Knowledge of sea surface temperature (SST) behaviour is vital for long-term climate scenarios. This study highlights essential outcomes about the distinguishable and unsurprising warming of the SST along the southern border of the Levantine Basin. The analysis is based on monthly SST data for the period 1948–2018. The southern Levantine Basin has undergone SST increase, during the last 71 years. In this study, a consistent warming trend has been found for the analysed SST data series, with a rate of 0.04°C/a, i.e., 0.4°C/(10 a). From 1975 to 1991 the mean annual SST was 17.1°C, and this increased to be 19.2°C, over the period 2002–2018. Results revealed two opposite trends of variability: a decreasing trend (–0.06°C/a) over the period 1975–1991, and an increasing trend (0.2°C/a) from 2002 to 2018. Over the period 1948–2018, positive mean annual SST anomalies had an average of 1.8°C, and negative anomalies had an average of –1.1°C. The lowest SST total increase was found from January to April, with values about 0.03°C, while the highest warming appeared from June to September. The driving mechanisms behind the SST changes need to be more investigated, to understand the future trends and impacts of climate change in the Levantine Basin.

The new gravity field models of gravity field and steady-state ocean circulation explorer (GOCE), TIM_R6 and DIR_R6, were released by the European Space Agency (ESA) in June 2019. The sixth generation of gravity models have the highest possible signal and lowest error levels compared with other GOCE-only gravity models, and the accuracy is significantly improved. This is an opportunity to build high precision geostrophic currents. The mean dynamic topography and geostrophic currents have been calculated by the 5th (TIM_R5 and DIR_R5), 6th (TIM_R6 and DIR_R6) release of GOCE gravity field models and ITSG-Grace2018 of GRACE gravity field model in this study. By comparison with the drifter results, the optimal filtering lengths of them have been obtained (for DIR_R5, DIR_R6, TIM_R5 and TIM_R6 models are 1° and for ITSG-Grace2018 model is 1.1°). The filtered results show that the geostrophic currents obtained by the GOCE gravity field models can better reflect detailed characteristics of ocean currents. The total geostrophic speed based on the TIM_R6 model is similar to the result of the DIR_R6 model with standard deviation (STD) of 0.320 m/s and 0.321 m/s, respectively. The STD of the total velocities are 0.333 m/s and 0.325 m/s for DIR_R5 and TIM_R5. When compared with ITSG-Grace2018 results, the STD (0.344 m/s) of total geostrophic speeds is larger than GOCE results, and the accuracy of geostrophic currents obtained by ITSG-Grace2018 is lower. And the absolute errors are mainly distributed in the areas with faster speeds, such as the Antarctic circumpolar circulation, equatorial region, Kuroshio and Gulf Stream areas. After the remove-restore technique was applied to TIM_R6 MDT, the STD of total geostrophic speeds dropped to 0.162 m/s.

The Kyushu-Palau Ridge (KPR), a remnant arc on the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP), is subducting beneath the Kyushu, southwest Japan. Influenced by the subducting KPR, the Kyushu subduction zone corresponding to the KPR is significantly different from Shikoku subduction zone in terms of gravity anomalies, seismicity, the stress state, and the subducting slab morphology. Significant negative free-air and Bouguer gravity anomalies are observed in a prolonged area of KPR, southeast of the Miyazaki Plain, indicating that this is where KPR overlaps the overriding plate. The gravity anomaly in this area is much lower than that in other areas where the inferred KPR extends, suggesting that the subduction of the buoyant KPR may cause the lower mantle density to decrease. More earthquakes have occurred in Hyuga-nada region where the KPR subducts than in Shikoku forearc and other areas in the Kyushu forearc, indicating that the subduction of the KPR enhances the local coupling between the subducting and overriding plates. The centroid moment tensor (CMT) mechanism of earthquakes shows that stress is concentrated in the accumulated crust beneath the Kyushu forearc corresponding to the KPR, and the shallow thrusting events in the obducting plate are caused by the KPR subduction. The buoyant KPR, with a large volume of low-density sediments, was responsible for the differences of the subduction depth and dip angle of the subducting Philippine Sea (PS) slab between northern Kyushu and Shikoku. The seismic gaps and the sudden change of the dipping angle of the subducting PS slab indicate that slab tear may have occurred along the west side of the KPR beneath southwest Kyushu. A two-tear model was proposed, and the subduction of the buoyant KPR was believed to play an important role in the slab tear.

