The ice exceeding one million years old has significant meaning for verifying and interpreting the middle Pleistocene transition (MPT) and the relationship between greenhouse gas and climate change. The region near ...The ice exceeding one million years old has significant meaning for verifying and interpreting the middle Pleistocene transition (MPT) and the relationship between greenhouse gas and climate change. The region near Dome A in Antarctica satisfies the conditions for obtaining million-years-old ice since it has low temperatures and low accumulation rates. We analyze the corresponding relation between radar wave features and the crystal orientation fabric (COF) types based on the results of multi-polarization plane radio echo sounding (RES). The results show that, even in the summit of the ice sheet, the COF type is not perfect, but is an elongated single-pole COF. Principal-axis-orientation differences of the COF among the different periods exist and reveal that the ice flow orientations are not constant but deviate clockwise with the increasing depth. This may be related to the adjacent basal valley or both height and position changes of the summit during the glacial-interglacial periods.展开更多
Population dynamics of four dominant Antarctic copepods, Calanoides acutus, Calanus propinquus, Metridia gerlachei and Rhincalanus gigas were studied based on zooplankton samples collected in the Prydz Bay during aust...Population dynamics of four dominant Antarctic copepods, Calanoides acutus, Calanus propinquus, Metridia gerlachei and Rhincalanus gigas were studied based on zooplankton samples collected in the Prydz Bay during austral summer from 1999 to 2006. We found that C. acutus was the most abundant species among these four copepods, followed by C. propinquus, M. gerlachei and R. gigas. R. gigas occurred mainly in the warmer oceanic regions and showed distribution patterns discrete from the other three species, whose distribution in the whole survey area overlapped. By December 15th (about one month before our sampling) of the years 1999, 2003 and 2006, sea ice retreated earlier and polynyas existed in the neritic region one month before sampling. These periods were characterized by numerical dominance of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei, elevated proportions of Copepodite I and Copepodite II stages especially in the neritic region. While for the years 2000, 2002, and 2005, the ice edge located more northerly and polynyas did not exist in the neritic region, the copepods abundance was lower, indicating poor recruitment. Population structure of R. gigas was mainly composed of advanced stages Copepodite V and female during all cruises. Log10 (x+l) transformed densities of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei showed positive correlation with temperature and chlorophyll a concentration, while mean population stages of these copopods were negatively correlated with these environmental variables. Younger copepodite stages of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei appeared more often in neritic regions. We confirmed that the polynyas had a great contribution to phytoplankton blooms, which promote copepods reproduction and recruitment success. The study suggested that population dynamics of the four copepods have good correspondence with sea ice and polynya variations during all cruises of the Prydz Bay.展开更多
A bacterium hydrolyzing carboxymethylcellulose, isolated from Antarctic sea ice, was identified as Pseudoalteromonas sp. based on 16S rDNA gene sequences and named as Pseudoalteromonas sp. AN545. The extracellular end...A bacterium hydrolyzing carboxymethylcellulose, isolated from Antarctic sea ice, was identified as Pseudoalteromonas sp. based on 16S rDNA gene sequences and named as Pseudoalteromonas sp. AN545. The extracellular endo-1,4-β-glucanase AN-1 was purified successively by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Sepharose ion exchange chromatography and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration chromatography. The molecular mass of AN-1 was estimated to be 47.5 kDa utilizing SDS-PAGE and gel chromatography analysis. AN-1 could hydrolyze caboxymethylcellulose, avicel and β-glucan, but not cellobiose, xylan and p-Nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside. The optimal temperature and pH for the β-glucanase activity of AN-1 were determined to be at 30℃ and pH 6.0, respectively. AN-1 was stable at acidic solutions of pH 5.0-6.5 and temperatures below 30℃ for 1 h. Moreover, the specific activity was enhanced by Ca2+ and Mg2., and inhibited by Cu2+. The kinetic parameters Michaelis constant (Km) and maximum velocity (Vmax) of AN-1 were 3.96 mg/mL and 6.06×10-2 mg/(min.mL), respectively.展开更多
In Antarctica, the marine ecosystem is dynamically interrelated with the terrestrial ecosystem. An example of the link between these two ecosystems is the biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus. Bio- vectors, such as peng...In Antarctica, the marine ecosystem is dynamically interrelated with the terrestrial ecosystem. An example of the link between these two ecosystems is the biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus. Bio- vectors, such as penguins, transport phosphorus from sea to land, play a key role in this cycle. In this paper, we selected three colonies of penguins, the most important seabirds in Antarctica, and computed the annual quantity of phosphorus transferred from sea to land by these birds. Our results show that adult penguins from colonies at Ardley Island, the Vestfold Hills, and Ross Island could transfer phosphorus in the form of guano at up to 12 349, 167 036, and 97 841 kg/a, respectively, over their breeding period. These quantities are equivalent to an annual input of 3.96× 10^9-1.63 × 10^10 kg of seawater to the land of Antarctica. Finally, we discuss the impact of phosphorus on the ice-flee areas of the Antarctica.展开更多
