Progress in polar upper atmospheric physics research in China

The Chinese Antarctic Great Wall, Zhongshan, Kunlun and Arctic Yellow River stations have unique geographical locations, well suited to carry out polar upper atmospheric observations. This paper reviews the tremendous history of nearly 30 years of Chinese polar expeditions and major progress in polar upper atmospheric physics research. This includes the polar upper atmospheric physics conjugate observation system at Zhongshan Station in the Antarctic and Yellow River Station in the Arctic, and original research achievements in polar ionospheric fields, aurora and particle precipitation, the polar current system, polar plasma convection, geomagnetic pulsations and space plasma waves, inter-hemispheric comparisons of the space environment, space weather in polar regions, power spectrum of the incoherent scatter radar, ionospheric heating experiments and polar meso- spheric summer echoes, polar ionosphere-magnetosphere numerical simulation and others. Finally, prospects for Chinese polar upper atmospheric physics research are outlined.     

Validation of total ozone data between satellite and ground-based measurements at Zhongshan and Syowa stations in Antarctica

We present validation between total ozone from satellite and ground-based observations of the Dobson and Brewer spectrometers and ozone radiosonde at Zhongshan and Syowa Antarctic research stations, for September 2004 to March 2009. Results show that mean bias error between Zhongshan （Syowa） and Ozone Monitor Instrument Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer （OMI-TOMS） data are -0.06%＋3.32% （-0.44%：i：2.41%）; between it and OMI Multi Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spec- troscopy （OMI-DOAS） data, the error is -0.34%--4.99% （-0.22%~4.85%）. Mean absolute bias error values of OMI-TOMS data are less than those of OMI-DOAS. This means that total ozone of OMI-TOMS is closer to ground-based observation than that of OMI-DOAS. Comparison between direct observational total ozone of ground-based and integrated ozone from the ozone profile measured by ozone radiosonde shows that ozone amount calculated with the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet （SBUV） method above balloon burst height is similar to corresponding Microwave Limb Sounder （MLS） data. Therefore, MLS data can be substituted with SBUV data to estimate ozone amount above that level. Mean bias error of the MLS ozone column is 2% compared with the ozonesonde column, with standard deviation within 9.5%. Comparison of different layers from ozone profiler and MLS data indi- cates that at the 215 hPa layer, the MLS ozone value is high, with relative deviation more than 20%. At the 100 hPa and 68 l~Pa layers, the MLS ozone value is also high. This deviation is mainly in spring, during Antarctic ozone hole appearance. In this period, at the height of severe ozone loss, relative deviation of MLS ozone values is especially large.     

Anomalously low ozone of 1997 and 2011 Arctic spring: Monitoring results and analysis

Total ozone observations from the Total Ozone Unit （TOU） aboard the Chinese second generation polar orbiting mete- orological satellite, Fengyun-3/A （FY-3/A）, revealed that total column ozone over the Arctic declined rapidly from the beginning of March 2011. An extensive region of low column amount formed around mid March; monthly mean total column ozone in March 2011 was about 30% lower than the average observed during 1979-2010. Daily total column density of ozone near the center of low ozone area in mid March was less than 240 Dobson units, about half the total column ozone amount observed during the same period of the prior 10 years. We analyzed total column ozone data from different satellites during 1979-2011. Results show that the Arctic depletion of ozone in spring 2011 was initiated by the cold polar vortex in the lower stratosphere. The March mean total ozone over the Arctic has shown a decreasing trend over the past 32 years, and its variation is strongly correlated with the polar vortex. A similar low ozone process of spring 1997 was compared to that of 2011, but daily variations of total ozone in March over the Northern Hemisphere in 1997 and 2011 have different patterns.     

