CPR sampling: the technical background, materials and methods, consistency and comparability

The Continuous Plankton Recorder has been deployed for 70 years. Although modifications to the machine have been relatively minor, there has been a steady increase in the speed at which it is towed, creating a need to quantify what effects this may have had on its sampling characteristics. Additionally, because the CPR database is one of the longest and most geographically extensive biological time series in the world, and scientists are currently focusing on gaining understanding about climate-induced ecological changes, there is increasing pressure to quantify the sampling performance and relate the CPR data to data collected by other plankton samplers. Many of these issues of consistency and comparability have been investigated throughout the decades of the CPR survey. The primary aim of this study is to draw together the results of those investigations, updating or integrating them where applicable. A secondary aim is to use the CPR database to address other previously unexamined issues. We show that the increase in speed of tow has had no effect on the depth of sampling and the mechanical efficiency of the internal mechanism, but that at the highest tow speeds there is some evidence that flow may be reduced. Depth of tow may also be dependent on the ship operating a particular route. We describe the processing procedures used to ensure consistency of analysis and detail the changes in taxonomic resolution that have occurred through the course of the survey. Some consistency issues remain unresolved, such as the effects of adding heavy instrumentation to the attitude of the CPR in the water and possible effects on sampling performance. The reduction of flow caused by clogging of the filtering mesh has now been quantified through the addition of flowmeters and each CPR sample can now be calibrated for measured, or derived, filtered volume. Although estimates of abundances for large areas have been shown to be unaffected by recalibration, absolute quantification of plankton abundance is necessary to enable comparisons with other sampling devices. Several studies have now been undertaken that compare plankton abundances obtained with the CPR with those obtained using vertical nets at specific locations on the European continental shelf. Although catches by the CPR are almost always lower, seasonal cycles are replicated in each comparison, and interannual variability generally agrees between time series. The relative catch rates for an individual species by each device appear to be consistent, probably because of the organisms’ behaviour and attributes of the sampling device. We are now able to develop calibration factors to convert CPR catches to absolute abundances that can be integrated with other data sets where appropriate, which should increase the applicability and utility of CPR data.     

Intercalibration of HRDI and WINDII wind measurements

The High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI) and the Wind Imaging Interferometer (WINDII) instruments, which are both on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, measure winds by sensing the Doppler shift in atmospheric emission features. Because the two observation sets are frequently nearly coincident in space and time, each provides a very effective validation test of the other. Discrepancies due to geophysical differences should be much smaller than for comparisons with other techniques (radars, rockets, etc.), and the very large sizes of the coincident data sets provide excellent statistics for the study. Issues that have been examined include relative systematic offsets and the wind magnitudes obtained with the two systems. A significant zero wind position difference of 6 m s^–1 is identified for the zonal component, and it appears that this arises from an absolute perturbation in WINDII winds of -4 m s^–1 and in HRDI of +2 m s^–1. Altitude offsets appear to be relatively small, and do not exceed 1 km. In addition, no evidence is found for the existence of a systematic wind speed bias between HRDI and WINDII. However, considerable day-to-day variability is found in the quality of the agreement, and RMS differences are surprisingly large, typically in the range of 20-30 m s^–1.     

Heterogeneity in titaniferous lunar basalts

Small, but real, chemical differences exist between subsamples of fine-grained, quench-textured titaniferous lunar basalts. The existence of different textural domains with different chemistries is thought to account for most of this variation. In addition to the textural domains, 74275 has a population of a few percent of Fo_77–80 olivine “megacrysts”, as well as dunite fragments of Fo_80–84. These materials are thought to be extraneous and to compromise the primary nature of 74275.Recognition of the small chemical variations present may aid in understanding some discrepancies in the experimental petrology literature. However, these small variations have a distressing petrogenetic significance since they severely limit resolution in recognizing the number and depth of origin of primary magmas.     

