Distribution of ice thickness and subglacial topography of the "Chinese Wall" around Kunlun Station,East Antarctica

As fundamental parameters of the Antarctic Ice Sheet,ice thickness and subglacial topography are critical factors for studying the basal conditions and mass balance in Antarctica.During CHINARE 24（the 24 th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition,2007/08）,the research team used a deep ice-penetrating radar system to measure the ice thickness and subglacial topography of the ＂Chinese Wall＂ around Kunlun Station,East Antarctica.Preliminary results show that the ice thickness varies mostly from 1600 m to 2800 m along the ＂Chinese Wall＂,with the thickest ice being 3444 m,and the thinnest ice 1255 m.The average bedrock elevation is 1722 m,while the minimum is just 604 m.Compared with the northern side of the ice divide,the ice thickness is a little greater and the subglacial topography lower on the southern side,which is also characterized by four deep valleys.We found no basal freeze-on ice in the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains area,subglacial lakes,or water bodies along the ＂Chinese Wall＂.Ice thickness and subglacial topography data extracted from the Bedmap 2 database along the ＂Chinese Wall＂ are consistent with our results,but their resolution and accuracy are very limited in areas where the bedrock fluctuates intensely.The distribution of ice thickness and subglacial topography detected by ice-penetrating radar clarifies the features of the ice sheet in this ＂inaccessible＂ region.These results will help to advance the study of ice sheet dynamics and the determination of future locations of the GSM＇s geological and deep ice core drilling sites in the Dome A region.

Characteristics of the subglacially-formed debris-rich chemical deposits and related subglacial processes of Qiangyong Glacier,Tibet

Subglacially-formed debris-rich chemical deposits were found both on bedrock surface and in bedrock crevice on the edge of Qiangyong Glacier, one of the continental glaciers in Tibet. Grain size distribution, internal structures and chemical components of the chemical deposits were analyzed. It can be inferred that the temperature of some part of the ice-bedrock interface is close to the melting point and there exists pressure melting water under Qiangyong Glacier. Debris, especially those from continental aerosols, can release Ca++ in the water. At the lee-side of obstacles on glacier bed the CO2 in the melting water might escape from the water and the melting water might refreeze due to the dramatically reduced pressure, making the enrichment and precipitation of CaCO3. The existence of subglacial melting water and the process of regelation under Qiangyong Glacier indicate that sliding could contribute some proportion to the entire movement of Qiangyong Glacier and it belongs to multiplex cold-temperate glaciers.

Towards an integrated study of subglacial conditions in Princess Elizabeth Land,East Antarctica

During the 21st century,the contribution of the Antarctic*Ice Sheet(AIS)to sea level rise has been increasing,affecting coastal regions and their large populations and economies(Moore et al.,2018).The ice loss from the AIS is driven primarily by increased melting of ice shelves by warm ocean waters and the subsequent acceleration,retreat and rapid thinning of the major outlet glaciers of the West Antarctic ice sheet(IPCC,2019).However,subglacial conditions(thermodynamics and hydrology)of AIS remain poorly understood,despite recent advances in satellite and ground-based observations,and this makes it difficult to project the amount of future ice loss.To better understand the most compelling scientific issues addressing subglacial conditions,and following several recent technical and operational advances,the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)launched a special program named the“Polar Basic Science Frontier”.

Russian researchers reach subglacial Lake Vostok in Antarctica

Opening a new scientific frontier lying under the Antarctic ice, Russian researchers have drilled down and finally reached the surface of the gigantic freshwater lake, Lake Vostok. The mission chief likened the achievement to placing a man on the moon. Drilling in the area of the lake began 22 years ago in 1990, but progressed slowly as a result of funding shortages, equipment breakdowns, difficulties of drilling in the ＂warm＂ ice, and environmental concerns. In 1996, six years after drilling was started, a group of Russian and British scientists discovered the lake believed to be one of the largest fresh water reservoirs on the planet. This lake is among the last unexplored places on Earth. Sealed from the Earth＇s atmosphere for millions of years, it may provide vital information about microbial evolution, the past climate of the Earth, and the formation of the Antarctic ice sheet. Russian experts waited several years for international approval of their drilling technology before proceeding. As anticipated, lake water under pressure rushed up the borehole, pushing the drilling fluid up and away, then froze, forming a protective plug that prevented contamination of the lake. In December of the next Antarctic season, 2012--2013, researchers plan to re-drill the frozen sample of subglacial water for analysis.