Vertical structure of low-level atmosphere over the south- east Indian Ocean fronts

During the 25th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition, GPS radiosondes were launched to detect the atmos- pheric vertical structure over the southeast Indian Ocean frontal region. Some low-level characteristics along the cruise are studied based on in-situ observation. The observations reveal that vertical distributions of the low-level wind field and air temperature field on both sides of the Subantarctic Front are very different. A stronger （weaker） vertical gradient is on the cold （warm） side, which demonstrates that the mid-latitude ocean-atmosphere interaction is active in the southeast Indian Ocean frontal region. A low-level jet is observed over the Subantarctic Front, with speed up to 14 m＇s-1. For the Antarctic polar front, low-level wind speed near the sea surface is greater than that aloft, in contrast with the situation of the Subantarctic Front. Comparing satellite remote sensing data and widely-used reanalysis datasets with our in-situ observations, differences of varying magnitudes are found. Air temperature from Atmospheric Infrared Sounder （AIRS） data has a limited difference. The European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts Interim Re-Analysis （ERA Interim） dataset is much more consistent with the observations than the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research （NCEP/NCAR） Reanalysis 1 in the southeast Indian Ocean frontal region.     

Simultaneous optical and radar observations of poleward moving auroral forms under different IMF conditions

Using high temporal resolution optical data obtained from three-wavelength all-sky imagers at Chinese Yellow River Station in the Arctic, together with the EISCAT Svalbard radar （ESR） and SuperDARN radars, we investigated the dayside pole- ward moving auroral forms （PMAFs） and the associated plasma features in the polar ionosphere under difibrent interplanetary magnetic field （1MF） conditions, between 0900 and 1010 UT on 22 December 2003. Simultaneous optical and ESR observations revealed that all PMAFs were clearly associated with pulsed particle precipitations. During northward IMF, particles can precipi- tate into lower altitudes and reach the ionospheric E-region, and there is a reverse convection cell associated with these PMAFs. This cell is one of the typical signatures of the dayside high-latitude （lobe） reconnection in the polar ionosphere. These results indicate that the PMAFs were associated with the high-latitude reconnection. During southward IMF, the PMAFs show larger lati- tudinal motion, indicating a longer mean lifetime, and the associated ionospheric features indicate that the PMAFs were generated by the dayside low-latitude reconnection.     

Temperature biases in modeled polar climate and adoption of physical parameterization schemes

An annual cycle of atmospheric variations for 1989 in the Arctic has been simulated with the Weather Research and Forecasting （WRF） model. A severe cold bias was found around a cold center in surface air temperature over the Arctic Ocean, compared with results from ERA-Interim reanalysis. Four successive numerical experiments have been carried out to find out the reasons for this. The results show that the sea ice albedo scheme has the biggest influence in summer, and the effect of the cloud microphysics scheme is significant in both summer and winter. The effect of phase transition between ice and water has the biggest influence over the region near the sea ice edge in summer, and contributes little to improvement of the severe cold bias. The origi- nal crude albedo parameterization in the surface process scheme is the main reason for the large simulated cold bias of the cold center in summer. With a different land surface scheme than in the control run, cold biases of simulated surface air temperature over the Arctic Ocean are greatly reduced, by as much as 10 K, implying that the land surface scheme is critical for polar climate simulation.     

Study of the climatic teleconnection between the Siberian high and maritime continent warm pool

This paper attempts to establish a method for analysing the relationship between the polar and equatorial climate of the Northern Hemisphere. The Arctic Oscillation （AO） is known to have no direct relationship with the monsoon over the Maritime Continent （MC）. Thus, an index called the Siberian High（SH~Maritime Continent（MC） Index （SHMCI） is developed to represent the mean sea level pressure difference between the SH and the warm pool over the MC. This index indicates a strong link with the monsoon circulation. A positive （strong） value of the SHMCI is associated with strong meridional winds and intense and frequent cold surge events over the South China Sea. The correlation between the AO index and the SHMCI is -0.39, which is medium but statistically significant; however, it is not sufficiently conclusive to infer direct correlation. Nevertheless, the SHMCI can be used as a tool to relate the AO with the monsoon over the MC because of the influence demonstrated by the AO towards the SH. Further analysis on the convergence and divergence anomalies over the MC reveals an impact discernible only from the SHMCI. This implies that the SHMCI manifests clearly the relationship between the Arctic and equatorial climate.     

