Seasonal and spatial dynamics of nutrients and phytoplankton biomass in Victoria Harbour and its vicinity before and after sewage abatement

This study investigated the seasonal and spatial dynamics of nutrients and phytoplankton biomass at 12 stations in Hong Kong (HK) waters during a three year period from 2004 to 2006 after upgraded sewage treatment and compared these results to observations before sewage treatment. Pearl River estuary (PRE) discharge significantly increased NO(3) and SiO(4) concentrations, particularly in western and southern waters when rainfall and river discharge was maximal in summer. Continuous year round discharge of sewage effluent resulted in high NH(4) and PO(4) in Victoria Harbour (VH) and its vicinity. In winter, spring and fall, the water column at all stations was moderately mixed by winds and tidal currents, and phytoplankton biomass was relatively low compared to summer. In summer, the mean surface phytoplankton chl biomass was generally > 9 microL(-1) in most areas as a result of thermohaline stratification, and high nutrients, light, and water temperature. In summer, the potential limiting nutrient is PO(4) in the most productive southern waters and it seldom decreased to limiting levels ( approximately 0.1 microM), suggesting that phytoplankton growth may be only episodically limiting. The mean bottom dissolved oxygen (DO) remained > 3.5 mg L(-1) at most stations, indicating that the eutrophication impact in HK waters was not as severe as expected for such a eutrophic area. After the implementation of chemically enhanced primary sewage treatment in 2001, water quality in VH improved as indicated by a significant decrease in NH(4) and PO(4) and an increase in bottom DO. In contrast, there were an increase in chl a and NO(3), and a significant decrease in bottom DO in southern waters in summer, suggesting that hypoxic events are most likely to occur in this region if phytoplankton biomass and oxygen consumption keep increasing and exceed the buffering capacity of HK waters maintained by monsoon winds, tidal mixing and zooplankton grazing. Therefore, future studies on the long-term changes in nutrient loading from PRE and HK sewage discharge will be crucial for developing future strategies of sewage management in HK waters.     

Multilevel samplers as microcosms to assess microbial response to biostimulation

Passive multilevel samplers (MLS) containing a solid matrix for microbial colonization were used as in situ microcosms in conjunction with a push-pull biostimulation experiment designed to promote biological U(VI) and Tc(VII) reduction. MLS were deployed at 24 elevations in the injection well and two downgradient wells to investigate the spatial variability in microbial community composition and growth prior to and following biostimulation. The microbial community was characterized by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) quantification of bacteria, NO(3)(-)-reducing bacteria (nirS and nirK), delta-proteobacteria, Geobacter sp., and methanogens (mcrA). Pretest cell densities were low overall but varied substantially with significantly greater bacterial populations detected at circumneutral pH (t-test, alpha= 0.05), suggesting carbon substrate and low pH limitations of microbial activity. Although pretest cell densities were low, denitrifying bacteria were dominant members of the microbial community. Biostimulation with an ethanol-amended ground water resulted in concurrent NO(3)(-) and Tc(VII) reduction, followed by U(VI) reduction. Q-PCR analysis of MLS revealed significant (1 to 2 orders of magnitude, Mann-Whitney U-test, alpha= 0.05) increases in cell densities of bacteria, denitrifiers, delta-proteobacteria, Geobacter sp., and methanogens in response to biostimulation. Traditionally, characterization of sediment samples has been used to investigate the microbial community response to biostimulation; however, collection of sediment samples is expensive and not conducive to deep aquifers or temporal studies. The results presented demonstrate that push-pull tests with passive MLS provide an inexpensive approach to determine the effect of biostimulation on contaminant concentrations, geochemical conditions, and the microbial community composition and function.     

天山与阴山—燕山造山带的深部结构与地震

天山与阴山－燕山是中国北部两个重要山系,它们几乎位于同一纬度。天山造山带是一个著名的地震活动带,而阴山－燕山断隆带历史上不但没有大地震发生,小地震也不多见,是一个地震空白区。这两个造山带地震活动性的差异与它们在时,空域中的构造环境相联系;中国的西部处于强烈的挤压环境而东部为一伸展与增滑环境。     

不同构造环境下的壳─幔过渡带结构

位于中国西北部的天山造山带与准噶尔盆地是典型的盆岭构造。通过对横跨天山造山带与准噶尔盆地的沙雅-布尔津地学断面地震宽角反射、折射资料进行小波分析,获得了天山造山带与准噶尔盆地壳-幔过渡带的详细结构。结果表明,天山造山带的壳-幔间是以多个薄层过渡的。这些薄层的层厚度2～3km不等,层速度高低相间,总厚度约20km,平均速度较低,接近塔里木盆地下地壳的速度。塔里木盆地北缘与准噶尔盆地的壳-幔间不具有这种特点,其壳-幔间主要表现为一级间断面。而位于中国东北部的间阳-海城-东沟深地震测深剖面所揭示的辽东台隆-辽河盆地-燕山台褶带壳-幔过渡带的结构似乎具有完全相反的特征：辽河盆地的壳-幔过渡带比较复杂,它由数个薄层叠合而成,总厚度达15km;辽东台隆与燕山台褶带壳-幔过渡带结构十分简单,皆以一级间断面过渡为主。研究认为,造成二者差异的主要原因是它们所处的构造环境不同：前者为挤压环境,而后者为伸展环境。在挤压环境下,复杂的壳-幔过渡带形成于造山带的下面;而在伸展环境下,复杂的壳-幔过渡带形成于盆地的下面。壳-幔过渡的复杂程度与构造活动性相联系,在一定程度上反映了岩石圈目前的构造活动水平。     

