Glucose fluxes and concentrations of dissolved combined neutral sugars (polysaccharides) in the Ross Sea and Polar Front Zone, Antarctica

We hypothesized that dissolved carbohydrates would be large components of the labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool and would support much bacterial growth in Antarctic waters, especially the Ross Sea, since previous work had observed extensive phytoplankton blooms with potentially high production rates of carbohydrates in Antarctic seas. These hypotheses were tested on cruises in the Ross Sea and Antarctic Polar Front Zone as part of the US JGOFS program. Concentrations and fluxes of free glucose (the only free sugar detected) were very low, but dissolved polysaccharides appeared to be important components of the DOC pool. Concentrations of dissolved combined neutral sugars increased >3-fold during the phytoplankton bloom in the Ross Sea and were a large fraction (ca. 50%) of the semi-labile fraction of DOC. The relatively high concentrations of dissolved combined neutral sugars, which are thought to be quite labile, appear to explain why DOC accumulated during the phytoplankton bloom was degraded so quickly once the bloom ended. Some of the polysaccharides appeared to be more refractory, however, since dissolved combined neutral sugars were observed in deep waters (>550 m) and in early spring (October) in the Ross Sea, apparently having survived degradation for >8 months. The molecular composition of these refractory polysaccharides differed from that of polysaccharides sampled during the phytoplankton bloom. Fluxes of DOC were low in the Ross Sea compared to standing stocks and fluxes of particulate material, but the DOC that did accumulate during the phytoplankton bloom appeared to be sugar-rich and relatively labile.     

The effect of assimilation, fractional crystallization, and ageing on U-series disequilibria in subduction zone lavas

Although most arc lavas have experienced significant magma differentiation, the effect of the differentiation process on U-series disequilibria is still poorly understood. Here we present a numerical model for simulating the effect of time-dependent magma differentiation processes on U-series disequilibria in lavas from convergent margins. Our model shows that, in a closed system with fractional crystallization, the ageing effect can decrease U-series disequilibria via radioactive decay while in an open system, both ageing and bulk assimilation of old crustal material serve to reduce the primary U-series disequilibria. In contrast, with recharge of refresh magma, significant ²²⁶Ra excess in erupted lavas can be maintained even if the average residence time is longer than 8000 years.The positive correlations of (²²⁶Ra/²³⁰Th) between Sr/Th or Ba/Th in young lavas from convergent margins have been widely used as evidence of fluid addition generating the observed ²²⁶Ra excess in subduction zones. We assess to what extent the positive correlations of (²²⁶Ra/²³⁰Th) with Sr/Th and Ba/Th observed in the Tonga arc could reflect AFC process. Results of our model show that these positive correlations can be produced during time-dependent magma differentiation at shallow crustal levels. Specifically, fractional crystallization of plagioclase and amphibole coupled with contemporaneous decay of ²²⁶Ra can produce positive correlations between (²²⁶Ra/²³⁰Th) and Sr/Th or Ba/Th (to a lesser extent). Therefore, the correlations of (²²⁶Ra/²³⁰Th) with Sr/Th and Ba/Th cannot be used to unambiguously support the fluid addition model, and the strength of previous conclusions regarding recent fluid addition and ultra-fast ascent rates of arc magmas is significantly lessened.     

阿尔泰铁木尔特铅锌矿床的碳质流体组合及其地质意义

铁木尔特铅锌矿是阿尔泰克兰盆地内最主要的VMS型矿床。矿床受控于阿巴宫-库尔提断裂,铅锌矿体分布于该断裂NE逆冲盘的下泥盆统康布铁堡组地层绿泥石英片岩、大理岩或层状矽卡岩中。矿体形态多呈透镜状、似层状,并整合产于变质岩系中,发育多含矿化层。金属矿物有方铅矿、闪锌矿、黄铜矿、黄铁矿和磁黄铁矿等。铁木尔特铅锌矿床晚期发育多金属硫化物石英脉,至少可识别出3个流体包裹体组合（FIA）。FIO为高盐度流体包裹体组合,主要为含子矿物的多相包裹体（L-V-S型）,部分为气液两相包裹体（L-V型）,局限于单个石英颗粒内,包裹体呈无序分布,或呈孤立的单个包裹体分布,包裹体的最终均一温度322—422．5℃。F11为次生的CO2-H2O流体包裹体组合,主要由单相（LCO2）和两相（LCO2-LH2O）的富CO2包裹体组成,呈线性分布,穿透石英颗粒边界,明显属于次生包裹体范畴。FI2为碳质（CO2-CH4）流体包裹体组合,广泛发育,包裹体主要由单相（LCO2、LCO2-CH4或LCO2-N2）、少量两相（LCO2-LH2O）富CO2包裹体组成,大小5μm-20μm,成群定向分布,穿透石英颗粒边界并切断FI1,是晚于FI1的次生包裹体组合,反映晚期较大的构造一流体活动。对FI2的详细研究表明,LCO2型包裹体的TmCO2=-63．3～-57．7℃,ThCO2=-27．5～＋29．7℃;LCO2-CH4型或LCO2-N2型包裹体的TmCO2=-80．5～-5．5℃,LhCO2=-56．0～-25．0℃;LCO2-LH2O型包裹体CO2相的ThCO2=-66．9--0．9℃,ThCO2=-13．3～＋2．3℃,包裹体的最终均一温度Th,total=243．1—361．1℃。铁木尔特次生碳质流体组合,萨热阔布金矿主成矿阶段、赛都-多拉纳含金剪切带中早期透镜状石英脉碳质流体组合,以及阿舍勒等矿床的次生碳质流体组合,都具有相似的流体性质,均为高密度的CO2-CH4-N2流体,其来源与石炭-二叠造山作用主期的区域动力热流变质作用有关。     

Effect of diets on the feeding behavior and physiological properties of suspension-feeding sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - The suspension-feeding sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa has become commercially important in recent years. Finding proper diets is the first important step for...     