Content analysis of documents using neural networks： A study of Antarctic science research articles published in international journals

Content analysis of scientific papers emanating from Antarctic science research during the 25 years period （1980-- 2004） has been carried out using neural network based algorithm-CATPAC. A total of 10 942 research articles published in Science Citation Indexed （SCI） journals were used for the study. Normalized co-word matrix from 35 most-used significant words was used to study the semantic association between the words. Structural Equivalence blocks were constructed from these 35 most-used words. Four-block model solution was found to be optimum. The density table was dichotomized using the mean density of the table to derive the binary matrix, which was used to construct the network map. Network maps represent the thematic character of the blocks. The blocks showed preferred connection in establishing semantic relationship with the blocks, characterizing thematic composition of Antarctic science research. The analysis has provided an analytical framework for carrying out studies on the con- tent of scientific articles. The paper has shown the utility of co-word analysis in highlighting the important areas of research in Antarctic science.     

Eco-environmental spatial characteristics of Fildes Peninsula based on TuPu models

This study applies a TuPu analysis to investigate ecological and environmental aspects of an Antarctic ice-free area, using Fildes Peninsula as an example. The TuPu unit was determined using a vector-grid mixed data model. Information from the eco-environment elements was effectively extracted, and was generalized into different classes by means of data mining technol- ogy. A series of single-factor thematic information TuPu models, such as topography, soil, animal and vegetation, and human activities for Fildes Peninsula were built in this study. The topography TuPu model contained information on elevation and slope. The soil TuPu model involved soil development stages and soil thickness information. The animal and vegetation TuPu model contained the distribution of animals, plant types, lichen cover and lichen height. The human activities TuPu model included popu- lation density and human disturbance index information. The landscape comprehensive information TuPu model of Fildes Penin- sula also was established, and contains twenty-nine landscape units and twelve types of combined environments. The study quan- titatively revealed the spatial morphology and correlation of the regional eco-environment based on the analysis of these TuPu models. From these models, we can draw the conclusion that there is a regular differentiation of eco-environment from the coastal bands to the central hills in Fildes Peninsula, and that the eco-environment condition of the eastern coasts is different from that of the western coasts. The eco-environmental spatial variation also differs greatly from north to south. Based on analysis of spatial correlation, the vegetation in Fildes Peninsula has the greatest correlation with human activity, and has a certain correlation with topography and soil. This research may provide a new technical approach and scientific basis for the in-depth study of Antarctic eco-environments.     

Factors influencing small-scale distribution of 10 macrolichens in King George Island,West Antarctica

Lichens are among the main primary colonists in most terrestrial ecosystems of Antarctica, where the effects of environmental factors on spatial distribution of lichens are essential to understanding the functioning of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems. We measured abundance of 10 frequently observed macrolichens and 15 environmental factors at a small scale （20 cm× 20 cm）, in the ice-free areas of Fildes Peninsula and Ardley Island, King George Island, West Antarctica, and assessed the effects of environmental factors on the local distribution of these lichens. Canonical correspondence analyses （CCA） show that 8 out of 15 environmental factors, belonging to 4 sets of variables, are important in spatial distribution of the 10 lichens. Variation partitioning analyses show that most of the variation in distribution of the 10 lichens is described by the spatial heterogeneity of substrate, bird influence and microclimate and topography, whereas human impact has no significant effects.     

Composition and distribution of fish species collected during the fourth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition in 2010

There are awareness and concerns caused by the decreasing sea ice coverage around the Arctic and Antarctic due to effects of climate change. Emphasis in this study was on rapid changes in Arctic sea ice coverage and its impacts on the marine ecology during the fourth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition in 2010. Our purpose was to establish a baseline of Arctic fish compositions, and consequent effects of climate change on the fish community and biogeography. Fish specimens were col- lected using a multinet middle-water trawl, French-type beam trawl, otter trawl, and triangular bottom trawl. In total, 36 tows were carried out along the shelf of the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea in the Arctic Ocean. in total, 41 fish species belonging to 14 families in 7 orders were collected during the expedition. Among them, the Scorpaeniformes, including 17 species, accounted for almost one third of the total number （34.8%）, followed by 14 species of the Perciformes （27.0%）, 5 species of the Pleuronecti- formes （22.3%）, and 2 species of the Gadiformes （15.4%）. The top 6 most abundant species were Hippoglossoides robustus, Bore- gadus saida, Myoxocephalus scorpius, Lumpenus fabricii, Artediellus scaber, and Gymnoeanthus trieuspis. Abundant species var- ied according to the different fishing methods; numbers of families and species recorded did not differ with the various fishing methods; species and abundances decreased with depth and latitude; and species extending over their known geographic ranges were observed during the expedition. Station information, species list, and color photographs of all fishes are provided.     

