Carbonate biomineralization induced by soil bacterium Bacillus megaterium

Biogenic carbonates spawned from microbial activities are common occurrences in soils. Here, we investigate the carbonate biomineralization mediated by the bacterium Bacillus megaterium, a dominant strain separated from a loess profile in China. Upon completing bacterial cultivation, the ensuring products are centrifuged, and the resultant supernatant and the concentrated bacterial sludge as well as the un-separated culture are added separately into a Ca-CO₃ containing solution for crystallization experiments. Results of XRD and SEM analysis indicate that calcite is the dominant mineral phase formed when the bacteria are present. When the supernatant alone is used, however, a significant portion of vaterite is also precipitated. Experimental results further reveal that the bacteria have a strong tendency to colonize the center area of the calcite {1 0  4} faces. Observed crystal morphology suggests that the bacterial colony may promote the growth normal to each individual {1 0  4} face of calcite when the cell concentration is high, but may retard it or even cause dissolution of the immediate substrate surfaces when the concentration is low. SEM images taken at earlier stages of the crystallization experiments demonstrate the nucleation of calcite on the bacterial cell walls but do not show obvious morphological changes on the nanometer- to submicron-sized nuclei. δ¹³C measurements unveil that the crystals grown in the presence of bacteria are further enriched in the heavy carbon isotope, implying that the bacterial metabolism may not be the carbon sources for the mineralization. Based upon these findings, we propose a mechanism for the B. megaterium mediated calcite mineralization and conclude that the whole process involves epi- and inter-cellular growth in the local microenvironments whose conditions may be controlled by cell sequestration and proton pumping during bacterial respiration.     

中国近54年来夏季极端降水事件特征研究

利用1960~2013年中国6~8月无缺测的571站逐日降水资料,定义7个极端降水指数,研究中国夏季极端降水事件特征。结果表明:(1)极端降水事件空间分布存在明显的区域性差异,长江中下游地区、华南地区、西北地区表现为增加趋势,东北地区、华北地区、西南部分地区表现为减少趋势;时间分布表现出具有显著的年际和年代际变化特征,极端降水事件有增加趋势,在20世纪90年代初期有明显转折。(2)M-K检验表现出极端降水事件在20世纪90年代初发生突变,突变前(后)偏弱(强)。(3)极端降水指数周期振荡不完全一致,准15年周期振荡为主,其次是准7年周期,最强振动出现在1998年。(4)除持续干期指数外,其他极端降水指数间存在较好的相关性。     

一次大范围降雹天气的CINRAD/CC若干产品分析

本文对2005年6月10日受东北冷涡影响所发生的吉林省南部大范围降雹雷暴天气,利用CINRAD/CC若干产品进行了分析.分析结果表明:在飑线上,雷暴单体在南部新生、中部成熟、在北部消散,整个生命期长达5 h;在飑线的成熟期中低层至中上层可观测到中气旋(M),并伴随着大范围雷雨大风和降雹天气.     

图象分割中随机噪音的影响

该文在生成的灰度图象上加上随机噪音，用最大后验（ＭＡＰ）估计方法、模糊Ｃ－均值方法和Ｏｔｓｕ阈值方法进行了分割计算，对结果进行了对比分析，绘出了分割随噪音的标准差变化曲线，对噪音图象使用了不同的滤波方法处理之后，并进行计算。     