An irradiance profile measurement approach and profiling system were developed to measure the solar irradiance profile of the Arctic sea ice using fiber optic spectrometry. The approach involved using a miniature spectrometer to sense light signals collected and transmitted from a fiber probe. The fiber probe was small, and could thus move freely in inclined bore holes drilled in sea ice with its optical entrance pointing upward. The input-output relationship of the system was analyzed and built. Influence factors that determined the system output were analyzed. A correctional system output approach was proposed to correct the influence of these factors, and to obtain the solar irradiance profile based on the measurements outputted by this system. The overall performance of the system was examined in two ice floes in the Arctic during the 9th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition. The measured solar irradiance profiles were in good agreement with those obtained using other commercially available oceanographic radiometers. The derived apparent optical properties of sea ice were comparable to those of similar sea ice measured by other optical instruments.

High-resolution multichannel seismic data enables the discovery of a previous, undocumented submarine canyon (Huaguang Canyon) in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northwest South China Sea. The Huaguang Canyon with a NW orientation is 140 km in length, and 2.5 km to 5 km in width in its upper reach and 4.6 km to 9.5 km in width in its lower reach. The head of the Huaguang Canyon is close to the Xisha carbonate platform and its tail is adjacent to the central canyon. This buried submarine canyon is formed by gravity flows from the Xisha carbonate platform when the sea level dropped in the early stage of the late Miocene (~10.5 Ma). The internal architecture of the Huaguang Canyon is mainly characterized by high amplitude reflections, indicating that this ancient submarine canyon was filled with coarse-grained sediments. The sediment was principally scourced from the Xisha carbonate platform. In contrast to other buried large-scale submarine canyons (central canyon and Zhongjian Canyon) in the Qiongdongnan Basin, the Huaguang Canyon displays later formation time, smaller width and length, and single sediment supply. The coarse-grained deposits within Huaguang Canyon provide a good environment for reserving oil and gas, and the muddy fillings in Huaguang Canyon have been identified as regional caps. Therefore, Huaguang Canyon is potential area for future hydrocarbon exploration in the northwest South China Sea. Our results may contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of submarine canyons formed in carbonate environment.

By the end of 2019, more than 220 gas fields had been discovered in the South China Sea. In order to accurately determine the geological characteristics of the large- and medium-sized gas fields in the South China Sea, this study conducted a comprehensive examination of the gas fields. Based on the abundant available geologic and geochemical data, the distribution and key controlling factors of the hydrocarbon accumulation in the South China Sea were analyzed. The geological and geochemical features of the gas fields were as follows: (1) the gas fields were distributed similar to beads in the shape of a “C” along the northern, western, and southern continental margins; (2) the natural gas in the region was determined to be composed of higher amounts of alkane gas and less CO₂; (3) the majority of the alkane gas was observed to be coal-type gas; (4) the gas reservoir types included structural reservoirs, lithologic reservoirs, and stratigraphic reservoirs, respectively; (5) the reservoir ages were mainly Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene, while the lithology was mainly organic reef, with some sandstone deposits; and (6) the main hydrocarbon accumulation period for the region was determined to be the late Pliocene-Quaternary Period. In addition, the main controlling factors of the gas reservoirs were confirmed to have been the development of coal measures, sufficient thermal evolution, and favorable migration and accumulation conditions.

Taiwan Island’s outcropping strata can provide important insights into the sedimentary environment and source development of the southeast China margin. This research is based on the Eocene–Miocene strata of the Tsukeng area in the central Western Foothills, northeast shoreline of Taiwan Island and two sites of the East China Sea Shelf Basin (ECSSB), using petrology and detrital zircon U-Pb age for the analysis. Results show that central and northeast Taiwan Island experienced a transformation from continental to marine facies during the Eocene–Miocene, and the sandstone maturity changed with time. Source analysis shows that sediments from the Eocene–early Oligocene strata mainly originated from near-source Mesozoic rocks, whose zircon age is consistent with the igneous rock in the surrounding area and coastal Cathaysia, showing 120 Ma and 230 Ma peaks in the age spectrum diagram. Since the late Oligocene, peaks of 900 Ma and 1 800 Ma are seen, indicating that deposition of matter from the old block began. The sediments could be a mixture of the surrounding Mesozoic volcanic and fewer pre-Cambrian rocks sourced from the coastal river and sporadic old basement in the ECSSB instead of long-distance transportation.