The Southern Annular Mode(SAM)is the leading mode of atmospheric variability in the mid–high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere,representing large-scale variations in pressure and the polar front jet(PFJ).In SAM ev...The Southern Annular Mode(SAM)is the leading mode of atmospheric variability in the mid–high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere,representing large-scale variations in pressure and the polar front jet(PFJ).In SAM events,the combination of the SAM and other modes may result in different atmospheric patterns.In this study,a neural-network-based cluster technique,the self-organizing map,was applied to extract the distinct patterns of SAM events on the monthly time scale based on geopotential height anomalies at 500 hPa.Four pairs of distinguishable patterns of positive and negative SAM events were identified,representing the diversity in spatial distribution,especially the zonal symmetry of the center of action at high latitudes—that is,symmetric patterns,split-center patterns,West Antarctica patterns,and a tripole pattern.Although the SAM is well known to be beltshaped,within the selected SAM events,the occurrence frequency of symmetric patterns is only 23.8%—less than that of West Antarctica patterns.Diverse PFJ variations were found in the symmetric and asymmetric patterns of SAM events.The more asymmetric the spatial distribution of the pressure anomaly,the more localized the adjusted zonal wind anomaly.The adjusted PFJ varied in meridional displacement and strength in different patterns of SAM events.In addition,the entrance and exit of the jet changed in most of the patterns,especially in the asymmetric patterns,which might result in different climate impacts of the SAM.展开更多
The Drake Passage is the seaway between South America and Antarctica. It is widely believed that the thermal isolation effects caused by the opening of the Drake Passage played an important role in the abrupt cooling ...The Drake Passage is the seaway between South America and Antarctica. It is widely believed that the thermal isolation effects caused by the opening of the Drake Passage played an important role in the abrupt cooling that occurred at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary in the Cenozoic. These effects are also thought to be independent of the geometry of the passage. Here, the authors demonstrate that the climate impacts of the Drake Passage depend on the passage geometry by comparing the climate's sensitivity to the opening of the Drake Passage under the present and the Early Eocene land-sea configurations. These experiments show that the thermal isolation effects caused by the passage are much stronger under the present land-sea configuration. In comparison, under the Early Eocene land-sea configuration, the weak anomalies in heat transport caused by the opening of the narrow and shallow Drake Passage are not strong enough to thermally insulate Antarctica. The climate effects of the Drake Passage on the Cenozoic cooling have been overestimated in previous sensitivity studies carried out using the present land-sea configuration. Thus, it is unlikely that the opening of the Drake Passage played an essential role in the abrupt Cenozoic cooling, especially in the abrupt cooling at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary.展开更多
It is important to quantify mass variations in the Antarctic ice sheet hybrid filtering scheme employing a combination of the decorrelated to study the global sea-level rise and climate change. A filter P3M6 and 300 k...It is important to quantify mass variations in the Antarctic ice sheet hybrid filtering scheme employing a combination of the decorrelated to study the global sea-level rise and climate change. A filter P3M6 and 300 km Fan filter was used, and the sur- face mass variations over the Antarctic are recovered from GRACE CSR RL04 monthly gravity field models from August 2002 to June 2010. After deduction of leakage errors using the GLDAS hydrological model and postglacial rebound effects using the glacial isostatic adjustment model IJ05, the variations in the ice sheet mass are obtained. The results reveal that the rate of melting of the Antarctic ice sheet is 80.0 Gt/a and increasing and contributes 0.22 mm/a to the global sea-level rise; the mass loss rate is 78.3 Gt/a in the West Antarctic and 1.6 Gt/a in the East Antarctic. The average mass loss rate increases from 39.3 Gt/a for the period 2002-2005 to 104.2 Gt/a for the period 2006-2010, and its corresponding contribution to the global sea-level rise increases from 0.11 to 0.29 mm/a, which indicates accelerated ice mass loss over the Antarctic since 2006. Moreover, the mass accumulation rates for Enderby Land and Wilkes Land along the coast of East Antarctica decrease for the period 2006-2008 but increase evidently after 2009.展开更多
Based on stake measurements conducted along the Chinese Antarctic traverse since Jan.1999,we investigated the characteristics of surface mass balance(SMB)and related climate consequences from Zhongshan Station to Dome...Based on stake measurements conducted along the Chinese Antarctic traverse since Jan.1999,we investigated the characteristics of surface mass balance(SMB)and related climate consequences from Zhongshan Station to Dome A,East Antarctica.Spatial analysis suggests that post-depositional processes have a great impact on surface morphology;thus,the representativeness of a single measurement should be discussed in conjunction with local climate features.The comparison among snow accumulation,ice sheet thickness,surface elevation,and ice velocity indicates that the bedrock topography has an indirect connection with the SMB patterns through controlling the surface topography and local climate.The observation reveals that the Lambert Glacier Basin has been experiencing increasing mass input(4.5%),whereas the inland area has experienced a 6%loss,since 2005.An overall estimation of the SMB along the route is 71.3±44.3 kg m?2 a?1,but the annual and regional variation is considerable.Tendency analysis shows that there are four sections with different SMB patterns as a result of three moisture sources and surface climatic discrepancy in the Antarctic inland.This study is the first to identify four SMB patterns from the coast to the Dome area and should provide a valuable contribution to modeling and remote sensing on a continental scale.展开更多
