Ice thickness,internal layers,and surface and subglacial topography in the vicinity of Chinese Antarctic Taishan station in Princess Elizabeth Land,East Antarctica

We present the results of two ground-based radio-echo-sounding（RES） and GPS surveys performed in the vicinity of new Chinese Taishan station,Princess Elizabeth Land,East Antarctica,obtained in two austral summers during CHINARE 21（2004/2005） and CHINARE 29（2012/2013）.The radar surveys measured ice thickness and internal layers using 60- and 150-MHz radar systems,and GPS measurements showed smooth surface slopes around the station with altitudes of 2607-2636 m above sea level（a.s.l.）.Radar profiles indicate an average ice thickness of 1900 m,with a maximum of 1949 m and a minimum of 1856 m,within a square area measuring approximately 2 km × 2 km in the vicinity of the station.The ice thickness beneath the station site is 1870 m.The subglacial landscape beneath the station is quiet sharp and ranges from 662 to 770 m a.s.l.,revealing part of a mountainous topography.The ice volume in the grid is estimated to be 7.6 km^3.Along a 60-MHz radar profile with a length of 17.6 km at the region covering the station site,some disturbed internal layers are identified and traced;the geometry of internal layers within the englacial stratigraphy may imply a complex depositional process in the area.

Effect of Heat-Insulating Layer Thickness on Melting Rate of Ice Fixed Abrasives Polishing Pad

The formula of the thickness of the heat-insulating layer is deduced via heat transfer analysis,according to the principle of heat transfer in limited space.Polishing experiments are carried out using the same technological parameters.Compared with the polishing experimental results,the heat transfer model is proved to be correct.As validated by the experimental results,polyurethane heat-insulating layer can effectively improve the service life of the ice fixed abrasive pad and alleviate the melting rate in the polishing process to improve the polishing quality proposed.The heat transfer model provides theoretical basis for research of temperature field of ice fixed abrasive polishing.

ECOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON COLOURED LAYER OF COASTAL FAST ICE IN GREAT WALL BAY, KING GEORGE ISLAND, ANTARCTICA

Marine biological and environmental investigations were carried out on the coastatl waters off Great Wall Station (62°13's, 58°58'W) on King George Island, Antarctica, from November 17, 1988, to March 3,1989. Coastal fast ice covered inner part of Great Wall Bay until mid-December 1988, which allowed us to take ice core sampling and observations from mid-November to early December 1988. During this period, ice thickness ranged from 90 to 70cm with baout 20cm of snow cover. About 5cm brown layer occured in the middle part of fast ice core collected on November 20, 1988 at site 2, and two brown layers occured in the interior of ice core collected on November 17,20 and 26, 1988 at site 5.In comparison to the water column, chlorophyll-a concentration in fast ice was higher, which ranged from 2.55 to 56.84mg/m8, and most of them were concentracted in the interior layers of sea ice rather than in the bottom layer often observed in other sea ice areas, such as in Syowa, Davis, Casey Station and McMurdo Sound areas, etc. This might be a result of the difference in structure and formation procese of sea ice.Meanwhile, temperature, transparency, nutrients and chlorophyll-a in water column were measured. Microalgal assemblages both in fast ice and water column of Great Wall Bay were reported.

Temporal variability of vertical heat flux in the Makarov Basin during the ice camp observation in summer 2010

Based on hydrographic data obtained at an ice camp deployed in the Makarov Basin by the 4th Chinese Arctic Research Expedition in August of 2010, temporal variability of vertical heat flux in the upper ocean of the Makarov Basin is investigated together with its impacts on sea ice melt and evolution of heat content in the remnant of winter mixed layer （rWML）. The upper ocean of the Makarov Basin under sea ice is vertically stratified. Oceanic heat flux from mixed layer （ML） to ice evolves in three stages as a response to air temperature changes, fluctuating from 12.4 W/m2 to the maximum 43.6 W/m2. The heat transferred upward from ML can support （0.7＋0.3） cm/d ice melt rate on average, and daily variability of melt rate agrees well with the observed results. Downward heat flux from ML across the base of ML is much less, only 0.87 W/m2, due to enhanced stratification in the seasonal halocline under ML caused by sea ice melt, indicating that increasing solar heat entering summer ML is mainly used to melt sea ice, with a small proportion transferred downward and stored in the rWML. Heat flux from ML into rWML changes in two phases caused by abrupt air cooling with a day lag. Meanwhile, upward heat flux from Atlantic water （AW） across the base of rWML, even though obstructed by the cold halocline layer （CHL）, reaches 0.18 W/m2 on average with no obvious changing pattern and is also trapped by the rWML. Upward heat flux from deep AW is higher than generally supposed value near 0, as the existence of rWML enlarges the temperature gradient between surface water and CHL. Acting as a reservoir of heat transferred from both ML and AW, the increasing heat content of rWML can delay the onset of sea ice freezing.