The Ashima/MIT Mars GCM and argon in the martian atmosphere

We investigate the ability of modern general circulation models (GCMs) to simulate transport in the martian atmosphere using measurements of argon as a proxy for the transport processes. Argon provides the simplest measure of transport as it is a noble gas with no sinks or sources on seasonal timescales. Variations in argon result solely from ‘freeze distillation’, as the atmosphere condenses at the winter poles, and from atmospheric transport. Comparison of all previously published models when rescaled to a common definition of the argon enhancement factor (EF) suggest that models generally do a poor job in predicting the peak enhancement in southern winter over the winter pole – the time when the capability of the model transport approaches are most severely tested. Despite observed peak EF values of ～6, previously published model predictions peaked at EF values of only 2–3. We introduce a new GCM that provides a better treatment of mass conservation within the dynamical core, includes more sophisticated tracer transport approaches, and utilizes a cube–sphere grid structure thus avoiding the grid-point convergence problem at the pole that exists for most current Mars GCMs. We describe this model – the Ashima Research/Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mars General Circulation Model (Ashima/MIT Mars GCM) and use it to demonstrate the significant sensitivity of peak EF to the choices of transport approach for both tracers and heat. We obtain a peak EF of 4.75 which, while over 50% higher than any prior model, remains well short of the observed value. We show that the polar EF value in winter is primarily determined by the competition between two processes: (1) mean meridional import of lower-latitude air not enriched in argon and (2) the leakage of enriched argon out of the polar column by eddies in the lowest atmospheric levels. We suggest possibilities for improving GCM representation of the CO₂ cycle and the general circulation that may further improve the simulation of the argon cycle. We conclude that current GCMs may be insufficient for detailed simulation of transport-sensitive problems like the water cycle and potentially also the dust cycle.     

京津冀一次飑线过程的精细时空演变特征分析

利用常规探空资料、多普勒天气雷达资料和风廓线雷达资料对2013年3月19日夜里到20日凌晨发生在湖南中南部和广东北部的一次区域性雷暴大风天气进行了分析,发现本次强对流天气过程的天气尺度背景是北支高压脊的崩溃和南支槽的建立,槽前出现较强的低空急流和切变线并在湖南中南部和广东北部形成了上干冷下暖湿的温湿配置结构下发生并强烈发展的;地面自动站观测显示北风侵入到前期露点温度较高的贵州黄平地区并形成风向辐合触发了对流,之后对流单体东移进入前期地面辐合线和露点锋相配合,同时500 hPa极为干冷的湖南中部偏南地区不断发展加强成对流带;雷达观测显示19日夜里在湖南西部不断出现对流单体并在其东移南下过程中最终形成飑线结构,该飑线中存在多个超级单体;通过多普勒天气雷达的中气旋产品与雷暴大风出现时间对应比较发现：大多数由中气旋引发的雷暴大风,在雷暴大风出现前2~3个体扫,其中气旋底高不断下降至2 km左右或以下,且在雷暴大风出现前1~2个体扫,中气旋的最强切变高度显著下降至中气旋底高位置附近;通过风廓线雷达数据与雷暴大风出现时间对应比较发现：底层大气折射率结构常数(C2n)大幅度的跃升通常在雷暴大风出现前10~15 min左右出现,其对雷暴大风的出现可能具有一定的指示意义。基于雷达资料快速更新四维变分同化（RR4DVar）分析系统,利用京津冀6部新一代多普勒天气雷达资料和区域（约700个）自动站资料对2013年7月30—31日京津冀地区一次飑线系统在移动过程中系统不同部位的热动力结构及其环境场时空演变特征进行了分析。结果表明,这次飑线过程是在有利的天气尺度背景形势下发生发展的。飑线形成初期,其中段和南段前部有强的暖湿空气辐合上升运动,并受到强的中层垂直风切变的影响,且在飑线中南段两侧水平正负涡度近似平衡,这种环境下,十分有利于飑线中南段的组织发展。而北段前部受弱的中层垂直风切变及辐散下沉运动影响,不利于北段系统有组织的发展;随着飑线移动下山,中段和南段前部在较强的中层垂直风切变控制下,出现强的暖湿空气辐合上升运动,且存在偏南暖湿气流稳定输送到系统上升运动区中,这对飑线系统中段和南段自身对流单体新生及高度组织化极为有利。随着飑线演变为弓形回波,中段环境场仍维持强的中层垂直风切变且位于冷池出流边界的控制之下,由于地形强迫效应,有利于弓形回波前沿低空偏南暖湿气流的辐合上升,是飑线下山迅速增强并发展成弓形回波,且稳定维持的主要原因。     