青藏高原地球物理与大陆动力学研究的新进展

岩石圈地球物理探测、深部结构成像与各向异性等研究是青藏高原大陆动力学研究的基础.近年来,随着深部地球物理探测技术和反演成像技术的进步,信息提取与细节分辨能力不断提升,青藏高原壳幔结构、碰撞和隆升动力学、资源与地质灾害的深部机制等研究进展显著.本专辑收录33篇论文,主要分布在深部结构与地球物理探测、地震各向异性与变形、断裂性质与地震活动等三个主要研究领域.本文重点围绕这些论文,对近年来青藏高原地球物理研究进展进行综述.     

Pathological reactions and recovery of hepatopancreatic digestive cells from the marine snail Littorina littorea following exposure to a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon

The aim of this study was to investigate the cellular pathological responses of hepatopancreatic digestive cells from the periwinkle Littorina littorea exposed to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) fluoranthene and to ascertain whether any injurious effects were reversible within the experimental time scale. A secondary objective was to establish the relationship of the various reactions to animal health status, using lysosomal stability as an index of well-being. Exposure of snails to a concentration of 335 microgl(-1) (1.7 microM) fluoranthene (seawater renewed and spiked daily with fluoranthene) for 5 days resulted in a reduction in lysosomal stability (neutral red retention) and endocytosis; and an increase in smooth endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and 7-ethoxycoumarin-o-deethylase (ECOD; measured as cyano-ECOD) activity measured in isolated live digestive cells. Exposed snails treated with clean seawater for a further 8 days resulted in a return to control levels of lysosomal stability, ECOD and ER; endocytosis showed only a partial recovery. Multi-variate and uni-variate analysis showed that there were strong correlations between the various cellular biomarker responses. These findings are interpretable within the current framework of molluscan biomarker responses to PAHs. Principal component analysis was used to derive the first principal component for endocytosis, ER and ECOD reactions and these were plotted against lysosomal stability as a measure of cellular well-being. The resulting significant regression represents the mapping of the individual biomarkers within health status space for a gradient of fluoranthene toxicity. From this analysis, we concluded that endocytosis is an indicator of healthy snails while proliferation of ER and to a lesser extent induced ECOD are indicative of dysfunction and reduced health. Finally, the results indicate that stress induced by chronic exposure to a PAH is reversible.     

The 825-1110 angstroms EUV spectrum of Venus

On 15 August 1994 we launched the EUVS sounding rocket payload to observe the 825-1110 angstrom region of Venus's far ultraviolet airglow spectrum. The EUVS telescope/spectrograph obtained good data at five times higher spectral resolution than was previously available in the far ultraviolet. We present these data and compare our results to those obtained by the Galileo UVS and Venera 11/12 UV spectrophotometers. We identify several new spectral emission features, including both singly ionized nitrogen and molecular nitrogen in Venus's spectrum. We also see evidence for electron-impact-induced emission from CO. Finally, the EUVS data indicate that the "Ar" emissions detected in Venus's far ultraviolet spectrum by Venera 11/12 spectrophotometers are in fact not due to argon, thus eliminating the discrepancy between in situ and remote sensing measurements.     

Crater taphonomy and bombardment rates in the Phanerozoic

Impact structures can be catalogued according to the age of the rocks in which they are now found ("country rocks"). The observed frequency distribution of craters by age of country rock is shown to be statistically indistinguishable from the predictions of a simple model in which it is assumed that the survival time for craters is the same as that for their target rocks. Other models are considered, but do not match the data. A lower limit of the rate of bombardment through the Phanerozoic, based only on documented craters, is 0.13 +/- 0.09 events/ma/10(8) km2 for craters with diameters > or = 10 km and 0.09 +/- 0.08 events/ma/10(8) km2 for craters with diameters > or = 20 km. The data allow, but do not demand, an increase in meteorite flux over the Phanerozoic but do not allow any significant decrease. We estimate that only about 6% of the existing terrestrial impact structures of diameter greater than 10 km have been discovered to date, and only 16% of those with diameter greater than 20 km.     

Infrared emission from P/Halley's dust coma during March 1986

2 to 20 micrometers photometry of the inner dust coma of comet Halley was obtained at the NASA IRTF on Mar 6.85, 12.8, 13.75, 17.7, and 24.8. Positions offset 10" were measured as well as the central brightness. The strength of the 10 micrometers emission feature was observed to vary with location in the coma. The infrared emission is in general agreement with the dust size distribution measured from the Vega and Giotto spacecraft. Mar 6.8, 17.7, and 24.8 corresponded to strong dust jet activity. The strength of the 10 micrometers silicate emission is shown to be a sensitive indicator of grain size and thus of jet activity. Dust production rate on March 13.75, 6 h before Giotto encounter, was approximately 10(7) gm s-1.