Lipid biomarkers in AD2 penguin droppings-amend soil core from the Ardley Island,Western Antarctic,were dated using 210Pb.Changes in the fatty acid ratios of nC18:2/nC18:0 from the penguin droppings reflect climate ch...Lipid biomarkers in AD2 penguin droppings-amend soil core from the Ardley Island,Western Antarctic,were dated using 210Pb.Changes in the fatty acid ratios of nC18:2/nC18:0 from the penguin droppings reflect climate changes coincident with ENNO events during 1931-2006.The occurrence of the minimum values in the depth of 2-3 and 6-7 cm are consistent with the end of ENSO in 1958 and 1983,respectively,reflecting a lag of the biomarker records in AD2 penguin droppings-amend soil in climatic signatures.This study also reveals that the changes in the relative concentration of n-alkanes nC23,the ratios of nC23/nC17 and nC21 /nC22+,and carbon preferential index(CPI) values collectively indicate the variations of soil microor-ganism and lower plant,which are closely related to climate changes.The ratios of bacterial fatty acids iC15:0/aC15:0 reflect the increasing significance of microorganism activities during the two periods that occurred at the end years of ENSO.Decrease in CPIA value and increase in nC21 /nC22+ indicate that low molecular weight fatty acids are derived from microorganism;and their insignificant correlation with Pr/Ph suggests microorganisms play an important role in the relatively simply ecosystem in the Antarctic and are closely linked to climatic conditions.In addition,the observed penguin community indicates the popula-tion of penguin can largely reflect the impacts of global climate changes on the ecosystem.展开更多
Dome A (Kunlun Station) is considered a likely place for finding an ice core record reaching back to one million years. The internal isochronous layering of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, revealed by ice radar, is a prerequ...Dome A (Kunlun Station) is considered a likely place for finding an ice core record reaching back to one million years. The internal isochronous layering of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, revealed by ice radar, is a prerequisite for selecting sites for deep ice core drilling that can be used for studying the paleoclimatic record. In 2004/2005, during the 21st Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE 21), a 200-km long, continuous radar profile was obtained across Dome A. The internal layers along the profile were derived from the stratigraphy detected by the radar. The morphology of the isochronous layers shows that: (1) The internal layers in the shallow ice sheet (0-500 m) are generally flat, with no more than 50 m of layer intervals, and have typical synclines and anticlines in some localized regions. (2) At 500-2000 m below the surface of the ice sheet, the layers appear as 'bright layers', and the width of the layer intervals expands to 50-100 m. (3) When the basal topographic wavelengths are approximate to the thickness of the ice (3 km), the traced internal layers, with localized bumps or concave folds, are asymptotic parallel to the subglacial topography. For the longer topographic wavelengths (~20 km) wider than the thickness of the ice, the layers do not rise and fall with the basal topography. The internal layers surrounding some mountain peaks representing the most extreme variation in the terrain are sharply disturbed by the subglacial topography. (4) Layer discontinuity and fracture were detected in the basal ice sheet. Finally, by combining this new information with that derived from existing data regarding ice thickness, we were able to select three potential sites for reconstructing the age-depth relationship of the ice core.展开更多
The vertical structure of the atmospheric ozone and temperature as well as the seasonal variations is presented by using ozone sounding data at Zhongshan Station over East Antarctica from February, 2008 to February, 2...The vertical structure of the atmospheric ozone and temperature as well as the seasonal variations is presented by using ozone sounding data at Zhongshan Station over East Antarctica from February, 2008 to February, 2009. The results show that the heights of thermal tropopause and ozone tropopause are mostly the same with yearly mean 7.9 and 7.4 km separately above the station. There is obvious seasonal variation in the pressure and temperature of the tropopause, manifested by the clear one-wave pattern with an opposite phase. As the turning point of the tropopause temperature is visible in autumn and faint in spring and winter, the tropopause height can be better confirmed by utilization of the changes of ozone. Seasonal variation of the tropospheric ozone of vertical distribution is not clear, relative to stratosphere. In the spring, ozone in the low level of stratosphere lost seriously. The minimum partial ozone in 14 km was 1.57 MPa only and the maximum partial ozone occurred in the up level stratosphere. In the rest of the season the ozone increases with height rising in the low level of stratosphere. The evidence shows that ozone lost in spring is closely related with low temperature of polar night and the process of PSC photochemical destruction ozone in the stratosphere. From the vertical characteristics and seasonal variation of ozone and temperature, it is meaningful to understand formation and development of Antarctic ozone deletion.展开更多
We used in situ measurements and remote-sensing data sets to evaluate the mass budgets of the Lambert, Mellor and Fisher Glaciers and the basal melting and freezing rates beneath their flowbands on the Amery Ice Shelf...We used in situ measurements and remote-sensing data sets to evaluate the mass budgets of the Lambert, Mellor and Fisher Glaciers and the basal melting and freezing rates beneath their flowbands on the Amery Ice Shelf. Our findings show the Lambert and Mellor Glaciers upstream of the ANARE Lambert Glacier Basin (LGB) traverse may have positive imbalances of 3.9±2.1 Gt a-1 and 2.1±2.4 Gt a-1, respectively, while the Fisher Glacier is approximately in balance. The upstream region as a whole has a positive imbalance of 5.9±4.9 Gt a-1. The three same glaciers downstream of the ANARE LGB traverse line are in negative imbalance, where the whole downstream region has a negative imbalance of -8.5±5.8 Gt a-1. Overall the mass budgets of the Lambert, Mellor, and Fisher Glaciers are close to bal-ance, and the collective three-glacier system is also nearly in balance with a mass budget of -2.6±6.5 Gt a-1. The significant positive imbalances for the interior basin upstream of the ice-movement stations established in the early 1970s (GL line) reported previously are possibly due to an overestimate of the total accumulation and an underestimate of the ice flux through the GL line. The mean melting rate is -23.0±3.5 m ice a-1 near the southern grounding line, which decreases rapidly downstream, and transitions to refreezing at around 300 km from the southern extremity of the Amery Ice Shelf. Freezing rates along the flowbands are around 0.5±0.1 to 1.5±0.2 m ice a-1. The per-centage of ice lost from the interior by basal melting beneath the flowbands is about 80%±5%. The total basal melting and refreezing beneath the three flowbands is 50.3±7.5 Gt ice a-1 and 7.0±1.1 Gt ice a-1, respectively. We find a much larger total basal melting and net melting than the results for the whole Amery Ice Shelf derived from previous modeling and oceanographic measurements.展开更多