Influence of sea ice and sea surface temperature on the abundance of Antarctic krill in Area 48.2

In this paper we examine the relationship between Antarctic krill catch, sea ice concentration, and sea surface tempera- ture （SST）. Data on the Antarctic krill catch from 2003 to 2010 in CCAMLR Area 48.2 were combined with sea ice and SST data. Results showed that krill fishing in Area 48.2 took place from February to August each year but the catch was concentrated from March to July, with production during this period accounting for about 99.3% of the annual catch. Regression analysis showed that the catch per unit effort （CPUE） was clearly related to sea ice concentration and SST intervals. CPUE was negatively correlated with the area of sea ice among years （R2=0.64）, and the correlation was strongest （R2=0.71） when sea ice concentration was greater than 90%. Over the months the CPUE initially increased, then decreased as the area of sea ice increased. The relationship was strongest （R2=0.88） when the concentration of sea ice was 60%--70%. There was no negative correlation among years between CPUE and the ice-free area when S ST was between -2 ℃ and 3 ℃ （R2=0.21）, but there was a significant negative correlation when SST was between 1 ℃ and 2℃ （R2=0.82）. Over the months, CPUE initially increased then decreased with increasing sea ice-free area, and the relationship was strongest （R2=0.94） when SST was between 0℃and 1 ℃. This study shows that sea ice concentra- tion and SST have significant effects on the abundance of krill in Area 48.2, and the findings have practical significance for the use and conservation of Antarctic krill resources.     

Pollen morphology of selected tundra plants from the high Arctic of Ny-(A)lesund, Svalbard

Documenting morphological features of modem pollen is fundamental for the identification of fossil pollen, which will assist researchers to reconstruct the vegetation and climate of a particular geologic period. This paper presents the pollen morphol- ogy of 20 species of tundra plants from the high Arctic of Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, using light and scanning electron microscopy. The plants used in this study belong to 12 families： Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Cyperaceae, Ericaceae, Juncaceae, Papav- eraceae, Poaceae, Polygonaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, Salicaceae, and Scrophulariaceae. Pollen grain shapes included： spher- oidal, subprolate, and prolate. Variable apertural patterns ranged from 2-syncolpate, 3-colpate, 3-（-4）-colpate, 3-（-5）-colpate, 3-colporate, 5-poroid, ulcerate, ulcus to pantoporate. Exine ornamentations comprised psilate, striate-perforate, reticulate, mi- croechinate, microechinate-perforate, scabrate, granulate, and granulate-perforate. This study provided a useful reference for com- parative studies of fossil pollen and for the reconstruction of paleovegetation and paleoclimate in Svalbard region of Arctic.     

Scale and scope of maritime cargoes through the Arctic Passages

This paper investigates the sources of goods being shipped through the Arctic passages, and trade generated in the Arc- tic, including oil and gas exploitation. Furthermore, it assesses the present situation for maritime cargo shipped from the Far East to Northwestern Europe and North America. Two main types of cargo are predicted to pass through the Arctic passages in the future. First, about 10 million t of liquefied natural gas will be delivered from Russia and the Nordic Arctic to the Far East by 2030. Second, there will be two-way trade flow of containerized cargo from the Far East to Europe and the United States through the North- east, Central and Northwest Passages. This will relieve pressure on present routes from the Far East to Northwestern Europe and North America. If Arctic navigation is technically possible in all seasons and shipping costs fall to those of ordinary ships, then assuming an equal share of shipping volume with the traditional canal routes, the maximum container freight passing through the Arctic passages by 2030 will be approximately 17.43 million TEUs （Twenty-foot Equivalent Units） per year, which is 85% of the volume transported on traditional canal routes in 2011. We conclude that there will be large-scale gas transportation through the Northeast Passage in the near future, and transit shipping across the Arctic will focus more on container transportation. The differences in shipping costs between Arctic routes and traditional canal routes are also compared.     