Effects of sea ice melt water input on phytoplankton biomass and community structure in the eastern Amundsen Sea

Sea ice melt water and circumpolar deep water(CDW)intrusion have important impacts on the ecosystem of the Amundsen Sea.In this study,samples of nutrients and phytoplankton pigments from nine stations in the eastern Amundsen Sea were collected during the austral summer.Based on in-situ hydrological observations,sea ice density data from satellite remote sensing,and chemical taxonomy calculations,the relationships between environmental factors and phytoplankton biomass and community structure were studied.The results showed that with increasing latitude,the contribution of sea ice melt water(MW%)and the stability of the water body increased,and the depth of the mixed layer(MLD)decreased.The integrated concentration of chlorophyll a(Chl-a)ranged from 21.4 mg·m^(−2) to 148.4 mg·m^(−2)(the average value was 35.7±53.4 mg·m^(−2)).Diatoms(diatoms-A[Fragilariopsis spp.,Chaetoceros spp.,and Proboscia spp.]and diatoms-B[Pseudonitzschia spp.])and Phaeocystis antarctica were the two most widely distributed phytoplankton groups and contributed 32%±16%and 28%±11%,respectively,of the total biomass.The contributions of Dinoflagellates,Chlorophytes,Cryptophytes,the high-iron group of P.antarctica,and Diatom group A were approximately 17%±8%,15%±13%,9%±6%,5%±9%,and 3%±7%,respectively.The area with the highest phytoplankton biomass was located near the ice-edge region,with a short time lag(T_(lag))between sampling and complete sea ice melt and a high MW%,while the area with the second-highest Chl-a concentration was located in the area affected by the upwelling of CDW,with thorough water mixing.Vertically,in the area with a short T_(lag) and a shallow MLD,the phytoplankton biomass and proportion of diatoms decreased rapidly with increasing water depth.In contrast,in the region with a long T_(lag) and limited CDW upwelling,the phytoplankton community was dominated by a relatively constant and high proportion of micro phytoplankton,and the phytoplankton biomass was low and relatively stable vertically.Generally,the phytoplankton community structure and biomass in the study area showed high spatial variation and were sensitive to environmental changes.

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.

Mechanisms associated with winter intraseasonal extreme sea ice extent in the Weddell Sea

Previous studies have shown evidence of atmospheric extratropical wave trains modulating sea ice area in the Weddell and Amundsen/Bellingshausen seas on intraseasonal time-scales(20–100 d). Here we investigate mechanisms relating intraseasonal extreme sea ice extent and Ekman layer dynamics with emphasis on the Weddell Sea. This study extends from 1989 to 2013 and focuses on the winter season. Wind stress τ is calculated with winds from the Climate Forecast System reanalysis(CFSR) to evaluate momentum transfer between the atmosphere and the Ekman layer. Lag-composites of the anomalies of Ekman transport and the Ekman pumping indicate that divergence of mass in the Ekman layer and upwelling lead the occurrence of extreme sea ice contraction on intraseasonal time-scales in the Weddell Sea. Opposite conditions(i.e., convergence of the mass and downwelling) lead extreme sea ice expansion on intraseasonal time-scales. This study suggests that the Ekman pumping resulting from the anomalous wind stress on intraseasonal time-scales can transport these warmer waters to the surface contributing to sea ice melting. Additionally, high resolution sea ice fraction and ocean currents obtained from satellite and in situ data are used to investigate in detail mechanisms associated with persistent extreme sea ice expansion and contraction on intraseasonal time-scales. These case studies reveal that atmospheric circumpolar waves on intraseasonal time-scales can induce contrasting anomalies of about ±20% in sea ice concentration at the Weddell and western Antarctica Peninsula margins within less than 30 d. This study shows that extreme anomalies in sea ice may lag between 5–25 d(1–5 pentads) the ocean-atmospheric forcing on intraseasonal time-scales.

THERMAL PROPERTIES AND TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION OF SNOW/FIRN ON THE LAW DOWE ICE CAP, ANTARCTICA

Based on detailed measurements of density and a numerous data on temperature in shallow boreholes (about 20m deep), the thermal properties and temperature distribution of snow / firn layer on the Law Dome ice cap, Antarctica, are discussed. According to a review of works on thermal properties of snow by Yen (1981), a relationship between thermal conductivity (K) and density (ρ) is proposed to be expressed by a formula, K=0.0784+2.697/ρ2. Then an eqation of heat transfer in a deformed ununiform medium is applied and solved analytically by two approaches. Comparison of calculated and measured temperatures indicates that the difference is mainly dependent on the determination of boundary donditions.

