A preliminary study of the variation of phytoplankton absorption coefficients in the northern South China Sea

The temporal and spatial variabilities of phytoplankton absorption coefficients （a ph （λ）） and their relationships with physical processes in the northern South China Sea were examined, based on in situ data collected from two cruise surveys during May 14 to 25, 2001 and November 2 to 21, 2002. Significant changes in the surface water in a ph values and B/R ratios （a ph （440）/a ph （675）） were observed in May, which were caused by a phytoplankton bloom on the inner shelf stimulated by a large river plume due to heavy precipitation. This is consistent with the observed one order of magnitude elevation of chlorophyll a and a shift from a pico/nano dominated phytoplankton community to one dominated by micro-algae. Enhanced vertical mixing due to strengthened northeast monsoon in November has been observed to result in higher surface a ph （675） （0.002–0.006 m-1 higher） and less pronounced subsurface maximum on the outer shelf/slope in November as compared with that in May. Measurements of a ph and B/R ratios from three transects in November revealed a highest surface a ph （675） immediately outside the mouth of the Zhujiang （Pearl） River Estuary, whereas lower a ph （675） and higher B/R ratios were featured in the outer shelf/slope waters, demonstrating the respective influence of the Zhujiang River plume and the oligotrophic water of the South China Sea. The difference in spectral shapes of phytoplankton absorption （measured by B/R ratios and bathochromic shifts） on these three transects infers that picoprocaryotes are the major component of the phytoplankton community on the outer shelf/slope rather than on the inner shelf. A regional tuning of the phytoplankton absorption spectral model （Carder et al., 1999） was attempted, demonstrating a greater spatial variation than temporal variation in the lead parameter a 0 （λ）. It was thus implicated that region-based parameterization of ocean color remote sensing algorithms in the northern South China Sea was mandatory.

CaCo_1-xRu_xO_y: Role of Ru/Co Ratio on Its Transport Properties

Calcium cobaltites, especially Ca3Co4O9 with a misfit layered structure, are promising thermoelectric materials due to their suitability for high temperature applications and low densities. The existence of low spin-state electronic configurations for both and species is one of the key parameter to explain the large thermopower values. Ruthenium oxide, with a layered structure, exhibits strong electron-electron correlation and the extended nature of their 4d electrons enhances orbital overlapping which is expected to influence the transport characteristics of CaCo1-xRuxOy (CCR) samples, by affecting the spin state of the 3d Co ions. The effect on thermopower and electrical resistivity due to partial substitution of Co by Ru ions, up to 0.33 moles, from 300 to 600 K was investigated. A sharp decline in resistivity and in thermopower was observed until a transition ion ratio (TIR), (Ru/(Ru + Co)), of 0.5 is reached, beyond which both the properties became less sensitive to TIR. These variations in the transport properties are explained by the presence of 4d Ru in close proximity to the Co, which could influence the spin and oxidation state of Co ions. The Co rich and Ru rich samples exhibit very distinct microstructures and phase assemblages.