Terumi Tanimoto

Seasonal variation in the transport of suspended matter in the East China Sea

Seasonal variation in the transport of suspended matter across the East China Sea is investigated with the use of results of field observations and diagnostic numerical experiments. Suspended matter is transported from the shelf edge to the inner shelf in summer and from the inner shelf to the shelf edge in autumn and winter due to the vertical circulation mainly induced by the monsoon wind. The maximum transport of suspended matter from the inner shelf to the shelf edge occurs in autumn.

Deposition Rates of Terrestrial and Marine Organic Carbon in the Osaka Bay, Seto Inland Sea, Japan, Determined Using Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Ratios in the Sediment

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) of surface sediments were measured within Osaka Bay, in the Seto Inland Sea in Japan, in order to better understand the sedimentation processes operating on both terrestrial and marine organic matter in the Bay. The δ13C and δ15N of surface sediments in the estuary of the Yodo River were less than −23‰ and 5‰ respectively, but increased in the area up to about 10 km from the river mouth. At greater distances they became constant (giving δ13C of about −20‰ and δ15N about 6‰). It can be concluded that large amounts of terrestrial organic matter exist near the mouth of the Yodo River. Stable isotope ratios in the estuary of the Yodo River within 10 km of the river mouth were useful indicators allowing study of the movement of terrestrial organic matter. Deposition rates for total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) over the whole of the Bay were estimated to be 63,100 ton C/year and 7,590 ton N/year, respectively. The deposition rate of terrestrial organic carbon was estimated to be 13,200 (range 2,000–21,500) ton C/year for the whole of Osaka Bay, and terrestrial organic carbon was estimated to be about 21% (range 3–34) of the TOC deposition rate. The ratio of the deposition rate of terrestrial organic carbon to the rate inflow of riverine TOC and particulate organic carbon (POC) were estimated to be 19% (range 3–31) and 76% (range 12–100), respectively.

Suspended particles near the bottom in Osaka Bay

The vertical distributions of suspended particles in Osaka Bay were measured by using anin situ beam attenuation meter. The concentration of suspended particles near the bottom increases rapidly toward the bottom where size of sediment is in a range of silt. The settling velocity of suspended particles near the bottom was measured with the use of a settling tower in the laboratory. The settling velocity of the suspended particles with diameter from 10 to 100μm is 2×10−3cm s−1 to 5×10−2cm s−1. The density of the particles ranges from 2.0 to 1.1 and decreases with increasing particle diameter.

Heavy metal pollution in sediment from the Seto Inland Sea, Japan

Abstract To discuss the geochemical and environmental behaviors of heavy metals in the Seto Inland Sea which is the largest semi-closed coastal sea in Japan, (1) distributions of heavy metals concerning pollution were examined and (2) mass balances of Zn and Cu were studied by applying a simple box model. Increase in heavy metal contents of core sediments already started in the late 1800s and is considered to be due to human activities. Recently, the pollution of sediment in Osaka Bay which is most contaminated sea area in the Sea, seems to have tended to decrease. In 1980, total sedimentary loads of Cu and Zn over the whole area of the Sea were estimated to be 630 and 3,500 tons/yr, respectively. Further, the sedimentary loads without and with human activities were estimated separately to be, respectively, 320 and 310 tons/yr for Cu and 1,800 and 1,700 tons/yr for Zn. Total inputs of Cu and Zn into the Sea were estimated to be 870 and 4,250 tons/yr and about one half of this being the results of human activities. 70% of the Cu input and 80% of the Zn input are accumulated into the sediments.

Vertical distribution of heavy metals and its seasonal variations in Beppu Bay

From July to November, the thermocline which has strong temperature gradient (0.7‡C m−1) is formed in the bottom water of Beppu Bay, and it prevents the downward mixing of surface water. This has caused the bottom water of the basin to become depleted in oxygen, and in November the bottom water below about 60 m depth becomes anoxic. Accordingly manganese and iron are reduced and more soluble under the anoxic condition, those concentrations are high relative to surface water, and the maximums are 1,240Μg l−1 and 80Μg l−1. Under the anoxic condition, the flux of dissolved manganese from the sediment is about 10Μg cm−2 day−1.