The historical data of phytoplankton and chlorophyll a(Chl a)(1990–2002)obtained during the Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition(CHINARE)in the Prydz Bay have been integrated.The results showed that the tem...The historical data of phytoplankton and chlorophyll a(Chl a)(1990–2002)obtained during the Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition(CHINARE)in the Prydz Bay have been integrated.The results showed that the temperature,salinity,nutrients,and oxygen of seawater changed when El Nino/La Nina occurred.The variation of biological communities reflected the response of ecosystem to environmental changes.During El Ni?o period,Chl a concentration and phytoplankton community structure changed significantly,and the relative proportion of diatoms increased while dinoflagellates decreased.During La Ni?a period,the proportion of diatoms decreased,but the golden-brown algae and blue-green algae increased significantly.The variation of phytoplankton population directly affected the biodiversity of the bay,which were also quite sensitive to the marine environment changes.Meanwhile,the satellite remote sensing data of 2002–2011(December–March)have been used to study the temporal connection change of Chl a and phytoplankton in the Prydz Bay.We found that there were significant differences in the monthly variation characteristics of satellite remote sensing Chl a and sea surface temperature(SST),which had some links with sea ice melting and El Ni?o/La Ni?a events.We found that the start time of bloom advanced,lagged or synchronized with the changes of the SST,and we also found the occurrence time of phytoplankton bloom corresponded with the sea ice melting inner bay.To some extent,this study will help us understand the relationships between ENSO events and the phytoplankton bloom in the Southern Ocean.展开更多
Transiting extrasolar planets(exoplanets),especially those orbiting bright stars, are desired for study of the diversity of planetary compositions, internal structures and atmospheres beyond our solar system. Dome A a...Transiting extrasolar planets(exoplanets),especially those orbiting bright stars, are desired for study of the diversity of planetary compositions, internal structures and atmospheres beyond our solar system. Dome A at Antarctica is a promising site for planetary transit surveys,where the continuous darkness and the large clear-sky fraction in the winter months greatly enhance the detection efficiency. The Chinese Small Telescope ARray and the Antarctic Survey Telescopes are the first facilities that have been operated at Dome A for use in exoplanet surveys. To increase the sky coverage, a low-temperature-resistant wide-field robotic telescope, named the bright star survey telescope(BSST), has been developed to join the ongoing planetary transit survey in Antarctica. The BSST has an aperture size of 300 mm and is equipped with a largeframe 4K×4K CCD camera to receive starlight from a 3.°4×3.°4 field of view. The BSST was operated at Lijiang observatory in April and May 2015 for a test run.Photometric precision of 3.5 mmag was achieved for stars with V~11 mag using 75 s exposures. The transiting events of two Jupiter-size exoplanets, HAT-P-3b and HATP-12 b, were observed on May 10 and May 20, 2015,respectively.展开更多
A high-frequency and precise ultrasonic sounder was used to monitor precipitated/deposited and drift snow events over a 3-year period(17 January 2005 to 4 January 2008) at the Eagle automatic weather station site,inla...A high-frequency and precise ultrasonic sounder was used to monitor precipitated/deposited and drift snow events over a 3-year period(17 January 2005 to 4 January 2008) at the Eagle automatic weather station site,inland Antarctica.Ion species and oxygen isotope ratios were also generated from a snow pit below the sensor.These accumulation and snowdrift events were used to examine the synchronism with seasonal variations of δ^(18)O and ion species,providing an opportunity to assess the snowdrift effect in typical Antarctic inland conditions.There were up to 1-year differences for this 3-year-long snow pit between the traditional dating method and ultrasonic records.This difference implies that in areas with low accumulation or high wind,the snowdrift effect can induce abnormal disturbances on snow deposition.The snowdrift effect should be seriously taken into account for high-resolution dating of ice cores and estimation of surface mass balance,especially when the morphology of most Antarctic inland areas is similar to that of the Eagle site.展开更多
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.40874060)the 863 projection(Grant No.2006AA09Z152)
文摘The ice exceeding one million years old has significant meaning for verifying and interpreting the middle Pleistocene transition (MPT) and the relationship between greenhouse gas and climate change. The region near Dome A in Antarctica satisfies the conditions for obtaining million-years-old ice since it has low temperatures and low accumulation rates. We analyze the corresponding relation between radar wave features and the crystal orientation fabric (COF) types based on the results of multi-polarization plane radio echo sounding (RES). The results show that, even in the summit of the ice sheet, the COF type is not perfect, but is an elongated single-pole COF. Principal-axis-orientation differences of the COF among the different periods exist and reveal that the ice flow orientations are not constant but deviate clockwise with the increasing depth. This may be related to the adjacent basal valley or both height and position changes of the summit during the glacial-interglacial periods.
