Evaluating the hydrological and hydrochemical responses of a High Arctic catchment during an exceptionally warm summer

The Arctic has experienced substantial warming during the past century with models projecting continued warming accompanied by increases in summer precipitation for most regions. A key impact of increasing air surface temperatures is the deepening of the active layer, which is expected to alter hydrological processes and pathways. The aim of this study was to determine how one of the warmest and wettest summers in the past decade at a High Arctic watershed impacted water infiltration and storage in deeply thawed soil and solute concentrations in stream runoff during the thaw period. In June and July 2012 at the Cape Bounty Watershed Observatory, we combined active layer measurements with major ion concentrations and stable isotopes in surface waters to characterize the movement of different runoff sources: snowmelt, rainfall, and soil water. Results indicate that deep ground thaw enhanced the storage of infiltrated water following rainfall. Soil water from infiltrated rainfall flowed through the thawed transient layer and upper permafrost, which likely solubilized ions previously stored at depth. Subsequent rainfall events acted as a hydrological flushing mechanism, mobilizing solutes from the subsurface to the surface. This solute flushing substantially increased ion concentrations in stream runoff throughout mid to late July. Results further suggest the importance of rainfall and soil water as sources of runoff in a High Arctic catchment during mid to late summer as infiltrated snowmelt is drained from soil following baseflow. Although there was some evaporation of surface water, our study indicates that flushing from solute stores in the transient layer was the primary driver of increased ion concentrations in stream runoff and not evaporative concentration of surface water. With warmer and wetter summers projected for the Arctic, ion concentrations in runoff (especially in the late thaw season), will likely increase due to the deep storage and subsurface flow of infiltrated water and subsequent flushing of previously frozen solutes to the surface.     

Measuring ignitability for in situ burning of oil spills weathered under Arctic conditions: from laboratory studies to large-scale field experiments

This paper compares the ignitability of Troll B crude oil weathered under simulated Arctic conditions (0%, 50% and 90% ice cover). The experiments were performed in different scales at SINTEF’s laboratories in Trondheim, field research station on Svalbard and in broken ice (70-90% ice cover) in the Barents Sea. Samples from the weathering experiments were tested for ignitability using the same laboratory burning cell. The measured ignitability from the experiments in these different scales showed a good agreement for samples with similar weathering. The ice conditions clearly affected the weathering process, and 70% ice or more reduces the weathering and allows a longer time window for in situ burning. The results from the Barents Sea revealed that weathering and ignitability can vary within an oil slick. This field use of the burning cell demonstrated that it can be used as an operational tool to monitor the ignitability of oil spills.     

Analysis of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Height Characteristics over the Arctic Ocean Using the Aircraft and GPS Soundings

Utilizing aircraft sounding data collected from the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA, 1998) campaign, the authors evaluated commonly-used profile methods for Arctic ABL height estimation by validating against the’true’ABL height from aircraft sounding profiles, where ABL height is defined as the top of the layer with significant turbulence. Furthermore, the best performing method was used to estimate ABL height from the one-year GPS soundings obtained during SHEBA (October 1997-October 1998). It was found that the temperature gradient method produces a reliable estimate of ABL height. Additionally, the authors determined optimal threshold values of temperature gradient for stable boundary layer (SBL) and convective boundary layer (CBL) to be 6.5 K/100 m and 1.0 K/100 m, respectively. The maximum ABL height during the year was 1150 m occurred in May. Median values of Arctic ABL height in May, June, July, and August were 400 m, 430 m, 180 m, and 320 m, respectively. Arctic ABL heights are clearly higher in the spring than in the summer.     