Internal layering structure and subglacial conditions along a traverse line from Zhongshan Station to Dome A,East Antarctica,revealed by ground-based radar sounding

During the 21st Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition(CHINARE 21,2004/05),a radar dataset was collected using a ground-based radar system,along a traverse line from Zhongshan Station to DT401(130 km from the Kunlun station).The internal layering structure and subglacial conditions were revealed along the radar profi le.Continuous internal layers,disturbed layers,and echo-free zones(EFZs)along the profi le were identifi ed and classifi ed,and the spatial distribution was presented.Based on recent surface ice velocity data,we found that the internal layers at a depth of 200-300 m in the upper ice sheet are continuous,smooth,and nearly parallel to the ice surface topography.In addition,the thick band of continuous layers changes little with increasing latitude.At depths below 300 m,the geometric structure of the internal layers and the vertical width of the EFZ band are infl uenced by the surface ice velocity and bed topography.The relatively high disturbance,layer discontinuity,and larger EFZ band width directly correspond to a higher surface ice velocity and a sharper bed topography.In particular,we found that at a depth of 650-950 km,the Lambert Glacier Rift in the Gamburtsev Mountains has a higher ice fl ow;moreover,the revealed internal layers are disturbed or broken,and the maximal vertical width of the EFZ band most likely exceeds 2000 m.

Thermobaric Conditions at Ice-Water Interface in Subglacial Lake Vostok, East Antarctica

Thermobaric conditions of subglacial Antarctic environment remain poorly understood, despite recent advances in radar and seismic surveying. The direct accessing to the largest subglacial lake, Lake Vostok, was carried out twice by Russian scientists in February 2012 and January 2015, opening new opportunities for assessing the thermobaric conditions at ice-water interface. According to the assumption that ice sheet is “floating” on the lake, it was predicted that the water would rise 30 - 40 m in the bottom part of the borehole, but in fact the water rose from the lake to a height of more than 500 m. To explain this phenomenon we assume that the pressure in Lake Vostok results from the external pressure of the entire mass of ice above it and the pressure of the water column that is overlaid above the point being considered. Extrapolation of temperature measurements from the deep bore-holes drilled at Vostok Station also confirmed that the bed of the ice sheet is at pressure melting point. As a result of accessing Lake Vostok, the pressure in the lake is reduced that would lead to the formation of a new additional layer of accretion ice on the lower ice sheet surface.

Characterizing three-dimensional features of Antarctic subglacial lakes from the inversion of hydraulic potential——Lake Vostok as a case study

To estimate basal water storage beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, it is essential to have data on the three-dimensional characteristics of subglacial lakes. We present a method to estimate the water depth and surface area of Antarctic subglacial lakes from the inversion of hydraulic potential method. Lake Vostok is chosen as a case study because of the diverse and comprehensive measurements that have been obtained over and around the lake. The average depth of Lake Vostok is around 345±4 m. We estimated the surface area of Lake Vostok beneath the ice sheet to be about 13300±594 km^2. The lake consists of two sub-basins separated by a ridge at water depths of about 200–300 m. The surface area of the northern sub-basin is estimated to be about half of that of the southern basin. The maximum depths of the northern and southern sub-basins are estimated to be about 450 and 850 m, respectively. Total water volume is estimated to be about 4658±204 km^3. These estimates are compared with previous estimates obtained from seismic data and inversion of aerogravity data. In general, our estimates are closer to those obtained from the inversion of aerogravity data than those from seismic data, indicating the applicability of our method to the estimation of water depths of other subglacial lakes.

Aureobasidium subglaciale F134 is a bifunctional whole-cell biocatalyst for Baeyer-Villiger oxidation or selective carbonyl reduction controllable by temperature

The microbial production of either ester/lactones or enantio-enriched alcohols through Baeyer-Villiger oxidation or stereoselective reduction of ketones,respectively,is possible by using whole cells of A.subglaciale F134 as a bifunctional biocatalyst.The chemoselective pattern of acetophenone biotransformation catalyzed by these cells can be regulated through reaction temperature,directing the reaction either towards oxidation or reduction products.The Baeyer–Villiger oxidation activity of A.subglaciale F134 whole cells is particularly dependent on reaction temperature.Acetophenone was transformed efficiently to phenol via the primary Baeyer–Villiger product phenyl acetate at 20℃ after 48 h with 100% conversion.In contrast,at 35℃,enantio-enriched(S)-1-phenylethanol was obtained as the sole product with 64% conversion and 89% ee.In addition,A.subglaciale F134 cells also catalyze the selective reduction of various structurally different aldehydes and ketones to alcohols with 40% to 100% yield,indicating broad substrate spectrum and good enantioselectivity in relevant cases.Our study provides a bifunctional biocatalyst systemthat can be used in Baeyer–Villiger oxidation aswell as in asymmetric carbonyl reduction,setting the stage for future work concerning the identification and isolation of the respective enzymes.