Global distributions of storm-time ionospheric currents as seen in geomagnetic field variations

To investigate temporal and spatial evolution of global geomagnetic field variations from high-latitude to the equator during geomagnetic storms, we analyzed ground geomagnetic field disturbances from high latitudes to the magnetic equator. The daytime ionospheric equivalent current during the storm main phase showed that twin-vortex ionospheric currents driven by the Region 1 field-aligned currents （R1 FACs） are intensified significantly and expand to the low-latitude region of-30~ magnetic latitude. Centers of the currents were located around 70~ and 65~ in the morning and afternoon, respectively. Corresponding to intensification of the R1 FACs, an enhancement of the eastward/westward equatorial electrojet occurred at the daytime/nighttime dip equator. This signature suggests that the enhanced convection electric field penetrates to both the daytime and nighttime equa- tor. During the recovery phase, the daytime equivalent current showed that two new pairs of twin vortices, which are different from two-cell ionospheric currents driven by the R1 FACs, appear in the polar cap and mid latitude. The former led to enhanced north- ward Bz （NBZ） FACs driven by lobe reconnection tailward of the cusps, owing to the northward interplanetary magnetic field （IMF）. The latter was generated by enhanced Region 2 field-aligned currents （R2 FACs）. Associated with these magnetic field variations in the mid-latitudes and polar cap, the equatorial magnetic field variation showed a strongly negative signature, produced by the westward equatorial electrojet current caused by the dusk-to-dawn electric field.     

Population distribution,structure and growth condition of Antarctic krill （Euphausia superba Dana） during the austral summer in the Southern Ocean

Antarctic krill （Euphausia superba Dana） was collected using a High Speed Collector and an Isaac-Kidd midwater trawl （IKMT） net during the austral summer of 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 in the circumpolar and Prydz Bay regions of the Southern Ocean, respectively. Combined with the simultaneous recording of environmental factors, spatial distribution, population structure and growth condition of E. superba were studied. The abundance of E. superba in the Weddell Sea was higher than in Prydz Bay. However, the abundance of E. superba in both the Weddell Sea and Prydz Bay was lower than figures reported in previous krill surveys for the same time period. With respect to the total study area, E. superba displayed a normal growing state during the two expeditions. E. superba grew relatively poorly in some stations, which may be due to the late retreat of sea ice or lower chlorophyll a concentrations. The number of juvenile E. superba collected using the High Speed Collector was proportionally greater in stations located at the edge of the sea ice, while adults dominated in long-term non-ice regions. This phenomenon reflects the different distribution pattern between juvenile and adult krill. The population structure of E. superba differed between sea regions, which may affect recruitment.     

Interaction between sea ice/iceberg and ship structures: A review

For ship structural design and good maneuverability in an ice-covered sea, the local and global load of ice cover on ships should be well understood. This paper reviews the extensive work done on ice loads on ships, including： （a） Ice pressure and local load determination based on field and model tests; （b） Global ice loads on ships from full-scale field observations, model tests and numerical models under different ice conditions （level ice and pack ice） and ship operations （maneuvering and mooring）. Spe- cial attention is paid to the discrete element simulation of global ice loads on ships; and （c） Analytical solutions and numerical models of impact loads of icebergs on ships for polar navigation. Finally, research potential in these areas is discussed.     