基金Supported by National Key Technology Research and Development Program of China (No. 2006BAB18B07)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40821004)+1 种基金National Polar Project of China (No. JDZX20110016)the China International Polar Year (IPY) Program
文摘Population dynamics of four dominant Antarctic copepods, Calanoides acutus, Calanus propinquus, Metridia gerlachei and Rhincalanus gigas were studied based on zooplankton samples collected in the Prydz Bay during austral summer from 1999 to 2006. We found that C. acutus was the most abundant species among these four copepods, followed by C. propinquus, M. gerlachei and R. gigas. R. gigas occurred mainly in the warmer oceanic regions and showed distribution patterns discrete from the other three species, whose distribution in the whole survey area overlapped. By December 15th (about one month before our sampling) of the years 1999, 2003 and 2006, sea ice retreated earlier and polynyas existed in the neritic region one month before sampling. These periods were characterized by numerical dominance of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei, elevated proportions of Copepodite I and Copepodite II stages especially in the neritic region. While for the years 2000, 2002, and 2005, the ice edge located more northerly and polynyas did not exist in the neritic region, the copepods abundance was lower, indicating poor recruitment. Population structure of R. gigas was mainly composed of advanced stages Copepodite V and female during all cruises. Log10 (x+l) transformed densities of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei showed positive correlation with temperature and chlorophyll a concentration, while mean population stages of these copopods were negatively correlated with these environmental variables. Younger copepodite stages of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei appeared more often in neritic regions. We confirmed that the polynyas had a great contribution to phytoplankton blooms, which promote copepods reproduction and recruitment success. The study suggested that population dynamics of the four copepods have good correspondence with sea ice and polynya variations during all cruises of the Prydz Bay.
基金Supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program) (No. 2007AA091905)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (No. ZR2010DQ010)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. HIT.IBRSEM.2009148)
文摘A bacterium hydrolyzing carboxymethylcellulose, isolated from Antarctic sea ice, was identified as Pseudoalteromonas sp. based on 16S rDNA gene sequences and named as Pseudoalteromonas sp. AN545. The extracellular endo-1,4-β-glucanase AN-1 was purified successively by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Sepharose ion exchange chromatography and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration chromatography. The molecular mass of AN-1 was estimated to be 47.5 kDa utilizing SDS-PAGE and gel chromatography analysis. AN-1 could hydrolyze caboxymethylcellulose, avicel and β-glucan, but not cellobiose, xylan and p-Nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside. The optimal temperature and pH for the β-glucanase activity of AN-1 were determined to be at 30℃ and pH 6.0, respectively. AN-1 was stable at acidic solutions of pH 5.0-6.5 and temperatures below 30℃ for 1 h. Moreover, the specific activity was enhanced by Ca2+ and Mg2., and inhibited by Cu2+. The kinetic parameters Michaelis constant (Km) and maximum velocity (Vmax) of AN-1 were 3.96 mg/mL and 6.06×10-2 mg/(min.mL), respectively.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.40730107,41106162)the Chinese Polar Environment Comprehensive Investigation and Assessment Programs(Nos.CHINARE 2014-04-01,CHINARE 2014-02-01,CHINARE 2014-04-04)the Doctoral Fund of Ministry of Education of China(No.20103402110023)
文摘In Antarctica, the marine ecosystem is dynamically interrelated with the terrestrial ecosystem. An example of the link between these two ecosystems is the biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus. Bio- vectors, such as penguins, transport phosphorus from sea to land, play a key role in this cycle. In this paper, we selected three colonies of penguins, the most important seabirds in Antarctica, and computed the annual quantity of phosphorus transferred from sea to land by these birds. Our results show that adult penguins from colonies at Ardley Island, the Vestfold Hills, and Ross Island could transfer phosphorus in the form of guano at up to 12 349, 167 036, and 97 841 kg/a, respectively, over their breeding period. These quantities are equivalent to an annual input of 3.96× 10^9-1.63 × 10^10 kg of seawater to the land of Antarctica. Finally, we discuss the impact of phosphorus on the ice-flee areas of the Antarctica.
基金This work was jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China[grant numbers 42088101 and 42175019]Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disaster Studies[grant number 2020B1212060025].