Temporal variation of resuspended matter for one tidal cycle in the Hiuchi-Nada area

The observed relation between the vertical distribution of suspended matter and the size distribution of bottom sediment in the Hiuchi-Nada area indicates that a turbid bottom water layer exists above the bottom when the bottom sediment is of silt size. The turbid bottom water is thought to be produced by resuspension of bottom sediment.Measurements of the temporal variation of resuspended matter and water movement near the bottom was carried out for one full tidal cycle at an anchored station. The concentration of resuspended matter reached a maximum at the time of strongest ebb and flood flow.

The role of tidal vortices in material transport around straits

The strong tidal current (tidal jet) in straits generates tidal vortices with a scale of several kilometers. The role of the vortices in material transport was investigated in the Neko Seto Sea, located in the western part of the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. A clockwise vortex with a diameter of about 0.8 km was observed in Nigata Bay (lying between two straits, the Neko Seto Strait and the Meneko Seto Strait). It was concluded that the clockwise vortex was the tidal vortex which was generated by the tidal jet in the Meneko Seto Strait. The vortex moved into the bay with the tide, but tended to stay on the sand bank in the bay. It was confirmed by current measurement with an ADCP and turbidity measurement that the secondary convergent flow was generated in the bottom layer of the vortex. This secondary flow seemed to contribute to the formation of the sand bank. It was suggested that tidal vortices may play an important role in the sediment transport and formation of topography in and around straits.

Turbid bottom water layer and bottom sediment in the Seto Inland Sea

Measurement of the vertical distribution of total suspended matter (TSM) was carried out during summer throughout the Seto Inland Sea. TSM concentration near the bottom is influenced significantly by water movement and turbid bottom water is observed in all areas where median grain size (Mdφ) of the bottom sediment is more than 47gf. The high concentration of TSM near the bottom may be due to resuspension of the surface layer of bottom sediments. Comparison of the organic content of the resuspended matter with that of the bottom sediment shows that the resuspended matter contains more organic matter with a lower C : N ratio than the bottom sediment. The C : N ratio of the resuspended matter is similar to that of TSM in the surface layer of the water column. It is thought that TSM in surface waters sinks and settles on the surface of the bottom sediment. This deposited material is then easily resuspended in the water column by tidal currents before becoming permanently incorporated into the bottom sediment.

Current and Material Transport at Tomogashima Strait, Japan

Tomogashima Strait, which is an entrance of Osaka Bay, is a very important area for material transport because a large volume of pollutant-rich water in Osaka Bay is transported through this strait. We have investigated the cross sectional structures of current and material fluxes at Tomogashima Strait, Osaka Bay. Tidal current and residual flow patterns in cross section at Tomogashima Strait during summer and winter are almost the same, and residual flow in summer is stronger than that in winter. However, the net water exchange through the strait in summer was almost the same volume as that in winter. At Tomogashima Strait, total suspended matter (TSM) and particulate organic carbon (POC), and individual nitrogen and phosphorus compartments in Osaka Bay always flowed out except particulate organic nitrogen (PON). The average outflows of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) at Tomogashima Strait over a year were calculated to be 145 ton/d and 30 ton/d, respectively. The average outflow of DIN and DIP at Tomogashima Strait over a year were 95 ton/d and 13 ton/d (DIN/DIP = 16), respectively. Residence times of both DIN and DIP in Osaka Bay were estimated to be about two months.

Seasonal cycle of manganese in seawater in Harima Sound

Vertical and horizontal distributions of manganese in Harima Sound (Harima Nada, Seto Inland Sea) were measured in August and December 1979. High concentrations of dissolved and particulate manganese were found in bottom waters in August, suggesting that the bottom enrichment is probably due to the diffusion of dissolved manganese out of the sediment.From measured distributions, we estimate the annual flux of manganese at the sediment-water interface to be more than 800 tons per year, if Harima Sound is a closed system for manganese.