Temporal variations and trends of CFC11 and CFC12 surface-water saturations in Antarctic marginal seas: Results of a regional ocean circulation model

The knowledge of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC11, CFC12) concentrations in ocean surface waters is a prerequisite for deriving formation rates of, and water mass ages in, deep and bottom waters on the basis of CFC data. In the Antarctic coastal region, surface-layer data are sparse in time and space, primarily due to the limited accessibility of the region. To help filling this gap, we carried out CFC simulations using a regional ocean general circulation model (OGCM) for the Southern Ocean, which includes the ocean–ice shelf interaction. The simulated surface layer saturations, i.e. the actual surface concentrations relative to solubility-equilibrium values, are verified against available observations. The CFC surface saturations driven by concentration gradients between atmosphere and ocean are controlled mainly by the sea ice cover, sea surface temperature, and salinity. However, no uniform explanation exists for the controlling mechanisms. Here, we present simulated long-term trends and seasonal variations of surface-layer saturation at Southern Ocean deep and bottom water formation sites and other key regions, and we discuss differences between these regions. The amplitudes of the seasonal saturation cycle vary from 22% to 66% and their long-term trends range from 0.1%/year to 0.9%/year. The seasonal surface saturation maximum lags the ice cover minimum by two months. By utilizing observed bottle data the full seasonal CFC saturation cycle can be determined offering the possibility to predict long-term trends in the future. We show that ignoring the trends and using instead the saturations actually observed can lead to systematic errors in deduced inventory-based formation rates by up to 10% and suggest an erroneous decline with time.     

Interaction of waves,currents and tides,and wave-energy impact on the beach area of Sylt Island

Erosion due to waves is an important and actual problem for most coastal areas of the North Sea. The objective of this study was to estimate the impact of wave action on the coastline of Sylt Island. From a 2-year time series (November 1999 to October 2001) of hydrological and wave parameters generated with a coupled wave–current modelling system, a period comprising storm ‘Anatol’ (3–4 December 1999) is used to investigate the effects of waves on currents and water levels and the input of wave energy into the coastline. The wave-induced stress causes an increase of the current velocity of 1 m/s over sand and an additional drift along the coast of about 20 cm/s. This produces a water level increase of more than 20 cm in parts of the tidal basin. The model system also calculates the wave energy input into the coastline. Scenario runs for December 1999 with a water level increase of 50 cm and wind velocity increased by 10% show that the input of the wave energy into the west coast of Sylt Island increases by 30% compared to present conditions. With regard to the forecasted near-future (Woth et al., Ocean Dyn 56:3–15, 2006) increase of strong storm surges, the scenario results indicate an increased risk of coastal erosion in the surf zone of Sylt Island.     

Ten Years of Development of Equipment for Measurement of Atmospheric Radioactive Xenon for the Verification of the CTBT

Atmospheric measurement of radioactive xenon isotopes (radioxenon) plays a key role in remote monitoring of nuclear explosions, since it has a high capability to capture radioactive debris for a wide range of explosion scenarios. It is therefore a powerful tool in providing evidence for nuclear testing, and is one of the key components of the verification regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The reliability of this method is largely based on a well-developed measurement technology. In the 1990s, with the prospect of the build-up of a monitoring network for the CTBT, new development of radioxenon equipment started. This article summarizes the physical and technical principles upon which the radioxenon technology is based and the advances the technology has undergone during the last 10 years. In contrast to previously used equipment, which was manually operated, the new generation of radioxenon monitoring equipment is designed for automated and continuous operation in remote field locations. Also the analytical capabilities of the equipment were strongly enhanced. Minimum detectable concentrations of the recently developed systems are well below 1 mBq/m³ for the key nuclide ¹³³Xe for sampling periods between 8 and 24 h. All the systems described here are also able to separately measure with low detection limits the radioxenon isotopes ^131mXe, ^133mXe and ¹³⁵Xe, which are also relevant for the detection of nuclear tests. The equipment has been extensively tested during recent years by operation in a laboratory environment and in field locations, by performing comparison measurements with laboratory type equipment and by parallel operation. These tests demonstrate that the equipment has reached a sufficiently high technical standard for deployment in the global CTBT verification regime.     