文摘The Southern Annular Mode(SAM)is the leading mode of atmospheric variability in the mid–high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere,representing large-scale variations in pressure and the polar front jet(PFJ).In SAM events,the combination of the SAM and other modes may result in different atmospheric patterns.In this study,a neural-network-based cluster technique,the self-organizing map,was applied to extract the distinct patterns of SAM events on the monthly time scale based on geopotential height anomalies at 500 hPa.Four pairs of distinguishable patterns of positive and negative SAM events were identified,representing the diversity in spatial distribution,especially the zonal symmetry of the center of action at high latitudes—that is,symmetric patterns,split-center patterns,West Antarctica patterns,and a tripole pattern.Although the SAM is well known to be beltshaped,within the selected SAM events,the occurrence frequency of symmetric patterns is only 23.8%—less than that of West Antarctica patterns.Diverse PFJ variations were found in the symmetric and asymmetric patterns of SAM events.The more asymmetric the spatial distribution of the pressure anomaly,the more localized the adjusted zonal wind anomaly.The adjusted PFJ varied in meridional displacement and strength in different patterns of SAM events.In addition,the entrance and exit of the jet changed in most of the patterns,especially in the asymmetric patterns,which might result in different climate impacts of the SAM.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 40902054the Earth System Model Modeling project supported by Statoil, Norway
文摘The Drake Passage is the seaway between South America and Antarctica. It is widely believed that the thermal isolation effects caused by the opening of the Drake Passage played an important role in the abrupt cooling that occurred at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary in the Cenozoic. These effects are also thought to be independent of the geometry of the passage. Here, the authors demonstrate that the climate impacts of the Drake Passage depend on the passage geometry by comparing the climate's sensitivity to the opening of the Drake Passage under the present and the Early Eocene land-sea configurations. These experiments show that the thermal isolation effects caused by the passage are much stronger under the present land-sea configuration. In comparison, under the Early Eocene land-sea configuration, the weak anomalies in heat transport caused by the opening of the narrow and shallow Drake Passage are not strong enough to thermally insulate Antarctica. The climate effects of the Drake Passage on the Cenozoic cooling have been overestimated in previous sensitivity studies carried out using the present land-sea configuration. Thus, it is unlikely that the opening of the Drake Passage played an essential role in the abrupt Cenozoic cooling, especially in the abrupt cooling at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2007CB714405)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40874002)the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (Grant No. NCET-07-0635)
文摘It is important to quantify mass variations in the Antarctic ice sheet hybrid filtering scheme employing a combination of the decorrelated to study the global sea-level rise and climate change. A filter P3M6 and 300 km Fan filter was used, and the sur- face mass variations over the Antarctic are recovered from GRACE CSR RL04 monthly gravity field models from August 2002 to June 2010. After deduction of leakage errors using the GLDAS hydrological model and postglacial rebound effects using the glacial isostatic adjustment model IJ05, the variations in the ice sheet mass are obtained. The results reveal that the rate of melting of the Antarctic ice sheet is 80.0 Gt/a and increasing and contributes 0.22 mm/a to the global sea-level rise; the mass loss rate is 78.3 Gt/a in the West Antarctic and 1.6 Gt/a in the East Antarctic. The average mass loss rate increases from 39.3 Gt/a for the period 2002-2005 to 104.2 Gt/a for the period 2006-2010, and its corresponding contribution to the global sea-level rise increases from 0.11 to 0.29 mm/a, which indicates accelerated ice mass loss over the Antarctic since 2006. Moreover, the mass accumulation rates for Enderby Land and Wilkes Land along the coast of East Antarctica decrease for the period 2006-2008 but increase evidently after 2009.
基金supported by National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2013CBA01804)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41206179,41425003)+2 种基金the State Oceanic Administration of the People’s Republic of China Project on Climate in Polar Regions(Grant Nos.CHINARE2012-02-02,CHINARE2012-04-04)the State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences Opening Fund(Grant No.SKLCS 2012-01)the logistical and financial support provided by Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition(Grant No.IC201311)
文摘Based on stake measurements conducted along the Chinese Antarctic traverse since Jan.1999,we investigated the characteristics of surface mass balance(SMB)and related climate consequences from Zhongshan Station to Dome A,East Antarctica.Spatial analysis suggests that post-depositional processes have a great impact on surface morphology;thus,the representativeness of a single measurement should be discussed in conjunction with local climate features.The comparison among snow accumulation,ice sheet thickness,surface elevation,and ice velocity indicates that the bedrock topography has an indirect connection with the SMB patterns through controlling the surface topography and local climate.The observation reveals that the Lambert Glacier Basin has been experiencing increasing mass input(4.5%),whereas the inland area has experienced a 6%loss,since 2005.An overall estimation of the SMB along the route is 71.3±44.3 kg m?2 a?1,but the annual and regional variation is considerable.Tendency analysis shows that there are four sections with different SMB patterns as a result of three moisture sources and surface climatic discrepancy in the Antarctic inland.This study is the first to identify four SMB patterns from the coast to the Dome area and should provide a valuable contribution to modeling and remote sensing on a continental scale.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of Chi-na (Grant Nos.40876104 and 41006118)