Exploring Antarctic subglacial lakes with RECoverable Autonomous Sonde(RECAS):Design and first field tests

Conducting scientific drilling on subglacial lakes and obtaining samples of subglacial lake water holds great significance in unraveling the formation and evolution of Antarctic subglacial lakes and early Earth's life forms.Despite various approaches to access and directly sample subglacial water and sediments,clean access and exploration of subglacial lakes remain challenging.To address this concern,Jilin University has developed the RECoverable Autonomous Sonde(RECAS)prototype.This technology enables sampling and in-situ detection of subglacial lake water while being isolated from the surface,thus minimizing the risk of pollution.Laboratory tests,including downward and upward drilling,long-running,remote-control,and cold-environment assessments,were conducted to validate the sonde's principle and functionality.During the 38th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition,CHINARE(2021–2022 season),the RECAS prototype underwent testing on the flank region of Dalk glacier,10 km from Zhongshan Station in Antarctica.Three boreholes with depths of 200.3,183.2,and 133.5 m were successfully drilled,with the refrozen meltwater sealing the boreholes during the process.Approximately 600 mL of melted water samples were collected from each hole.Throughout the drilling tests,all systems of the RECAS prototype performed within the expected ranges.

Processes and environmental significance of the subglacial chemical deposits in Tianshan Mountains

On the bedrock surface of Glacier No.1 in the headwater of Urumqi River, Tianshan Mts., well layered and crystallized subglacial calcite precipitations were discovered. Based on observations and analysis of the surface form, sedimentary texture and structure, and chemical composition of the deposits, clues about the subglacial processes and environment are deduced. The radial-growth crustation texture of the deposits, which builds up in the saturated CaCO3 so- lution, proves the existence of pressure melting water and water films under Glacier No.1; and their rhythmic beddings, dissolved planes and unconformable contacts show that the water films responsible for the formation of these structures were in a wide range of spatial as well as tem- poral variations. Though formed under continental glacier in non-limestone area, the deposits are quite similar to those formed under temperate glaciers in limestone areas, a fact that shows a similar process of chemical precipitation between the two. Hence the enrichment of calcium in the subglacial melting water and the process of precipitation have actually little to do with the bedrock lithology and the glacier types. The cemented detritus in the deposits are rich in Fe and Al while depleted in K, Na and Si; also the included clay mineral consists mainly of illite, which reveals some weak chemical weathering under the continental glacier. The subglacial CaCO3 precipitates when plenty of Ca++ melt into the subglacial melting water on a comparatively en- closed ice-bedrock interface under a high CO2 partial pressure, the forming of subglacial chemical deposits therefore offers unequivocal evidence for the ongoing of subglacial chemical reactions.

Research progress in geophysical exploration of the Antarctic ice sheet

The Antarctic ice sheet is an important target of Antarctic research.Thickness and structure,including intraice and subice,are closely related to the mass balance of the ice sheet,and play an important role in the study of global sea level and climate change.Subglacial topography is an important basis for studying ice sheet dynamics and ice sheet evolution.This paper briefly reviews the geophysical detection methods and research status of the Antarctic ice sheet:(1)Conventional methods such as ice radar are the main methods for studying the ice sheet today,and passive source seismic methods such as the receiver function method,H/V method and P-wave coda autocorrelation method have good development prospects;(2)the high-resolution(1 km)ice thickness and subglacial topographic database BEDMAP2 established based on various data has greatly improved the ability to detect internal isochronous layers,anisotropic layers,and temperature changes within ice and has advanced research on ice sheet evolution;and(3)ice radar,numerical simulation and core drilling are the main methods to study subglacial lakes and sediments.More than 400 subglacial lakes have been confirmed,and more than 12000 simulation results have been obtained.Research on the Antarctic ice sheet faces enormous challenges and is of great urgency.Aiming at hot issues,such as Antarctic geological evolution,glacial retreat,ice sheet melting and their relationships with global climate change,it is the frontier and trend of future Antarctic ice sheet research to carry out multidisciplinary and multicountry comprehensive geophysical exploration based on the traditional ice radar method combined with passive seismic methods,especially new technologies such as short-period dense array technology,unmanned aerial vehicles and artificial intelligence.This is expected to further promote Antarctic research.

