Antarctica – A window to the far off land

The Antarctic continent and surrounding oceans,which are cold and isolated from human activities,constitute a key region for multidisciplinary investigations.Since the early interest during the International Geophysical Year （IGY） during 1957-1958,numerous scientific studies have so far been carried out in Antarctica by different countries,which have provided important insights into Earth and environmental processes such as regional climate warming and its effect to biodiversity,changes in ice sheet and ocean circulation,ozone depletion,and origin and evolution of continents.The challenge of the next phase of Antarctic research will be to integrate all fields of science into a holistic understanding of Earth and life processes of the Antarctic region.In this thematic issue of Geoscience Frontiers,we assemble a set of scientific papers related to geomorphology,biology,molecular spectroscopy,and geology reflecting the recent research activity in the Antarctic region.     

青藏高原那曲地区冰雹天气系统中的大气电场

利用1998年4～9月间进行的GAME-TIBET青藏高原云和降水的多普勒雷达及大气平均电场加强期观测实验资料, 对青藏高原那曲地区的冰雹天气系统中的大气电场作了定量观测和研究.结果表明: 在降雹过程中大气电场强度基本上均为负值, 其峰值也均强于-22 kVm-1; 在降雹过程中随着降雹时间的临近, 大气电场强度不断增强, 但降雹开始时大气电场强度并未达到其峰值, 峰值出现的时刻比开始降雹的时刻略有滞后; 在各降雹日中, 较强的大气电场强度基本上对应着各冰雹谱分布段较多的冰雹数目, 而这种较好的相关在各谱分布段上都表现出来; 随着降雹时间的临近, 每5 min闪电频数不断增强.在开始降雹时每5 min闪电频数平均达到43, 峰值的出现时刻略滞后于开始降雹的时刻, 这一滞后时间一般平均在3 min左右; 在降雹过程中, 单位面积中的冰雹数目与对应时段内总闪电数有着较好的对数关系, 相关系数R为0.954 0.在降雹过程的时间序列上, 冰雹云成熟期过后, 总闪电次数与冰雹降雹率成反相关.     

Hahajima Seamount: An enigmatic tectonic block at the junction between the Izu–Bonin and Mariana Trenches

Abstract   The Hahajima Seamount, located at the junction between the Izu–Bonin and Mariana forearc slopes, is a notable rectangular shape and consists of various kinds of rocks. An elaborated bathymetric swath mapping with geophysical measurements and dredge hauls showed the Hahajima Seamount is cut by two predominating lineaments, northeast–southwest and northwest–southeast. These lineaments are of faults based on the topographic cross-sections and a 3-D view (whale's eye view). The former lineament is parallel to the transform faults of the Parece Vela Basin, whereas the latter is parallel to the nearby transform fault on the subducting Pacific Plate. The rocks constituting the seamount are ultramafic rocks (mostly harzburgite), boninite, basalt, andesite, gabbro, breccia and sedimentary rocks, which characterize an island arc and an ocean basin. Gravity measurement and seismic reflection survey offer neither a definite gravity anomaly at the seamount nor definite internal structures beneath the seamount. A northwest–southeast-trending fault and small-scale serpentine flows were observed during submersible dives at the Hahajima Seamount. The rectangular shape, size of the seamount, various kinds of rocks and geophysical measurements strongly suggest that the Hahajima Seamount is not a simple serpentine seamount controlled by various tectonic movements, as previously believed, but a tectonic block.