文摘Lipid biomarkers in AD2 penguin droppings-amend soil core from the Ardley Island,Western Antarctic,were dated using 210Pb.Changes in the fatty acid ratios of nC18:2/nC18:0 from the penguin droppings reflect climate changes coincident with ENNO events during 1931-2006.The occurrence of the minimum values in the depth of 2-3 and 6-7 cm are consistent with the end of ENSO in 1958 and 1983,respectively,reflecting a lag of the biomarker records in AD2 penguin droppings-amend soil in climatic signatures.This study also reveals that the changes in the relative concentration of n-alkanes nC23,the ratios of nC23/nC17 and nC21 /nC22+,and carbon preferential index(CPI) values collectively indicate the variations of soil microor-ganism and lower plant,which are closely related to climate changes.The ratios of bacterial fatty acids iC15:0/aC15:0 reflect the increasing significance of microorganism activities during the two periods that occurred at the end years of ENSO.Decrease in CPIA value and increase in nC21 /nC22+ indicate that low molecular weight fatty acids are derived from microorganism;and their insignificant correlation with Pr/Ph suggests microorganisms play an important role in the relatively simply ecosystem in the Antarctic and are closely linked to climatic conditions.In addition,the observed penguin community indicates the popula-tion of penguin can largely reflect the impacts of global climate changes on the ecosystem.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40906101 and 40476005)National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2006BAB18B01)+1 种基金IPY Chinese Programme (Grant No. IPY2008-P050400101)Polar Strategy Research Foundation in China (Grant No. 20070215)
文摘Dome A (Kunlun Station) is considered a likely place for finding an ice core record reaching back to one million years. The internal isochronous layering of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, revealed by ice radar, is a prerequisite for selecting sites for deep ice core drilling that can be used for studying the paleoclimatic record. In 2004/2005, during the 21st Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE 21), a 200-km long, continuous radar profile was obtained across Dome A. The internal layers along the profile were derived from the stratigraphy detected by the radar. The morphology of the isochronous layers shows that: (1) The internal layers in the shallow ice sheet (0-500 m) are generally flat, with no more than 50 m of layer intervals, and have typical synclines and anticlines in some localized regions. (2) At 500-2000 m below the surface of the ice sheet, the layers appear as 'bright layers', and the width of the layer intervals expands to 50-100 m. (3) When the basal topographic wavelengths are approximate to the thickness of the ice (3 km), the traced internal layers, with localized bumps or concave folds, are asymptotic parallel to the subglacial topography. For the longer topographic wavelengths (~20 km) wider than the thickness of the ice, the layers do not rise and fall with the basal topography. The internal layers surrounding some mountain peaks representing the most extreme variation in the terrain are sharply disturbed by the subglacial topography. (4) Layer discontinuity and fracture were detected in the basal ice sheet. Finally, by combining this new information with that derived from existing data regarding ice thickness, we were able to select three potential sites for reconstructing the age-depth relationship of the ice core.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41076132)the Program of China Polar Environment Investigation and Assessment (2011–2015)
文摘The vertical structure of the atmospheric ozone and temperature as well as the seasonal variations is presented by using ozone sounding data at Zhongshan Station over East Antarctica from February, 2008 to February, 2009. The results show that the heights of thermal tropopause and ozone tropopause are mostly the same with yearly mean 7.9 and 7.4 km separately above the station. There is obvious seasonal variation in the pressure and temperature of the tropopause, manifested by the clear one-wave pattern with an opposite phase. As the turning point of the tropopause temperature is visible in autumn and faint in spring and winter, the tropopause height can be better confirmed by utilization of the changes of ozone. Seasonal variation of the tropospheric ozone of vertical distribution is not clear, relative to stratosphere. In the spring, ozone in the low level of stratosphere lost seriously. The minimum partial ozone in 14 km was 1.57 MPa only and the maximum partial ozone occurred in the up level stratosphere. In the rest of the season the ozone increases with height rising in the low level of stratosphere. The evidence shows that ozone lost in spring is closely related with low temperature of polar night and the process of PSC photochemical destruction ozone in the stratosphere. From the vertical characteristics and seasonal variation of ozone and temperature, it is meaningful to understand formation and development of Antarctic ozone deletion.