Towards a quaternary time scale

Nine first-appearance datums (FADs), twenty-three last-appearance datums (LADs), and three other micropaleontological datums are related to the magnetic-reversal, oxygen-isotope, and calcite-dissolution/coarse-fraction time scales to provide a preliminary basis for subdivision of the Quaternary in deep-sea sediments. The magnetic-reversal, oxygen-isotope, and calcite-dissolution/coarse-fraction scales have been correlated by determination on the same core materials, and absolute dates applied by ⁴⁰K/⁴⁰Ar or ¹⁴C dating of materials in known positions on one or another of these scales. FADS and LADs have been determined in cores for which either a magnetic-reversal, oxygen-isotope, or calcite-dissolution/coarse-fraction scale has also been available. Altogether 3 FADs and 5 LADs based on diatoms, 4 FADs and 5 LADs based on calcareous nannoplankton, 1 FAD and 8 LADs based on radiolarians, 1 FAD and 5 LADs based on planktonic foraminifers, 2 acme datums, and 1 ratio reversal datum have been determined, and absolute dates inferred by interpolation from known dates on the reference time scales. Some of the FADs and LADs apply or are synchronous only over limited areas of the oceans; others appear to be synchronous throughout the oceans. The base of the Quaternary is set at the top of the Olduvai event at 1.7 my. Four FADs, twelve LADs, two acme datums, and one ratio reversal datum occur above the base of the Quaternary at an average rate of about 1 per 100,000 yr. Five FADs and twelve LADs are recognized in the 0.8-my interval between the top of the Olduvai event and the Gauss/Matuyama Boundary at 2.5 my at an average incidence of about 1 per 50,000 yr.     

Plastic particles found in tern pellets,on coastal beaches and at factory sites

Small polystyrene particles, evidently of industrial origin, now appear as a contaminant of the sea in several parts of the world. They have been discovered in pellets of indigestible food regurgitated by gulls and terns, so are clearly entering the food chain at some point. So far as is known at present, they are harmless but it would be as well to exercise caution in releasing plastic to the environment.     

Comparison of Agricultural Impacts of Climate Change Calculated from High and Low Resolution Climate Change Scenarios: Part II. Accounting for Adaptation and CO2 Direct Effects

We assert that the simulation of fine-scale crop growth processes and agronomic adaptive management using coarse-scale climate change scenarios lower confidence in regional estimates of agronomic adaptive potential. Specifically, we ask: 1) are simulated yield responses tolow-resolution climate change, after adaptation (without and with increased atmospheric CO₂), significantly different from simulated yield responses tohigh-resolution climate change, after adaptation (without and with increased atmospheric CO₂)? and 2) does the scale of the soils information, in addition to the scale of the climate change information, affect yields after adaptation? Equilibrium (1 × CO₂ versus 2 × CO₂)climate changes are simulated at two different spatial resolutions in the Great Plains using the CSIRO general circulation model (low resolution) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) RegCM2 regional climate model (high resolution). The EPIC crop model is used to simulate the effects of these climate changes; adaptations in EPIC include earlier planting and switch to longer-season cultivars. Adapted yields (without and with additional carbon dioxide) are compared at the different spatial resolutions. Our findings with respect to question 1 suggest adaptation is more effective in most cases when simulated with a higher resolution climate change than its more generalized low resolution equivalent. We are not persuaded that the use of high resolution climate change information provides insights into the direct effects of higher atmospheric CO₂ levels on crops beyond what can be obtained with low resolution information. However, this last finding may be partly an artifact of the agriculturally benign CSIRO and RegCM2 climate changes. With respect to question 2, we found that high resolution details of soil characteristics are particularly important to include in adaptation simulations in regions typified by soils with poor water holding capacity.     

