current energy, where the maximum possibility speed can reach to 4.6 m/s, and the maximum power density of the spring tide period and the neap tide period can reach 5 996 and 467 W/m separately in the surface layer The annual mean power density can reach 819 W/m. Statistical length of accumulative time of the velocity exceeding 0.7 m/s is about 4 717 h at local point during a year. The total theoretical tidal current energy resource is approximately 189.55 MW and the available exploited energy on present technology condition is 249, 20.2 and 263 GW/a separately by using the methods FLUX, FARM and GC in the Qiongzhou Strait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From February 14th to February 25th, 2018, the Qiongzhou Strait, China, experienced a persistent heavy fog that was unprecedented in the past 67 years. Observations and simulation results are utilized to diagnose causes of the heavy fog event. This persistent heavy fog was closely related to the continuous occurrence of fog in various types. More fog was observed along the northern coast than the southern coast. The fog over sea lasted longer than that over land. Fog along the southern coast was more sensitive to humidity, whereas fog on the northern coast was more sensitive to wind. The wind speed on the northern coast is beneficial to the generation of advection fog. Contrastingly, the southern coast was in either a weak wind or static wind state, which was in favor of the generation of radiation fog. A low altitude inversion layer appeared before the heavy fog occurred, controlled by the warm and humid airflow in the south. When the heavy fog dissipated, the wind velocity gradually increased, controlled by the dry and cold airflow in the northeast. The variation characteristics of meteorological conditions were successfully reproduced using the WRF model. Simulated minimum visibility and sea fog area were consistent with observations. Air-sea temperature difference is of vital importance to the formation of the heav fog. The stability of atmosphere boundary layer below 150 m was sensitive to the change in sea surface temperature (SST). The higher SST led to higher boundary layer and lower stability. which further resulted in a shorter duration and smaller area of sea fog. The decrease in the SST led to the lower height of boundary layer and stronger stability, which further resulted in a longer duration and expanding area of the sea fog. • The Qiongzhou Strait experienced the heaviest fog in the past 67 years. • This persistent heavy fog was closely related to the continuous occurrence of fog in various types. • Air-sea temperature difference is of vital important to formation of the heave Fog event. • The height and stability of the boundary layer directly affect the formation of fog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying the tidal current and volume transport through the Qiongzhou Strait (QS) is vital to understanding the circulation in the northern South China Sea. To measure the tidal current in the strait, a 15-day coastal acoustic tomography (CAT) experiment was carried out at four acoustic stations in March 2013. The horizontal distributions of the tidal currents were calculated by inverse analysis of CAT data. The diurnal tidal current constituents were found to dominate: the ratio of the amplitudes O 1 , K 1 , M 2 , S 2 , and MSF was 1.00:0.60:0.47:0.21:0.11. The residual currents were found to flow westward in the northern QS and turn southward in the southern QS. The residual current velocities were larger in the northern area than in the southern area, with a maximum westward velocity of 12.4 cm s −1 in the northern QS. Volume transport estimated using the CAT data varied between −0.710 Sv and 0.859 Sv, with residual current transport of −0.044 Sv, where negative values indicate westward. We conducted a dynamic analysis of the observations made during the study, which suggested that tidal rectification and sea level difference between the two entrances of the QS are important in maintaining the residual current through the strait. This is the first estimation, from synchronous measurements, of major tidal current constituents, residual currents, and volume transport in this strait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chen, B.; Dong, D.; Qin, X.; Xu, M.; Chen, X., and Shi, M., 2019. Relationship between the occurrence of red tides and the dynamic response mechanisms in the northern Beibu Gulf. In: Guido-Aldana, P.A. and Mulahasan, S. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources and Exploration. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 93, pp. 185–193. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Unlike the common outbreak mechanism of red tides, the northern Beibu Gulf in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China experiences frequent red tides with distinct characteristics, such as large distances from the mainland and the presence of industrial pollution. By tracing the sources and transport of the high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, the relationship between pollutant transport and the dynamic response mechanisms was explored. The results showed that the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients in the areas of red tide outbreaks near Weizhou Island and in the Qinzhou Gulf in the northern Beibu Gulf were higher than those in the surrounding areas. However, the high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients in the northern Beibu Gulf did not originate from terrestrial pollution from Guangxi Province; rather, these pollutants originated on the east coast of China and were transported through the Qiongzhou Strait. The primary sources were the Pearl River Estuary and the coastal waters of eastern Guangdong. In addition, the differences in the concentration distributions of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients between the east and west coasts of the Qinzhou Gulf in the northern Beibu Gulf were clearly related to dynamic response mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of high resolution sub-bottom profiles, topographical data and sediment samples reveals that the tidal delta system of Qiongzhou Strait is morphologically a "butterfly delta" system consisting of Western Mouth Tidal Delta (WMTD) and Eastern Mouth Tidal Delta (EMTD). WMTD covers an area of about 11,000 km², and is more than two times larger than EMTD (4000 km²). WMTD is fan-shaped with a tributary branch extending southwards along Hainan Island, while EMTD is typically fan-shaped. Seismic architectures of WMTD and EMTD are both characterized by a thick progradational unit overlying a thin transgression unit. Both WMTD and EMTD start to develop at about 8.7 cal ka BP when Qiongzhou Strait completely opened, and have the same three sedimentary facies: tidal delta top, tidal delta slope and tidal delta toe. The formation of WMTD and EMTD is attributed to Qiongzhou Strait's hydrodynamic regime which is dominated by the strong east-west reciprocal-tidal currents and influenced by the year-round westward mean flow modified by the wind-driven seasonal currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circulation in the Gulf of Tonkin (Beibu Gulf) was studied using the Princeton Ocean Model, which was forced with the daily surface and lateral boundary fluxes for 2006 and 2007, as well as tidal harmonics and monthly climatological river discharges. In the southern Gulf, the vertically averaged circulation was anti-cyclonic in summer and changed to cyclonic in winter. Although it was highly correlated with the local wind, the southern gyre was driven primarily by the South China Sea (SCS) general circulation from the south. Flows in the Qiongzhou Strait that played a significant role in determining the circulation variability in the northeastern Gulf could be eastward or westward at any given day in summer or winter, but the seasonal mean current was eastward from late spring through summer and westward during the rest of the year, with an annual mean westward transport of ∼0.1 Sv into the Gulf. Different water masses were distinguished at the surface with the warm and saline SCS water in the south, relatively fresh plume waters along the northern and western coasts of the Gulf, and the mixture of the two in between. At lower levels, two cold water masses were identified in the model, and each had T/S distributions qualitatively similar to the observations obtained in 2007. These two water masses were produced throughout the winter, sheltered from the surface warming by a thermocline as the season progressed, and eventually disappeared in late fall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing the Beibu Gulf's hydrography and sediment properties is crucial for the understanding of naturally and anthropogenically induced matter and energy fluxes in the South China Sea's north-western coastal regions. For this reason, the present study combines hydrographical (T, S, ?t, chlorophyll, nutrients, suspended particulate matter) and sedimentological (grain size, pore water properties, phosphate speciation, foraminifera, plant pigment contents) investigations. On the basis of hydrographical profiles (temperature, salinity and ?t) taken at 25 stations, four ecological zones are identified in the study area for the sampling period in September/October 2009. These zones are mainly influenced by riverine input and tidal mixing, water mass transport through the Qiongzhou Strait which also affects the gulf's circulation, and South China Sea waters in the southern Beibu Gulf. The zonation extends from the coastal areas in the northern Beibu Gulf and west of Hainan Island across the central regions to the southern part of the gulf. The study demonstrates that the hydrographical peculiarities of the different zones influence not only the biogeochemical features (chlorophyll, nutrients, suspended particulate matter) of the water column but also the deposition of sediments and their biological (plant pigment contents and foraminifera) and geochemical (pore water properties) characteristics. Both, the near-shore area and the zone in the vicinity of the Qiongzhou Strait show relatively high chlorophyll concentrations and therefore give evidence of enhanced primary production in the entire water column. Whereas the grain size and the foraminifera in the surface sediments follow the hydrodynamically controlled sedimentation conditions, plant pigment contents in the surface sediments additionally follow the productivity pattern in the water column. Depending on the depositional environments with their respective sedimentology and organic matter contents, the geochemical sediment properties reflect the primary production within the water column as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic structure and demography of the yellowbelly threadfin bream, Nemipterus bathybius, in the northern South China Sea were examined using the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene (1141 bp). High levels of haplotype and nucleotide diversities (0.98 and 5.26 × 10−3, respectively) showed that all populations exhibited a high level of genetic diversity. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), FST statistics, and haplotype networks suggested the absence of significant genetic differentiation along the coast of the northern South China Sea. Although the results suggested that the lack of differentiation within the population structure of N. bathybius was shaped by ocean currents, our results also showed that the Qiongzhou Strait limited their migration between Beibu Gulf and the northern South China Sea. Neutrality tests and mismatch distributions indicated population expansion, but the Bayesian skyline plots and approximate Bayesian computation approaches suggested that the population sizes recently contracted. The diversification of multiple stocks, which were induced by two ocean current systems, contributed to these discordant results. Although these analyses of demographic history revealed no evidence for recent population bottlenecks, the population demography needs to be evaluated further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cold water region will occur in the east entrance area of Qiongzhou Strait when upwelling develops off the northeast coast of Hainan Island. The effect of topography on this cold water region was investigated by combining satellite observations and numerical simulations. Multi-source high-resolution remote-sensed sea surface temperature images revealed that the western periphery of the cold water region frequently occurred at a quasi-fixed location with similar jagged structure. Compared with observations, the numerical model employed in this study could satisfactorily simulate the intense tidal currents in the strait, and reasonably reproduce the jagged western periphery of the cold water region. Under strong westward tidal flow, the cold upwelling water intruded deeply into the interior strait, whereas under sustained eastward tidal currents, much stronger tidal currents occurred where there were deeper waters connecting the inner strait, therefore the cold upwelling water faded towards east faster and formed the concave parts (looking in east-to-west direction) of the western periphery of the cold water region; conversely, convex parts would develop over the adjacent shallower shoals. The eastward movement of the cold water was dominated by topography-modified tidal currents, and only after sustained eastward tidal currents (usually in the second half or near the end of the eastward tidal current phase), the western periphery of the cold water region would occur at a quasi-fixed location with similar jagged shape. Moreover, the development of the upwelling off the northeast coast of Hainan Island, which was the precondition of the cold water region, was found to be mainly driven by sustained SE ~ S winds. • The western periphery of a cold water region frequently occurred at a quasi-fixed location with similar jagged structure. • This phenomenon usually developed under sustained eastward tidal currents and sustained SE~S winds. • Topography produced a vital influence on the dynamics of this cold water region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]