Southward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the western Pacific during the late Tertiary: Evidence from ferromanganese crusts on seamounts west of the Marshall Islands

The Australian species of two genera, Nothorhaphium, gen. nov. andSyntormon Loew (Diptera : Dolichopodidae), are described, illustrated and keyed, and discussed in context of the Western Pacific fauna. The two genera are phylogenetically close. The Australian Nothorhaphium comprises four species: N. aemulans Becker, comb. nov. (= Xiphandrium pudicum Parent, syn. nov.), N. nudicorne, sp. nov., N. callosum, sp. nov., and N. curalo, sp. nov. The montane New Guinean N. oro, sp. nov. is also described, and its close relationship with the predominantly southern temperate Australian fauna is discussed, suggesting it was part of a common Australian fauna which became isolated with the uplift of New Guinea in the mid–late Tertiary. The Australian Syntormon comprises six species: S. xiphandroides Parent, S. flexibile Becker, S. singularis, sp. nov., S. tasmanense, sp. nov., S. janelithae, sp. nov., and S. lucare, sp. nov. As well, S. aotearoa is described from New Zealand. Genera once thought to be close to Syntormon are discussed. The subfamily Rhaphiinae is briefly discussed, noting the problem of subfamily definition. The New Zealand Syntormon formosus Parent is placed in new combination [= Dactylonotus formosus (Parent)] in a genus previously known only from southern Africa.

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A root for massive crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks in the Pacific Ocean

10.1101/2021.09.13.460188 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nina Yasuda ◽

June Inoue ◽

Michael R. Hall ◽

Manoj R. Nair ◽

Mehdi Adjeroud ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pacific Ocean ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

French Polynesia ◽

The Philippines ◽

Marshall Islands ◽

Western Pacific ◽

Central Pacific ◽

The Pacific ◽

The Pacific Ocean ◽

The Western Pacific

AbstractRecurring outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) severely damage healthy corals in the Western Pacific Ocean. To determine the source of outbreaking COTS larvae and their dispersal routes across the Western Pacific, complete mitochondrial genomes were sequenced from 243 individuals collected in 11 reef regions. Our results indicate that Pacific COTS comprise two major clades, an East-Central Pacific clade (ECP-C) and a Pan-Pacific clade (PP-C). The ECP-C consists of COTS from French Polynesia (FP), Fiji, Vanuatu and the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), and does not appear prone to outbreaks. In contrast, the PP-C, which repeatedly spawns outbreaks, is a large clade comprising COTS from FP, Fiji, Vanuatu, GBR, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands. Given the nature of Pacific Ocean currents, the vast area encompassing FP, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the GBR likely supplies larvae for repeated outbreaks, exacerbated by anthropogenic environmental changes, such as eutrophication.

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Biomineralisation of the ferromanganese crusts in the Western Pacific Ocean

Journal of Asian Earth Sciences ◽

10.1016/j.jseaes.2017.01.025 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 136 ◽

pp. 58-67 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Xiao-Dong Jiang ◽

Xiao-Ming Sun ◽

Yao Guan ◽

Jun-Li Gong ◽

Yang Lu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pacific Ocean ◽

Western Pacific ◽

Western Pacific Ocean ◽

Ferromanganese Crusts ◽

The Western Pacific

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Southward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone due to Northern Hemisphere cooling at the Oligocene-Miocene boundary

Geology ◽

10.1130/g35664.1 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 42 (8) ◽

pp. 667-670 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

K. Hyeong ◽

J. Lee ◽

I. Seo ◽

M. J. Lee ◽

C. M. Yoo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Northern Hemisphere ◽

Intertropical Convergence Zone ◽

Convergence Zone ◽

Southward Shift

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Geophysical and Geological Exploration of Cobalt-rich Ferromanganese Crusts on a Seamount in the Western Pacific

Economic and Environmental Geology ◽

10.9719/eeg.2013.46.6.569 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 46 (6) ◽

pp. 569-580 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jonguk Kim ◽

Young-Tak Ko ◽

Kiseong Hyeong ◽

Jai-Woon Moon

Keyword(s):

Western Pacific ◽

Geological Exploration ◽

Ferromanganese Crusts ◽

The Western Pacific

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Interannual Variability of East Asian Summer Monsoon Simulated by CMIP3 and CMIP5 AGCMs: Skill Dependence on Indian Ocean–Western Pacific Anticyclone Teleconnection