Radar isochronic layer dating for a deep ice core at Kunlun Station, Antarctica

The ages and accumulation rates of ice are important boundary conditions for paleoclimatic ice models. Radardetected isochronic layers can be used to date the ice column beneath the ice surface and infer past accumulation rates. A Deep Ice-Core Drilling Project has been carried out at Kunlun station in the Dome A region, East Antarctica. Radio echo sounding data are collected during the 2004/2005 Chinese National Research Expedition and the 2007/2008 Dome Connection East Antarctica project of the Alfred Wegener Institute(Germany). Radar isochronic layers from the dataset were linked to compare a new deep ice core site from Kunlun station and the Vostok ice core site. Ten visible layers, accounting for ~50% ice thickness at the Kunlun station ice core site, were dated based on the Vostok ice core chronology. At 1,640 m depth below surface, an age of ~160,400 yr was determined, corresponding to a bright layer at Kunlun station. These layers provided geometric information on the past surface of the ice sheet around the ice core site through the Wisconsin glacial stage, Eemian interglacial and Marine Isotope Stage6. Based on a simple ice flow model and the age-depth relationship, we concluded that the region around the Kunlun ice core site had lower past accumulation rates, consistent with the present pattern. The age-depth relationship would thus be expected to correlate and constrain the chronology of the deep ice core at Kunlun station in the future.

土壤的冷生构造及其对阿拉斯加土地利用的意义(英文)

Cryogenic structure (patterns made by ice inclusions) in seasonally frozen and permafrost-affected soils result from ice formation during freezing. Analysis of cryogenic structures in soils is essential to our understanding of the cryogenic processes in soils and to formulating land use management interpretations. When soils freeze, the freezing front moves downward and attracts water moving upward resulting in mainly horizontal lenticular ice formation. Platy and lenticular soil structures form between ice lenses in upper active layer. The reticular soil structure usually forms above the permafrost table caused by freeze-back of the permafrost. The upward freeze-back resulted in platy soil structure and the volume changes following the annual freeze-thaw cycle resulted in vertical cracks. The combined result is an ice-net formation with mineral soils embedded in the ice net. The upper permafrost layer that used to be a part of the active layer has an ice content exceeding 50% due to repeated freeze-thaw cycles over time. The mineral soils appear in blocks embedded in an ice matrix. The permafrost layer that never experienced the freeze-thaw cycle often consists of alternate layers of thin ice lens and frozen soils with extreme hard consistence and has relatively lower ice content than the ice-rich layer of the upper permafrost. Ice contents and thaw settling potentials associated with each cryogenic structure should be considered in engineering and land use interpretations.

Structure of summer atmospheric boundary layer in the center of Arctic Ocean and its relation with sea ice extent change

The atmospheric vertical structure and changed characteristics of boundary layer parameters, as well as their relations with sea ice and temperature changes in the center of Arctic Ocean(80°–88°N) are presented by adopting GPS sounding data obtained by the 4th–6th Arctic expeditions of China and NCEP(National Centre for Environmental Prediction) reanalysis data. Obvious differences are observed regarding the tropopause, boundary layer height, temperature inversion, and vertical structure of wind speed and direction in the center Arctic Ocean in the summer of 2012, 2010, and 2014. These differences can be explained by the relations between temperature and changes in sea ice extent in September from 1979 to 2014. In September 2012, the Arctic sea ice extent decreased by 44% an with obvious warming process. In September 2010 and 2014, it decreased by 22.6% and 17% with an obvious cooling process, respectively. A comparison of the two processes shows that sea ice change has a significant influence on the structure of the atmospheric boundary layer. In the recent 30 years, the temperature changes of 1000 and 850 h Pa in the center of the Arctic Ocean have displayed an obvious warming trend and negative correlation with sea ice extent. These changes indicate that the continuous reduction of Arctic sea ice will continue the warming of the troposphere middle layer.

A new image processing method for discriminating internal layers from radio echo sounding data of ice sheets via a combined robust principal component analysis and total variation approach

Discriminating internal layers by radio echo sounding is important in analyzing the thickness and ice deposits in the Antarctic ice sheet.The signal processing method of synthesis aperture radar(SAR)has been widely used for improving the signal to noise ratio(SNR)and discriminating internal layers by radio echo sounding data of ice sheets.This method is not efficient when we use edge detection operators to obtain accurate information of the layers,especially the ice-bed interface.This paper presents a new image processing method via a combined robust principal component analysis-total variation(RPCA-TV)approach for discriminating internal layers of ice sheets by radio echo sounding data.The RPCA-based method is adopted to project the high-dimensional observations to low-dimensional subspace structure to accelerate the operation of the TV-based method,which is used to discriminate the internal layers.The efficiency of the presented method has been tested on simulation data and the dataset of the Institute of Electronics,Chinese Academy of Sciences,collected during CHINARE 28.The results show that the new method is more efficient than the previous method in discriminating internal layers of ice sheets by radio echo sounding data.