Energy release in solar flares

We examine observational evidence concerning energy release in solar flares. We propose that different processes may be operative on four different time scales: (a) on the sub-second time scale of sub-bursts which are a prominent feature of mm-wave microwave records; (b) on the few-seconds time scale of elementary bursts which are a prominent feature of hard X-ray records; (c) on the few-minutes time scale of the impulsive phase; and (d) on the tens-of-minutes or longer time scale of the gradual phase.We propose that the concentration of magnetic field into magnetic knots at the photosphere has important consequences for the coronal magnetic-field structure such that the magnetic field in this region may be viewed as an array of elementary flux tubes. The release of the free energy of one such tube may produce an elementary burst. The development of magnetic islands during this process may be responsible for the sub-bursts. The impulsive phase may be simply the composite effect of many elementary bursts.We propose that the gradual phase of energy release, with which flares typically begin and with which many flares end, involves a steady process of reconnection, whereas the impulsive phase involves a more rapid stochastic process of reconnection which is a consequence of mode interaction.In the case of two-ribbon flares, the late part of the gradual phase may be attributed to reconnection of a large current sheet which is being produced as a result of filament eruption. A similar process may be operative in smaller flares.Also, Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University.     

Heat flux saturation in hydrodynamic soft X-ray solar flare plasmas

The role of heat flux limitation in soft X-ray emitting solar flare plasmas is considered. Simple analytic arguments suggest that flux limitation is likely to be important during the explosive heating phase, even for relatively modest coronal energy fluxes (say 10⁹ erg cm^-2 s^-1). This conclusion is reinforced by a detailed flare loop simulation of the heating phase. Since flux saturation effectively bottles up the coronal heat flux, mass motions now assume a dominant role in transferring energy from the coronal flare source to the lower transition region. The mass-energy exchange between the corona and chromosphere produces dramatic changes in the thermal structure of the plasma which are reflected in the differential emission measure profile of the flaring loop.     

A Mid–Late Quaternary loess–paleosol record in Simmons Farm in southern Illinois,USA

In unglaciated areas of the Mississippi Valley region, the typical full loess–paleosol succession contains the Modern Soil developed in Peoria Silt, weakly developed Farmdale Geosol developed in Roxana Silt, Sangamon Geosol developed in Loveland Silt, and Yarmouth Geosol developed in Crowley's Ridge Silt. Although a fifth loess called the Marianna Silt is reported at one area, the paleosol that separates the Crowley Ridge and Marianna Silts is not well defined. Previous thermoluminescence (TL) and optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) age chronology has suggested multiple phases of Sangamon Geosol developed in Loveland Silt, but clear morphological evidence of polygenetic Sangamon Geosol profiles have not been found. Recently, a thick loess–paleosol sequence has been studied in the middle Mississippi Valley in unglaciated southern Illinois, USA. Soil morphology and analytical results revealed five loesses and associated paleosol units. Two Sangamon Bt horizons were found separated by a thick ACtk horizon, interpreted to indicate two phases of Sangamon Geosol development. This well-preserved loess–paleosol succession provides one of the most complete mid–late Quaternary loess records in the middle Mississippi Valley to date, and is important for studying the stratigraphic framework and paleoclimate and environment changes.     

Macrofaunal succession in sediments around kelp and wood falls in the deep NE Pacific and community overlap with other reducing habitats

Sunken parcels of macroalgae and wood provide important oases of organic enrichment at the deep-sea floor, yet sediment community structure and succession around these habitat islands are poorly evaluated. We experimentally implanted 100-kg kelp falls and 200 kg wood falls at 1670 m depth in the Santa Cruz Basin to investigate (1) macrofaunal succession and (2) species overlap with nearby whale-fall and cold-seep communities over time scales of 0.25–5.5 yr. The abundance of infaunal macrobenthos was highly elevated after 0.25 and 0.5 yr near kelp parcels with decreased macrofaunal diversity and evenness within 0.5 m of the falls. Apparently opportunistic species (e.g., two new species of cumaceans) and sulfide tolerant microbial grazers (dorvilleid polychaetes) abounded after 0.25–0.5 yr. At wood falls, opportunistic cumaceans become abundant after 0.5 yr, but sulfide tolerant species only became abundant after 1.8–5.5 yr, in accordance with the much slower buildup of porewater sulfides at wood parcels compared with kelp falls. Species diversity decreased significantly over time in sediments adjacent to the wood parcels, most likely due to stress resulting from intense organic loading of nearby sediments (up to 20–30% organic carbon). Dorvilleid and ampharetid polychaetes were among the top-ranked fauna at wood parcels after 3.0–5.5 yr. Sediments around kelp and wood parcels provided low-intensity reducing conditions that sustain a limited chemoautrotrophically-based fauna. As a result, macrobenthic species overlap among kelp, wood, and other chemosynthetic habitats in the deep NE Pacific are primarily restricted to apparently sulfide tolerant species such as dorvilleid polychaetes, opportunistic cumaceans, and juvenile stages of chemosymbiont containing vesicomyid bivalves. We conclude that organically enriched sediments around wood falls may provide important habitat islands for the persistence and evolution of species dependent on organic- and sulfide-rich conditions at the deep-sea floor and contribute to β and γ diversity in deep-sea ecosystems.