Journal of Climate ◽

10.1175/jcli-d-13-00248.1 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 1679-1697 ◽

Cited By ~ 120

Author(s):

Fengfei Song ◽

Tianjun Zhou

Keyword(s):

Indian Ocean ◽

Interannual Variability ◽

East Asian Summer Monsoon ◽

Asian Summer Monsoon ◽

East Asian ◽

Western Pacific ◽

Rainfall Pattern ◽

Southward Shift ◽

Asian Summer ◽

The Western Pacific

Abstract The climatology and interannual variability of East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) are investigated by using 13 atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) from phase 3 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3) and 19 AGCMs from CMIP5. The mean low-level monsoon circulation is reasonably reproduced in the multimodel ensemble mean (MME) of CMIP3 and CMIP5 AGCMs, except for a northward shift of the western Pacific subtropical high. However, the monsoon rainband known as mei-yu/baiu/changma (28°–38°N, 105°–150°E) is poorly simulated, although a significant improvement is seen from CMIP3 to CMIP5. The interannual EASM pattern is obtained by regressing the precipitation and 850-hPa wind on the observed EASM index. The observed dipole rainfall pattern is partly reproduced in CMIP3 and CMIP5 MME but with two deficiencies: weaker magnitude and southward shift of the dipole rainfall pattern. These deficiencies are closely related to the weaker and southward shift of the western Pacific anticyclone (WPAC). The simulation skill of the interannual EASM pattern has been significantly improved from CMIP3 to CMIP5 MME accompanied by the enhanced dipole rainfall pattern and WPAC. Analyses demonstrate that the tropical eastern Indian Ocean (IO) rainfall response to local warm SST anomalies and the associated Kelvin wave response over the Indo–western Pacific region are important to maintain the WPAC. A successful reproduction of interannual EASM pattern depends highly on the IO–WPAC teleconnection. The significant improvement in the interannual EASM pattern from CMIP3 to CMIP5 MME is also due to a better reproduction of this teleconnection in CMIP5 models.

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CO2 radiative forcing and Intertropical Convergence Zone influences on western Pacific warm pool climate over the past 400ka

Quaternary Science Reviews ◽

10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.12.018 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 86 ◽

pp. 24-34 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Kazuyo Tachikawa ◽

Axel Timmermann ◽

Laurence Vidal ◽

Corinne Sonzogni ◽

Oliver Elison Timm

Keyword(s):

Radiative Forcing ◽

Warm Pool ◽

Intertropical Convergence Zone ◽

Western Pacific ◽

Convergence Zone ◽

Western Pacific Warm Pool ◽

The Past ◽

Pacific Warm Pool

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Seabed Mapping Using Shipboard Multibeam Acoustic Data for Assessing the Spatial Distribution of Ferromanganese Crusts on Seamounts in the Western Pacific

Minerals ◽

10.3390/min10020155 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 155

Author(s):

Jongmin Joo ◽

Seung-Sep Kim ◽

Jee Woong Choi ◽

Sang-Joon Pak ◽

Youngtak Ko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Western Pacific ◽

Camera System ◽

Mining Sites ◽

Small Areas ◽

Transition Zones ◽

Ferromanganese Crusts ◽

Seabed Mapping ◽

Exploration Area ◽

The Western Pacific

Cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts (Fe–Mn crusts), potential economic resources for cobalt, nickel, platinum, and other rare metals, are distributed on the surface of seamounts, ridges, and plateaus. Distribution of Fe–Mn crust deposits and their geomorphological characteristics are prerequisites to selecting possible mining sites and to predicting the environmental impact of deep-sea mining activity. Here, we map the spatial distribution of Fe–Mn crust deposits on seamount summits and flanks in the Western Pacific using shipboard multibeam echo sounder (MBES) data and seafloor images from a deep-towed camera system (DCS) and evaluate the relationship between acoustic backscatter variations and the occurrence of Fe–Mn crusts. We find a positive correlation between high backscatter intensity, steep seabed slope gradients, and the occurrence of Fe–Mn crusts. However, our analysis was not effective to distinguish the spatial boundary between several seabed types that occur over small areas in mixed seabed zones, particularly where transition zones and discontinuous seabed types are present. Thus, we conclude that MBES data can be a valuable tool for constraining spatial distribution of Fe–Mn crust deposits over a large exploration area.

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