δ^13C-δ^18O Covariance： An Effective Indicator of Hydrological Closure for Lakes？

The correlation between theδ~(13)C andδ~(18)O in primary carbonates is affected by several factors such as hydrological balance,total CO_2 concentrations,climatic condition and lake productivity. The influence of these factors on theδ~(13)C-δ~(18)O correlation may be different on different time scales.In this paper,two different-type lakes in southwestern China,Lake Erhai and Lake Chenghai,are selected to investigate the influence of climatic pattern on theδ~(13)C-δ~(18)O correlation and to evaluate the reliability of theδ~(13)C-δ~(18)O covariance as an indicator of hydrological closure.The results show that there exists good correlation between theδ~(13)C andδ~(18)O in Lake Erhai (overflowing open lake) and in Lake Chenghai (closed lake).This suggests that theδ~(13)C-δ~(18)O covariance may be not an effective indicator of hydrological closure for lakes,especially on short time scales.On the one hand,a hydrologically open lake may display covariantδ~(13)C andδ~(18)O as a result of climatic influence.The particular alternate warm-dry and cold-wet climatic pattern in southwestern China may be the principal cause of theδ~(13)C-δ~(18)O covariance in Lake Erhai and Lake Chenghai.On the other hand,a hydrologically closed lake unnecessarily displays covariant trends betweenδ~(13)C andδ~(18)O because of the buffering effect of high CO_2 concentration on theδ~(13)C shift in byper-alkaline lakes.We should be prudent when we use the covariance betweenδ~(13)C andδ~(18)O to judge the hydrological closure of lake.     

回注地下——解决气候变化问题

从地球内部开采石油、煤和天然气来供给我们能量。在这类化石燃料燃烧和释放能量时产生了不需要的二氧化碳气体,这会对全球气候产生影响。可以捕集这种二氧化碳,输送到地下并且封存,这样可从根本上减少温室气体的放出量,有助于缓解气候变化,成为向持久供应能量过渡的关键因素。     

库姆塔格沙漠"羽毛状沙丘"形态的示量特征

通过卫星照片判读和实地观测,库姆塔格沙漠的“羽毛状沙丘”由两种风沙地貌构成：东北-西南走向的新月形“沙垄”为“羽轴”；垄间分布的波状微起伏的“大沙波”为“羽枝”,“大沙波”与沙垄的夹角为75°～103°。二者组合成类似“羽毛”的风沙地貌。新月形“沙垄”由单个新月形沙丘的前一沙丘的迎风坡与后一沙丘东翼相连构成“沙垄”。组成“沙垄”的新月形沙丘的两翼平均长37．5m,翼间距30～66m,沙丘高3～19m；在所观测区域内,沙丘沙的分选性由南向北变差。新月形“沙垄”长为3～22km,垄间距为1～3km,其问分布浅色和暗色相间的波状微地貌,暗色部分平均宽24．3m,浅色部分的平均宽11．6m。暗色部分表层沙粒的粒径有60%在1．00～0．25mm之间,以暗色矿物为主,而浅色部分表层沙粒的粒径的90%在1．00～0．25mm之间,分选性相对暗色部分较好,以石英等浅色矿物为主。暗色和浅色微地貌成对出现,相对高差约7cm。这种波状微地貌在库姆塔格沙漠中北部重复出现,类似于风沙地貌分类的沙波,暂称其为“大沙波”。     

青藏高原腹地湖泊沉积对第四纪晚期古季风变化的响应

通过对青藏高原腹地的综合科学考察和对中心钻孔岩芯剖面的最新研究,用层序地层学与年代地层学和气候地层学相结合的方法,分辨出可可西里地区湖泊沉积记录(孔深7.25 m)的第四纪晚期距今3万余年以来的古气候变化,沉积物磁化率等因子综合表征的高原古季风变化是波动发展的,发生在仙女木期地质环境事件中的季风活动具有强烈暴发的特点,是高原季风发展中的突变事件,而且地表热点效应对其起到了激发作用。综合分析的研究成果表明,它的变化频谱与激变因子及其运行机制是伴随着青藏高原地质效应的演变而发展的,为研究第四纪冰消期以来的气候变化提供了新的信息。     

Characterization of microbial communities associated with African desert dust and their implications for human and ecosystem health

Desert winds aerosolize several billion tons of soil-derived dust each year, including concentrated seasonal pulses from Africa and Asia. Huge dust events create an atmospheric bridge over continents and oceans, and eject a large pulse of soil-associated microorganisms into the atmosphere. These dust events might therefore have a role in expanding the biogeographical range of some microorganisms by facilitating rare long-distance dispersal events. The goal of this study is to characterize the microbes associated with African dust events and determine if they pose a risk to humans or downwind ecosystems. Air samples were collected by vacuum filtration in a source region （Mali, West Africa） during dust events and plated on R2A media to culture microorganisms. These organisms were compared to those in similar samples collected in the Caribbean during Saharan/Sahelian dust events. A high-volume liquid impinger is currently being tested in Barbados, collecting aerosol samples during African dust events. Over 100 bacteria and fungi （19 genera of bacteria and three genera of fungi） have been characterized from source region dust events.     

世界环境日主题锁定“沙漠和荒漠化”

联合国环境规划署（UNEP）在阿尔及利亚首都阿尔及尔宣布，2006年世界环境日庆典将在这里举行。这也是世界环境日庆典首次在北非国家举行。今年世界环境日的主题是“沙漠和荒漠化”。     

美科学家警告：世界名城将消失海底

美国科学家最近警告说，如果全球气候持续变暖，融化的极地冰川将以比预期更快的速度抬高海平面，那么若干年后，世界上许多城市和岛屿，如美国城市迈阿密、泰国首都曼谷和著名旅游胜地马尔代夫岛国将会消失在汪洋之中。     

根据相关条件判断季节的种种方法

1．根据气候特征 地中海气候，热带草原气候，季风气候等季节变化明显的气候类型能指示季节。例如，当罗马、洛杉矶、旧金山、雅典、塔兰托、马赛等炎热干燥时，或珀斯、开普敦、好望角、圣地亚哥多雨时，或南亚盛行西南季风时，尼罗河处于汛期，赞比西河处于枯水期时北半球为夏季，反之为冬季。     

日本著名沙漠研究专家访问中国科学院新疆生态与地理研究所

应中国科学院新疆生态与地理研究所的邀请,原日本沙漠学会会长、联合国大学学术顾问、81岁高龄的小崛岩(Iwao Kobori)教授在参加北京“第八届国际干旱区大会”之后偕夫人来疆访问和学术交流。小崛岩先生是日本著名的沙漠研究专家,在沙漠和坎尔井研究方面卓有成就,国际上知名度很高,并在多个国际学术组织任职,国际学术交流十分活跃。小崛岩先生第一次来新疆是1981年,也是改革开放后第一位来新疆生地所访问的外国客人,从那时起他一直关注和支持着新疆的坎尔井研究。在他的帮助下,开展了中日联合坎尔井研究并举办了第一届坎尔井国际学术研讨会…