ON THE ICE NUCLEATION BY CONTACT ON THE INNER AND OUTER LAYER OF A WATER DROP

Nucleation of ice by contact takes place when an aerosol particle collides with asurface of supercooled water drop.Aerosol particle may either bounce off the watersurface or be captured on it.McCully et al.(1956) and Rosinski et al.(1963) have shownthat capture of hydrophilic particles was four times larger than of hydrophobic ones.Hydrophobic aerosol particles will nucleate ice preferentially during the brief time ofcontact when they bounce off the surface.Patricles that become captured on the surfacewill float and produce clusters that may nucleate ice at some later time (delayed on surface

A one-dimensional heat transfer model of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and modeling of snow temperatures at Dome A, the summit of Antarctic Plateau

A vertical one-dimensional numerical model for heat transferring within the near-surface snow layer of the Antarctic Ice Sheet was developed based on simplified parameterizations of associated physical processes for the atmosphere, radiation, and snow/ice systems. Using the meteorological data of an automatic weather station (AWS) at Dome A (80°22′S, 70°22′E), we applied the model to simulate the seasonal temperature variation within a depth of 20 m. Comparison of modeled results with observed snow temperatures at 4 measurement depths (0.1, 1, 3, 10 m) shows good agreement and consistent seasonal variations. The model results reveal the vertical temperature structure within the near-surface snow layer and its seasonal variance with more details than those by limited measurements. Analyses on the model outputs of the surface energy fluxes show that: 1) the surface energy balance at Dome A is characterized by the compensation between negative net radiation and the positive sensible fluxes, and 2) the sensible heat is on average transported from the atmosphere to the snow, and has an evident increase in spring. The results are considered well representative for the highest interior Antarctic Plateau.

Structure of the internal isochronous layers at Dome A,East Antarctica

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.

Combining two-photon lithography with laser ablation of sacrificial layers:A route to isolated 3D magnetic nanostructures

Three-dimensional(3D)nanostructured functional materials are important systems allowing new means for intricate control of electromagnetic properties.A key problem is realising a 3D printing methodology on the nanoscale that can yield a range of functional materials.In this article,it is shown that two-photon lithography,when combined with laser ablation of sacrificial layers,can be used to realise such a vision and produce 3D functional nanomaterials of complex geometry.Proof-of-principle is first shown by fabricating planar magnetic nanowires raised above the substrate that exhibit controlled domain wall injection and propagation.Secondly,3D artificial spin-ice(3DASI)structures are fabricated,whose complex switching can be probed using optical magnetometry.We show that by careful analysis of the magneto-optical Kerr effect signal and by comparison with micromagnetic simulations,depth dependent switching information can be obtained from the 3DASI lattice.The work paves the way for new materials,which exploit additional physics provided by non-trivial 3D geometries.

A STUDY ON SNOW PROFILES AND SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS ALONG 6000km TRANSANTARCTIC ROUTE (Ⅰ)——THE "1990 INTERNATIONAL TRANS-ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION" GLACIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Along a 5986 km route on Antarctic ice sheet from west to east, 106 snow pits with a depth ranging from 1.0—2.0 m have been dug by the first author of this paper, the Chinese member of the '1990 International Trans-Antarctic Expedition'. The basic physical characteristics of the surface layer of the ice sheet on a large scale are obtained through the observations of snow profiles at these snow pits. The sastrugi shapes and major axis azimuths have also been observed or measured on the way. Analysis for these observation data shows that in West Antarctica the meltwater infiltration-congelation is obvious and the annual precipitation is larger than that in East Antarctica, which implies that climate in West Antarctica is warmer, more humid and influenced more greatly by the South Ocean than that in East Antarctica. Radiation ice-glazes frequently found in snow profiles indicate that even in East Antarctica under very low temperatures, surface 'melting' occurs in summer due to the long-time solar radiation. The little variations of sastrugi trend and its dominant azimuth in the inland Antarctica suggest that there is a south-north prevailing wind. Depth hoar is very much developed in the snow pits of East Antarctica. This possesses important climatic and glaciological significance but its formation mechanism and development process need a further discussion elsewhere.