温度、光强和pH对条斑紫菜孢子体和配子体类囊体膜上光系统活性的影响

光合作用研究中,对于个体发育过程中类囊体膜蛋白结构和功能的变化所知甚少,其中的一个限制因素是能否纯化得到大量高活性的稳定且均一的膜蛋白。作者以条斑紫菜（Porphyra yezoensis）2个不同发育阶段（孢子体和配子体）作为研究对象,分离得到了孢子体和配子体的类囊体膜．在不同的温度、光强和pH下,对其类囊体膜上的光系统活性进行了研究。结果表明,孢子体和配子体的PSⅠ活性均随温度和光强的升高而呈现一个先升高后降低的趋势,在温度18℃,光强为2320lx时具有最高的PSⅠ活性。而孢子体乖配子体的PSll活性随温度和光强的变化趋势不明显,孢子体PSⅡ活性在温度18℃,光强为2320lx时最高,配子体PSⅡ活性在温度13℃,光强为2800lx时最高。孢子体PSⅠ在酸性条件下较活跃,在pH5．4时具有最高的PSⅠ活性,配子体PSⅠ在碱性条件下较活跃,PSⅠ活性在pH10．4时最高;孢子体PSⅡ活性随pH的升高呈现一个先升高后降低的趋势,配子体PSⅡ活性随pH变化趋势不明显,但都在pH8．0处活性最高。     

Nonlinear baseflow recession analysis in watersheds with intermittent streamflow

Abstract

Discharge in most rivers consists mainly of baseflow exfiltrating from shallow groundwater reservoirs, while surface or other direct flows cease soon after rain storms or snowmelt. Analysis of observed baseflow recessions of two rivers in Turkey with intermittent flows and different geographical and climatic characteristics yielded nonlinear storage–outflow relationships of the highly seasonal aquifers. Baseflow separation was carried out using a nonlinear reservoir algorithm. Baseflow seasonality is related to the hydro-climatic conditions influencing groundwater recharge and evapotranspiration of groundwater. As intermittent streams generally have zero flows in the dry season, calibration of recession parameters is in many cases a complicated task.

Citation Aksoy, H. & Wittenberg, H. (2011) Nonlinear baseflow recession analysis in watersheds with intermittent streamflow. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(2), 226–237.     

Megabenthic recolonization in an experimentally disturbed abyssal manganese nodule area 1

The near total removal of manganese nodules during commercial deep‐sea mining will destroy the habitat of the benthic hard‐bottom fauna within the mined areas and result in the formation of a soft‐bottom community of lower diversity. In 1989 the first large‐scale and long‐term experiment, DISCOL, was initiated in the abyssal tropical southeastern Pacific Ocean to study the impact of disturbances similar to ocean mining on the deep‐sea fauna. The megabenthic assemblage and the recolonization of the disturbed area were monitored during three cruises of the German research vessel SONNE by use of an Ocean Floor Observation System with real‐time TV and “photo‐on‐command” capabilities. The results of the image analyses of the baseline and three postimpact studies demonstrate not only a direct impact within the disturber tracks, but also an apparent impact on areas that were not primarily disturbed. Commercial mining will create a sediment plume, which will drift away with near‐bottom currents and also affect animals outside the mined areas. Reduction of environmental effects remains an important objective during development of future nodule collector systems.     

中国东部地壳的结构和组成

根据已发表的12条地学大断面和6条折射地震剖面资料,获得了中国除塔里木以外9个大的构造单元的地壳结构.在中国东部华北克拉通、秦岭造山带和扬子克拉通950000km2范围内采集了11451件岩石样品.由这些样品组合而成了905件组合样品.对这些组合样品分析了63种元素和组分的含量.根据分析结果,结合所建立的各构造单元地壳结构、对区域典型深部样品高温高压下岩石物理性质的实验研究以及对出露地壳剖面和下地壳包体的综合研究成果,获得了中国东部地壳各结构层元素丰度.结果表明,除塔里木和秦岭造山带外,中国各构造单元地壳结构可分为上地壳、中地壳、下地壳上部和下地壳下部4层.其中,下地壳和地壳整体Vp波速较全球大陆地壳相应平均值低0.2～0.5km/s.中国东部下地壳整体平均地震波速与中性麻粒岩一致,其SiO2含量约为58%.这种中性下地壳成分特征与目前普遍认为的基性下地壳模型明显不同.中国东部地壳整体成分亦比现有大陆地壳成分估值的演化程度高,其特征为SiO2=64%,具明显负Eu异常(Eu/Eu*=0.80),相对亏损Sr和过渡金属元素,La/Nd(3.0)比值近于岛孤岩浆岩,计算出的μ值(238U/204Pb)约为5,以下相容性相近的元素对比值与原始地幔的比值相同或接近:Zr/Hf=37, Nb/Ta=17.5,Ba/Th=87, K/Pb=0.12×104,Rb/Cs=25, Ba/Rb=8.94,Sn/Sm=0.31,Se/Cd=1.64, La/As=10.3,Ce/Sb=271,Pb/Bi=57,Rb/T1=177,Er/Ag=52,Cu/Au=3.2×104,Sm/Mo=7.5,Nd/W=40,C1/Li=10.8,F/Nd=21.9和La/B=1.8.