福建的地质遗迹及其科学文化价值

福建地处欧亚大陆板块东南缘,濒临太平洋板块。自26亿年前的新太古代以来,在漫长的地质历程中,形成了众多各具特色的地质遗迹。这些地质遗迹集典型性、稀有性、观赏性于一体,对研究东南沿海各地质时期的地质作用、开展地质旅游、普及地球科学知识都具有重要的作用。建立不同级别和类型的地质公园,引导科学旅游．是保护地质遗迹,永续利用地质资源的有效途径。应有计划地逐步建立各级地质公园,以保护宝贵的地质资源。     

新生代增温情景下自然火历史的研究

自然火是地球系统的重要组成部分,与气候、植被关系紧密。全球增温情景下,自然火的演化规律和控制因素已经成为学术界的研究热点,通过整理分析自然火实际监测记录、模型模拟结果以及古记录反映的自然火历史,发现还存在一些亟待解决的问题:全球不同增温情景下自然火增多还是减少?其控制因素如何改变?本文选取距今最近的地质历史时期新生代中的典型增温期"中中新世气候适宜期"和"全新世大暖期",对其自然火研究进行分析总结,归纳得出温度是增温情景下自然火的重要控制因素,但是不同地区自然火控制因素有所不同,雨热条件的季节分配、植被类型的演替、雷电和火山活动等因素也对自然火有重要影响。季风区气候变幅大、植被类型丰富,其自然火演化及控制因素具有复杂性,是自然火研究的重要区域,建议在今后研究中,在东亚季风区选择涵盖未来百年可能增温幅度的理想沉积记录,对其记录的自然火历史、增温幅度、植被演替进行系统研究,进而探讨未来增温情景下自然火的演化规律和控制因素。     

中国东北地区夏季旱涝的大气环流异常特征

利用东北地区均匀分布的69个测站35年(1961～1995年)夏季月平均降水资料和NCEP/NCAR 1958～1997年月平均再分析资料,对我国东北地区夏季旱涝发生的大气环流异常特征及其差异进行了诊断分析研究.结果表明,东北地区旱涝年夏季,高纬和极区大气环流特征、东北亚异常长波槽脊的分布和活跃程度、东亚大槽和西太平洋副热带高压的位置和强度等均有十分明显的差别.不仅如此,该区域夏季降水异常还显著地受到亚洲季风诸系统的影响,包括南亚季风,也包括南海季风和副热带季风,并且高空西风急流的位置和强度也有明显变化.涡度、散度、垂直速度和水汽含量等物理量特征在旱涝年不仅有截然相反的分布,而且还表现出与低纬地区存在着不同的联系方式.位于菲律宾以东洋面上行星尺度的高层辐散和低层辐合也有一定不同,并且受热带地区大气加热强度变化的影响,东北地区所在经度上的经圈环流在旱涝年也发生了明显变化,从而对该区域降水异常产生影响.     

Refining the ice flow chronology and subglacial dynamics across the migrating Labrador Divide of the Laurentide Ice Sheet with age constraints on deglaciation

The Laurentide Ice Sheet was characterized by a dynamic polythermal base. However, important data and knowledge gaps have led to contrasting reconstructions in areas such as the Labrador Ice Divide. In this study, detailed fieldwork was conducted at the southeastern edge of a major landform boundary to resolve the relative ice flow chronology and constrain the evolution of the subglacial dynamics, including the migration and collapse of the Labrador Ice Divide. Surficial mapping and analysis of 94 outcrop‐scale ice flow indicators were used to develop a relative ice flow chronology. ¹⁰Be exposure ages were used with optical ages to confine the timing of deglaciation within the study area. Four phases of ice flow were identified. Flow 1 was a northeasterly ice flow preserved under non‐erosive subglacial conditions associated with the development of an ice divide. Flow 2 was a northwest ice flow, which we correlate to the Ungava Bay Ice Stream and led to a westward migration of the ice divide, preserving Flow 2 features and resulting in Flow 3's eastward‐trending indicators. Flow 4 is limited to sparse fine striations within and around the regional uplands. The new optical ages and ¹⁰Be exposure ages add to the regional geochronology dataset, which further constrains the timing of ice margin retreat in the area to around 8.0 ka. Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Quaternary Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.