The distribution of Fe and Mg between olivine and lunar basaltic liquids

We have examined the Fe and Mg distribution between coexisting olivine and lunar basaltic liquids produced by equilibrium partial melting of natural lunar samples. In agreement with the findings of Roeder and Emslie (Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 29, 275–289) on terrestrial compositions, the logarithms of the conventional distribution coefficients, K_ol-L^Fe and K_ol-L^Fe-Mg, are nearly linear functions of inverse temperature; and the exchange coefficient, K_D = K_ol-L^Fe-Mg, is nearly independent of temperature and composition within a given magma group. There are, however, small but significant differences in conventional and exchange distribution coefficients from one magma group to another, e.g. low-Ti vs high-Ti lunar basalts. It is possible to achieve slightly greater precision for the inverse temperature functions by including terms approximating silica activity in the conventional distribution coefficients. The term ($\text{2Si}\text{O}\text{)}{}_{\mathrm{L}}$ is apparently the best simple approximation for silica activity in olivine-saturated liquids based upon data for Fe, Mg, Mn, Ca, Ti and Cr. Pressure has noticeable effects upon Fe and Mg distribution between olivine and liquid only above 5 kbar.The excellent linear correlation of the logarithms of the distribution coefficients with inverse temperature allows calculation of approximate values of $\text{Δ}\text{H}\text{?}{}^0$ for the reactions : 2MgO_L + SiO_2LaiMg₂SiO_4ol and 2FeO_L + SiO_2LaiFe₂SiO_4ol. Values obtained, approx ?26 kcal/mole, are comparable with values of the heats of fusion of forsterite and fayalite calculated by Bradley (Am. J. Sci.260, 550–554) and measured by Orr (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 75, 528–529).The exchange distribution coefficient for Fe and Mg, K_D, is sensitive to large changes in liquid chemistry. Although K_D is explicitly independent of silica activity, K_D apparently changes with silica concentration. This change is a reflection of changes in the mixing properties of Fe and Mg in liquids with different chemistry and hence structure. Regular solution theory predicts that as the mixing properties of an element in a solution change, the most radical changes in activity coefficients occur in the range of dilute concentrations. Therefore, the distribution coefficients for trace elements will also be dependent upon large changes in liquid chemistry, even if corrections for silica and other liquid component activities are applied.     

Intercalibration of airglow observatories with the atmosphere explorer satellite

The visible airglow photometer on the Atmosphere Explorer C Satellite has been used to compare the calibrations of a number of ground-based airglow observatories. Discrepancies between different ground stations as large as a factor of six have been revealed. Efforts to account for these discrepancies have resulted in the discovery of differences as large as a factor of 2 in the standard light sources in use at different observatories. The participation of additional observatories in the intercomparison of standard sources is solicited. The project has also led to the discovery of a source of error that can amount to another factor of 2 in the procedure used to calibrate many airglow instruments. In the course of the project detailed maps, based on satellite data, have been made of the galactic and zodiacal light background at a number of wavelengths, and a substantial source of contaminating emission has been discovered in the satellite data; the contamination appears to result from interaction of the spacecraft and the atmosphere at altitudes below 170 km.     

Towards a high-resolution,global, deep-sea chronology for the last 750,000 years

Variations in the ratio of¹⁸O/¹⁶O as measured in shells of marine calcareous microfossils are primarily dominated by changes in global ice volume; hence these variations provide a set of global time lines in deep-sea sediments. It is likely that the timing of major changes in oxygen isotope values is strongly influenced, if not controlled, by variations in the geometry of the Earth's orbit. Since the variation of orbital parameters can be accurately calculated, the opportunity exists for transforming this orbital chronology into a geological chronology.Through careful correlation of oxygen isotope records in a set of deep-sea cores from the sub-Antarctic, South Atlantic and equatorial Pacific, we have assembled a composite isotopic section spanning the last 750,000 years with an average sedimentation rate of 2.3 cm/1000 years. A new chronology for this time period was developed by adjusting the ages of the oxygen isotope stage boundaries in this composite section so as to extend the consistent phase relationships that exist between variations in oxygen isotope ratios and changes in obliquity and precession during the last 300,000 years to the entire 750,000-year record. Previously identified difficulties in phase locking precession with the filtered isotopic signal between 365,000 and 465,000 years B.P. have been resolved with the recognition that precessional variations have an average period of 19,000 years and not 23,000 years during this interval. Since this new age model yields the best match between variations in obliquity and precession and their corresponding frequency components in the oxygen isotope record, we believe that it presents the most accurate chronology yet developed for deep-sea sediments.With this new age model providing the time control, power spectral analyses of South Atlantic and sub-Antarctic chemical and biotic indices show that there is a strong tendency for variance to be concentrated at frequencies corresponding to periods of ～ 100,000, 41,000 and 23,000 years.