High-resolution multichannel seismic data enables the discovery of a previous, undocumented submarine canyon (Huaguang Canyon) in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northwestern South China Sea. The Huaguang Canyon with a NW orientation is 140 km in length, and 2.5 km to 5 km in width in its upper reach and 4.6 km to 9.5 km in width in its lower reach. The head of the Huaguang Canyon is close to the Xisha carbonate platform and its tail is adjacent to the Central Canyon. This buried submarine canyon is formed by gravity flows from the Xisha carbonate platform when the sea level dropped in the early stage of the late Miocene (around 10.5 Ma). The internal architecture of the Huaguang Canyon is mainly characterized by high amplitude reflections, indicating that this ancient submarine canyon was filled with coarse-grained sediments. The sediment was principally scourced from the Xisha carbonate platform. In contrast to other buried large-scale submarine canyons (Central Canyon and Zhongjian Canyon) in the Qiongdongnan Basin, the Huaguang Canyon displays later formation time, smaller width and length, and single sediment supply. The coarse-grained deposits within the Huaguang Canyon provide a good environment for reserving oil and gas, and the muddy fillings in the Huaguang Canyon have been identified as regional caps. Therefore, the Huaguang Canyon is a potential area for future hydrocarbon exploration in the northwestern South China Sea. The result of this paper may contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of submarine canyons formed in carbonate environment.

The pre-Cenozoic northern South China Sea (SCS) Basin basement was supposed to exist as a complex of heterogeneous segments, divided by dozens of N−S faulting. Unfortunately, only the Hainan Island and the northeastern SCS region were modestly dated while the extensive basement remains roughly postulated by limited geophysical data. This study presents a systematic analysis including U-Pb geochronology, elemental geochemistry and petrographic identification on granite and meta-clastic borehole samples from several key areas. Constrained from gravity-magnetic joint inversion, this interpretation will be of great significance revealing the tectono-magmatic evolution along the southeastern margin of the Eurasian Plate. Beneath the thick Cenozoic sediments, the northern SCS is composed of a uniform Mesozoic basement while the Precambrian rocks are only constricted along the Red River Fault Zone. Further eastern part of the northern SCS below the Cenozoic succession was widely intruded by granites with Jurassic-to-early Cretaceous ages. Further western part, on the other hand, is represented by meta-sedimentary rocks with relatively sporadic granite complexes. To be noted, the western areas derived higher-degree and wider metamorphic zones, which is in contrast with the lower-degree and narrower metamorphic belt developed in the eastern region. Drastic collisions between the Indochina Block and South China continent took place since at least late Triassic, resulting in large-scale suturing and deformation zones. At the westernmost part of the northern SCS, the intracontinental amalgamation with closure of the Meso-Tethys has caused fairly stronger and broader metamorphism. One metamorphic biotite granite is located on the suturing belt and yields a Precambrian U-Pb age. It likely represents the relict from the ancient Gondwana supercontinent or its fringes. Arc-continental collision between the Paleo-Pacific and the southeast China Block, on the other hand, results in a relatively narrow NE–SW trending metamorphic belt during the late Mesozoic. Within the overall geological setting, the Cenozoic SCS oceanic basin was subsequently generated from a series of rifting and faulting processes along the collisional-accretionary continental margin.

Numerous elongated mounds and channels were found at the top of the middle Miocene strata using 2D/3D seismic data in the Liwan Sag of Zhujiang River Mouth Basin (ZRMB) and the Beijiao Sag of Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB). They occur at intervals and are rarely revealed by drilling wells in the deepwater areas. Origins of the mounds and channels are controversial and poorly understood. Based on an integrated analysis of the seismic attribute, palaeotectonics and palaeogeography, and drilling well encountering a mound, research results show that these mounds are dominantly distributed on the depression centres and/or slopes of the Liwan and Beijiao sags and developed in a bathyal sedimentary environment. In the Liwan and Beijiao sags, the mounds between channels (sub) parallel to one another are 1.0–1.5 km and 1.5–2.0 km wide, 150–300 m and 150–200 m high, and extend straightly from west to east for 5–15 km and 8–20 km, respectively. Mounds and channels in the Liwan Sag are parallel with the regional slope. Mounds and channels in the Beijiao Sag, however, are at a small angle to the regional slope. According to internal geometry, texture and external morphology of mounds, the mounds in Beijiao Sag are divided into weak amplitude parallel reflections (mound type I), blank or chaotic reflections (mound type II), and internal mounded reflections (mound type III). The mounds in Liwan Sag, however, have the sole type, i.e., mound type I. Mound type I originates from the incision of bottom currents and/or gravity flows. Mound type II results from gravity-driven sediments such as turbidite. Mound type III is a result of deposition and incision of bottom currents simultaneously. The channels with high amplitude between mounds in the Beijiao and Liwan sags are a result of gravity-flow sediments and it is suggested they are filled by sandstone. Whereas channels with low-mediate amplitudes are filled by bottom-current sediments only in the Beijiao Sag, where they are dominantly composed of mudstone. This study provides new insights into the origins of the mounds and channels worldwide.