Structure and seasonal changes in atmospheric boundary layer on coast of the east Antarctic continent

The temperature, humidity, and vertical distribution of ozone in the Antarctic atmospheric boundary layer（ABL） and their seasonal changes are analyzed, by using the high-resolution profile data obtained during the International Polar Year 2008 to 2009 at Zhongshan Station, to further the understanding of the structure and processes of the ABL. The results show that the fre- quency of the convective boundary layer in the warm season accounts for 84% of its annual occurrence frequency. The frequency of the stable boundary layer in the cold season accounts for 71% of its annual occurrence frequency. A neutral boundary layer ap- pears rarely. The average altitude of the convective boundary layer determined by the parcel method is 600 m; this is 200 to 300 m higher than that over inland Antarctica. The average altitude of the top of the boundary layer determined by the potential tempera- ture gradient and humidity gradient is 1 200 m in the warm season and 1 500 m in the cold season. The vertical structures of ozone and specific humidity in the ABL exhibit obvious seasonal changes. The specific humidity is very high with greater vertical gradi- ent in the warm season and very low with a lesser gradient in the cold season under 2 000 m. The atmospheric ozone in the ABL is consumed by photochemical processes in the warm season, which results in a slight difference in altitude. The sub-highest ozone center is located in the boundary layer, indicating that the ozone transferred from the stratosphere to the troposphere reaches the low boundary layer during October and November in Antarctica.

Microscopic analysis on eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria in nine seasonal lakes and ponds in Vestfjella,Dronning Maud Land,Antarctica

Antarctic continental lakes and ponds are among the most impoverished aquatic environments on earth but many of them support flourishing populations of cyanobacteria,eukaryotic algae,protozoans,and some multicellular animals.In this study,we present results of a microscopic analysis of cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae from nine diverse types of Antarctic continental water bodies during one austral summer.The results supplement and enlarge our previous studies on the limnological characteristics of the epiglacial and supraglacial lakes and ponds in Dronning Maud Land,an area that has received little attention from limnologists.The taxon with highest frequency among the samples(n=79)was Mesotaenium cf.berggrenii,a eukaryotic Zygnematophyceae,which occurred in 82%of the samples with a maximum cell density of 68 cells·mL^(-1).The taxa with second and third highest frequency were the prokaryotes Gloeocapsopsis(60%)and Leptolyngbya(41%),followed by Chlamydomonas(34%)and Cyanothece(29%).The number of taxa varied between 7-21 among the lakes and ponds,being highest in a supraglacial lake,and lowest in an epiglacial lake.The results did not reveal any obvious correlation between the abundance of any taxa and the water chemistry,but water bodies with inorganic sediments had higher cell densities and biomasses than those without sediment.This suggests the importance of sediment in supporting biological diversity in these ultraoligotrophic lakes and ponds.

Study on ecological structures of coastal lakes in Antarctic continent

Coastal region on the Antarctic continent, where it is under the influences both of ocean and ice sheet, as well as frequent human activities, could be considered as a fragile zone in Antarctic ecological environment. There are many lakes in coastal region, showing much differences from each other in physical-chemical features because of individual evolutionary history in their geographical environments, and suffering from different outside factors, such as climate changes and precipitation. Thus, it results in respective biological distribution and ecological structure in lakes. The present paper reports the results from the studies of chemical components, species distributions and community structures, which mainly consisted of planktons in lakes in the Vestfold Hills (68°38′S, 78°06′E), and the Larsemann Hills (69°30′S, 76°20′E), East Antarctica. It also treats the biological diversities and nutrient relationships of these different types of lakes. So as to provide more scientific basis for monitoring of climate changes and environmental protection in Antarctica.

Horizontal distribution of tintinnids(Ciliophora)in surface waters of the Ross Sea and polynya in the Amundsen Sea(Antarctica)during summer 2019/2020

Information on tintinnid horizontal distribution in the Antarctic Continental Zone is scarce.During the summer of 2019/2020,tintinnid diversity and horizontal distribution in surface waters were investigated in the Ross Sea and Amundsen Sea polynya.Eight tintinnid species were found and the dominant species showed obvious horizontal distribution characteristics.In the Ross Sea,three tintinnid community groups were identified.Cymatocylis cristallina and Laackmanniella prolongata(group I)were dominant species and were mainly distributed in stations closer to the coast than were species in the other two groups.Codonellopsis gaussi(group II)and Cy.convallaria(group III)were mainly distributed in nearshore and offshore stations,respectively.In the Amundsen Sea polynya,the dominant species Cy.cristallina,L.prolongata and Salpingella faurei(group I)were mainly distributed in stations closer to the coast than were species in the other two groups.Cy.convallaria(group III)was mainly distributed in offshore stations.The distribution area where C.gaussi and C.cristallina were found in high abundance and abundance proportion of loricae with protoplasts was divided by the approximate boundary of the Antarctic Slope Front Current and Coastal Current in the Ross Sea.The highest abundance proportion in the Ross Sea was the 32-36μm lorica oral diameter(LOD)size class(75.7%),and the 36-40μm LOD size class(56.0%)was found in the Amundsen Sea polynya.Temperature-salinity-plankton diagrams of the two seas revealed that temperature may be the main reason for species distribution.Our results contribute to a better understanding of horizontal distribution of the microbial food web,and serve as a baseline for future studies of pelagic community change in the Antarctic Continental Zone.

Sea level change and environmental evolution of coastal lakes in Vestfold Hills, Antarctica

Ecological and palaeoecological studies were carried out in a series of lakes in the Vestfold Hills (68°38′S, 78°06′E) on eastern Antarctic continent. Dynamics types of the lakes in environmental geomorphology and physic chemistry, as well as features of biological community structures in different lakes were analyzed. Marine macro and micro fossils collected from the terraces and beaches surrounding these lakes and determined in 14 C radiocarbon ages to be the Late Pleistocene, were used as evidences to show the evolutionary processes of the lakes after sea level changes and transgressions since 18000 a B.P.. Basic modals of evolution for the lakes given in the paper could be regarded as not only explaining the history of environmental and ecological changes in VH lakes, and also reflecting of local environmental evolution in Antarctic region and global climate changes from past to present time.