Research progress and development direction of low-temperature drilling fluid for Antarctic region

By combing the characteristics of drilling in Antarctic region, performance requirements on drilling fluid for Antarctic low temperature conditions, and research progress of low temperature drilling fluid, current problems of the drilling fluid have been sorted out, and the development direction of the drilling fluid has been pointed out. Drilling in the Antarctic region mainly includes drilling in snow, ice and subglacial rock formations, and drilling in Antarctic low temperature conditions will face problems in four aspects:(1) low temperature and large temperature changes in the drilling area;(2) likely well leakage and drillstring-sticking in the snow layer, creep in the ice layer, ice chip gathering jamming in the warm ice layer, well wall collapse in the subglacial rock formations;(3) lack of infrastructure and difficulty in logistical support;(4) fragile environment and low carrying capacity. After years of development, progresses have been made on low-temperature drilling fluids for the Antarctic region. Low-temperature petroleum-based drilling fluid, ethanol/ethylene glycol-based drilling fluid, ester-based drilling fluid and silicone oil-based drilling fluid have been developed. However, these drilling fluids have problems such as insufficient low-temperature tolerance, low environmental performance and weak wellbore stability, etc. In order to meet the performance requirements of drilling fluid under low-temperature conditions in Antarctic region, the working mechanisms of low-temperature drilling fluid must be examined in depth;environment-friendly low-temperature base fluid of drilling fluid and related additives must be developed to prepare environmentally friendly low temperature drilling fluid systems;multi-functional integrated adjustment method for drilling fluid must be worked out to ensure well wall stability and improve cutting-carry capacity when drilling ice formations and ice-rock interlayers;and on-site support operation codes must be established to provide technical support for Antarctic drilling.

GPR Surveying in the kernel area of Grove Mountains,Antarctica

The Grove Mountains, located between the Zhongshan Station and Dome A, are a very important area in inland Antarctic research. China has organized ifve investigations of the Grove Mountains, encompassing the geological structure, ancient climate, meteorites, ice-movement monitoring, basic mapping, meteorological observations, and other multi-disciplinary observational studies. During the 26th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition in 2010, the Grove Mountains investigation team applied specialized ground-penetrating radar （GPR） to survey subglacial topography in the eastern kernel area of the Grove Mountains. In this paper, we processed GPS and GPR data gathered in the ifeld and drew, for the ifrst time, two subglacial topographic maps of the Grove Mountains kernel area using professional graphics software. The preliminary results reveal the mystery of the nunatak landform of this area, give an exploratory sense of the real bedrock landforms, and indicate a possible sedimentary basin under the Pliocene epoch fossil ice in the Grove Mountains area. Additionally, it has been proven from cross-sectional analysis between Mount Harding and the Zakharoff ridge that the box-valley shape between two nunataks has already matured.

产单宁酶海洋短梗霉的分离筛选及酶学性质的研究

单宁酶能水解单宁物质中的酯键,在食品和饲料工业中有重要应用价值。该研究从海洋微生物中获得了几株高产单宁酶菌株,其中菌株95水解圈与菌落(直径)大小的比值最大,对其进行生理生化鉴定,并扩增内转录间隔区(ITS)序列作进化树分析,鉴定菌株95号为Aureobasidium subglaciale,其在发酵培养基中发酵72 h达到最大酶活力323.2 U/mL。考察了温度和pH对酶促反应影响,同时考察了粗酶的热稳定性和pH稳定性。结果表明,菌株95号所产单宁酶最适反应温度为50℃,该酶在30℃、40℃、50℃水浴保温4 h,相对酶活80%以上,具有较好的热稳定性;最适反应和最稳定pH均为6.0,在pH 3.0~7.0之间均有较高的酶活,表示其具有较广的pH值稳定性。

CH_(4) and C0_(2) observations from a melting high mountain glacier,Laohugou Glacier No.12

With global warming,glaciers in the high mountains of China are retreating rapidly.However,few data have been reported on whether greenhouse gases from these glaciers are released into the atmosphere or absorbed by glacial meltwater.In this study,we collected meltwater and ice samples from Laohugou Glacier No.12 in western China and measured CH_(4)and CO_(2)concentrations.Meltwater from the glacier terminus was continually sampled between 3 and 5 August 2020 to measure CH_(4)and CO_(2)concentrations.The results demonstrated that meltwater is a source of CH_(4)because the average saturations are over 100%.It could be con eluded that CH_(4)in the atmosphere can be released by glacial meltwater.However,the CO_(2)saturations are various,and CO_(2)fluxes exhibit positive(released CO_(2))or negative(absorbed CO_(2))values because the water and atmospheric conditions are variable.More importantly,the CH_(4)and CO_(2)concentrations were higher in meltwater samples from the glacier terminus than in samples from the surface ice(including an ice core)and a surface stream.Although the meltwater effect from the upper part of the glacier cannot be excluded,we speculated that subglacial drainage systems with an anaerobic environment may represent the CH_(4)source,but it needs to be further investigated in the future.However,high mountain glaciers are currently ignored in global carbon budgets,and the increased melting of glaciers with global warming may accelerate the absorption of much more CO_(2)and lead to the release of CH_(4).