Analysis of recent climate change over the Arctic using ERA-Interim reanalysis data

This study investigates recent climate change over the Arctic and its link to the mid-latitudes using the ERA-Interim global atmospheric reanalysis data from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast （ECMWF）. Since 1979, sub- stantial surface warming, associated with the increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gases, has occurred over the Arctic. The great- est warming in winter has taken place offshore in the Kara-Barents Sea, and is associated with the increase in turbulent heat fluxes from the marginal ice zone. In contrast to the marked warming over the Arctic Ocean in winter, substantial cooling appears over Siberia and eastern Asia, linked to the reduction of Arctic sea ice during the freezing season （September-March）. However, in summer, very little change is observed in surface air temperature over the Arctic because increased radiative heat melts the sea ice and the amount of turbulent heat gain from the ocean is relatively small. The heat stored in the upper ocean mixed layer in summer with the opening of the Arctic Ocean is released back to the atmosphere as turbulent heat fluxes during the autumn and through to the following spring. This warming of the Arctic and the reduced sea ice amplifies surface cooling over Siberia and eastern Asia in winter.     

Hydrochemistry and sediment characteristics of polar periglacial lacustrine environments on Fisher Island and Broknes Peninsula,East Antarctica

Fisher Island and Broknes Peninsula in the Larsemann Hills constitute part of a polar lowland periglacial environment between marine and glacial ecosystems. The landscape is characterized by gently rolling hills and broad valleys interspersed with lakes formed in glacially scoured basins. We analyzed the physieochemical parameters and the ionic constituents of water samples from 10 lakes in each of these two locations. Our results showed considerable differences between the two regions and demon- strated the influence of lithology and processes including weathering, evaporation, and atmospheric precipitation. All major cations and anions in the lake waters showed positive correlations indicating balanced ionic concentrations. Unconsolidated sediments were sparsely distributed and scattered over glacial deposits, valley fills, and occasional moraine ridges. The type and rate of sedi- mentation was mainly controlled by surface run-off and aeolian influx. The sediment samples from lake beds and the catchment area on Fisher Island were immature and poorly to very poorly sorted, consisting of gravelly sand with negligible silt and finer fractions. Sediments had a polymodal grain size distribution with the two major populations lying between -2 and 1 phi and be- tween 0 and 1.5 phi. The sediments were lithic arenite to arkosic in composition and the microtextures imprinted over quartz grains were dominated by mechanical textures resulting from several stages of glacial crushing and grinding. The presence of deep disso- lution cavities, cryptocrystalline precipitation, and euhedral crystal growth signified the effect of chemical activity after the deposition of grains in the lacustrine environment.     

Phenotypic plasticity in Bacillus cereus strains isolated from various Antarctic habitats

We studied five strains of psychrotolerant Bacillus cereus （B. cereus） isolated from Antarctic snow （BCsn）, ice （BCic）, lake water （BCwt）, sediment （BCsd）, and soil （BCsl） samples in terms of their growth, biochemical properties, and heat shock re- sponses. Analyses of growth kinetics at 4℃ showed that BCsn had the fastest generation time （16.1 h）, whereas BCWT had the slowest （30.8 h）. Strain BCsd formed the largest zone of lipid hydrolysis （18 mm） whereas BCsn formed the smallest zone （3 mm）.Only BCsd produced gelatinase. These physiological differences illustrate adaptations of B. cereus isolates to different niches. Strains BCsl and BCwr were resistant to all 12 of the antibiotics tested. Strains BCsn, BCio, and BCsd were resistant to cell wall synthesis inhibitors （penicillin and ampicillin） and susceptible to protein synthesis inhibitors （tetracycline and streptomycin）. A carbon-substrate utilization assay revealed that BCsn, BCic and BCwr could specifically utilize D-glucose-6-phosphate, salicin, and 2＇-deoxyadenosine, respectively, indicating a degree of metabolic diversity among these Antarctic B. cereus strains. An analy- sis of heat shock proteins （HSPs） produced in response to a 60℃ heat treatment revealed significant variations in the amounts of HSP33 （p = 0.01, df= 4）, HSP44 （p = 0.003, dr= 4）, and HSP60 （p = 0.04, df= 4） among the strains. This emphasizes the impor- tance of HSPs in bacterial taxonomy. These results show that there are considerable adaptive variations among B. cereus strains from extremophilie environments. This could be significant in evaluating the taxonomy and evolution of this species.