基金Sponsored by the NASA’s Polar Oceans and Ice Sheets Program, the National Natu-ral Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40471028, 40231013 and 40476005)the Shu Guang Project supported by Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and Shanghai Education Development Foundation (Grant No. 05SG46)
文摘We used in situ measurements and remote-sensing data sets to evaluate the mass budgets of the Lambert, Mellor and Fisher Glaciers and the basal melting and freezing rates beneath their flowbands on the Amery Ice Shelf. Our findings show the Lambert and Mellor Glaciers upstream of the ANARE Lambert Glacier Basin (LGB) traverse may have positive imbalances of 3.9±2.1 Gt a-1 and 2.1±2.4 Gt a-1, respectively, while the Fisher Glacier is approximately in balance. The upstream region as a whole has a positive imbalance of 5.9±4.9 Gt a-1. The three same glaciers downstream of the ANARE LGB traverse line are in negative imbalance, where the whole downstream region has a negative imbalance of -8.5±5.8 Gt a-1. Overall the mass budgets of the Lambert, Mellor, and Fisher Glaciers are close to bal-ance, and the collective three-glacier system is also nearly in balance with a mass budget of -2.6±6.5 Gt a-1. The significant positive imbalances for the interior basin upstream of the ice-movement stations established in the early 1970s (GL line) reported previously are possibly due to an overestimate of the total accumulation and an underestimate of the ice flux through the GL line. The mean melting rate is -23.0±3.5 m ice a-1 near the southern grounding line, which decreases rapidly downstream, and transitions to refreezing at around 300 km from the southern extremity of the Amery Ice Shelf. Freezing rates along the flowbands are around 0.5±0.1 to 1.5±0.2 m ice a-1. The per-centage of ice lost from the interior by basal melting beneath the flowbands is about 80%±5%. The total basal melting and refreezing beneath the three flowbands is 50.3±7.5 Gt ice a-1 and 7.0±1.1 Gt ice a-1, respectively. We find a much larger total basal melting and net melting than the results for the whole Amery Ice Shelf derived from previous modeling and oceanographic measurements.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.40876104,41076134,41306202,and 41376193)the Scientific Research Fund of the Second Institute,SOA(Grant Nos.JT1208,JG1217 and JG1218)
文摘The historical data of phytoplankton and chlorophyll a(Chl a)(1990–2002)obtained during the Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition(CHINARE)in the Prydz Bay have been integrated.The results showed that the temperature,salinity,nutrients,and oxygen of seawater changed when El Nino/La Nina occurred.The variation of biological communities reflected the response of ecosystem to environmental changes.During El Ni?o period,Chl a concentration and phytoplankton community structure changed significantly,and the relative proportion of diatoms increased while dinoflagellates decreased.During La Ni?a period,the proportion of diatoms decreased,but the golden-brown algae and blue-green algae increased significantly.The variation of phytoplankton population directly affected the biodiversity of the bay,which were also quite sensitive to the marine environment changes.Meanwhile,the satellite remote sensing data of 2002–2011(December–March)have been used to study the temporal connection change of Chl a and phytoplankton in the Prydz Bay.We found that there were significant differences in the monthly variation characteristics of satellite remote sensing Chl a and sea surface temperature(SST),which had some links with sea ice melting and El Ni?o/La Ni?a events.We found that the start time of bloom advanced,lagged or synchronized with the changes of the SST,and we also found the occurrence time of phytoplankton bloom corresponded with the sea ice melting inner bay.To some extent,this study will help us understand the relationships between ENSO events and the phytoplankton bloom in the Southern Ocean.
基金supported by the Astronomical Project for the Chinese Antarctic Inland Stationthe SOC Program(CHINARE2012-02-03+12 种基金CHINARE2013-02-03CHINARE2014-02-03and CHINARE2015-02-03)the National Basic Research Program of China(2013CB834905 and 2015CB857005)Q.Tian is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11503023)the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai(14ZR1444100)the Polar Science Innovation Fund for Young Scientists of Polar Research Institute of China(CX20130201)P.Jiang is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11233002 and11203022)H.Zhou is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(1147302511421303 and 11033007)S.Zhang is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11573024)T.Ji is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11503022)the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai(15ZR1444200)
文摘Transiting extrasolar planets(exoplanets),especially those orbiting bright stars, are desired for study of the diversity of planetary compositions, internal structures and atmospheres beyond our solar system. Dome A at Antarctica is a promising site for planetary transit surveys,where the continuous darkness and the large clear-sky fraction in the winter months greatly enhance the detection efficiency. The Chinese Small Telescope ARray and the Antarctic Survey Telescopes are the first facilities that have been operated at Dome A for use in exoplanet surveys. To increase the sky coverage, a low-temperature-resistant wide-field robotic telescope, named the bright star survey telescope(BSST), has been developed to join the ongoing planetary transit survey in Antarctica. The BSST has an aperture size of 300 mm and is equipped with a largeframe 4K×4K CCD camera to receive starlight from a 3.°4×3.°4 field of view. The BSST was operated at Lijiang observatory in April and May 2015 for a test run.Photometric precision of 3.5 mmag was achieved for stars with V~11 mag using 75 s exposures. The transiting events of two Jupiter-size exoplanets, HAT-P-3b and HATP-12 b, were observed on May 10 and May 20, 2015,respectively.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No. 2013CBA01804)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41425003 & 41601070)+1 种基金the State Oceanic Administration of the People s Republic of China Project on Climate in Polar Regions(Grant No. CHINARE2016-2020)Climate Change Estimation Program by China Meteorological Administration(Grant No.CCSF201332)
文摘A high-frequency and precise ultrasonic sounder was used to monitor precipitated/deposited and drift snow events over a 3-year period(17 January 2005 to 4 January 2008) at the Eagle automatic weather station site,inland Antarctica.Ion species and oxygen isotope ratios were also generated from a snow pit below the sensor.These accumulation and snowdrift events were used to examine the synchronism with seasonal variations of δ^(18)O and ion species,providing an opportunity to assess the snowdrift effect in typical Antarctic inland conditions.There were up to 1-year differences for this 3-year-long snow pit between the traditional dating method and ultrasonic records.This difference implies that in areas with low accumulation or high wind,the snowdrift effect can induce abnormal disturbances on snow deposition.The snowdrift effect should be seriously taken into account for high-resolution dating of ice cores and estimation of surface mass balance,especially when the morphology of most Antarctic inland areas is similar to that of the Eagle site.