Study of on‐site versus off‐site forecasts for Canadian Forces Base Summerside

Abstract

On‐site and off‐site forecasts for the CFB Summerside aerodrome, written coincidentally over a six‐week period, are verified using the Ranked Probability Score and compared by means of a two‐tailed test of paired differences. The results show that, at a 10% level of significance, forecasts made on‐site are significantly better than forecasts made off‐site for at least four hours into the forecast period. When compared with persistence, both forecast offices were superior. At no time did the persistence forecasts score significantly better than those issued by a meteorologist. When compared with climatology, on‐site forecasts were significantly better for the first nine hours, while off‐site forecasts were significantly better for the first ten hours.     

Estimates of the accuracy of vertically extrapolated forecast errors: Isobaric height and temperature

Abstract

Study of vertical extrapolations of the errors in forecast values of pressure‐level heights and temperatures indicates that they do not provide accurate off‐level information. Indeed it appears that, above 850 mb, forecast errors interpolated from observed 1000‐mb values are less accurate than level‐specific monthly mean differences. These results suggest that the de facto function of vertically interpolated single‐level forecast errors, in numerical forecast model updating, is the provision of vertical consistency rather than the injection of time‐specific information – except at the level of observation.     

合成孔径雷达积雪参数反演研究进展

积雪是影响辐射平衡、水资源等全球能量与水循环的重要参数,遥感是监测积雪时空分布特征及其变化趋势的重要手段.合成孔径雷达（SAR）以其全天时、全天候能力,成为积雪遥感中重要的研究方向.本文从SAR与积雪的特性、积雪的散射模型、基于强度和相位信息的积雪参数反演等方面,针对SAR积雪参数反演方法的理论、技术进行总结和分析,指出了目前利用SAR数据反演积雪的研究现状和存在的问题,并对未来的研究方向进行了讨论.     

北冰洋上层双扩散阶梯热通量的分析

北冰洋中,低温低盐的上层水与高温高盐的大西洋水之间,广泛存在着稳定的双扩散阶梯。基于锚定剖面仪、冰基剖面仪和微结构剖面仪的数据,对温盐廓线中的阶梯进行研究,分析阶梯的热通量。固定跟踪了锚定剖面仪的3个阶梯,研究阶梯参数随时间的变化。发现由经验公式得出的上下两界面的热通量差,与混合层内热量的变化有较好的相关性。利用微结构剖面仪数据,计算阶梯界面通过分子热传导输送的热通量。当选取最大位温梯度时,算出的传导热通量与经验公式算出的热通量接近。因此,实验室研究得到的热通量经验公式,可以用于计算北冰洋双扩散阶梯的热通量。     

西北冰洋表层沉积物黏土矿物分布特征及物质来源

西北冰洋表层沉积物黏土矿物分析结果显示其黏土矿物组成的区域分布和变化具有明显的规律性:从楚科奇海到北冰洋深水区,随着水深的增加,蒙皂石和高岭石含量增高,绿泥石和伊利石含量降低。自西往东,伊利石结晶度值降低,化学指数升高。根据Q型聚类分析获得的黏土矿物组合特征,结合周缘陆地的地质背景、河流及洋流情况,对研究区进行了黏土矿物组合分区,讨论了其黏土矿物来源。楚科奇海表层沉积物黏土矿物组合在靠近阿拉斯加一侧海域以Ⅰ类为主,靠东西伯利亚海一侧主要有Ⅱ类、Ⅲ类和Ⅳ类,中部主要为Ⅵ类,主要是西伯利亚和阿拉斯加的火山岩、变质岩以及一些含高岭石的沉积物以及古土壤等,经风化、河流搬运入海,在北太平洋的3股洋流及西伯利亚沿岸流的作用下沉积形成的。西北冰洋深水区表层沉积物的黏土矿物组合以Ⅰ类和Ⅴ类为主,表明其沉积物来源为欧亚陆架和加拿大北极群岛周缘海域的海冰沉积和大西洋水体的搬运以及加拿大马更些河的河流物质输入。     

北极王湾2010年夏季水体营养盐分布及影响因素

王湾海域位于北极斯瓦尔巴群岛西北侧,其水体特征主要受到北极冰川与大西洋的共同影响。为了研究冰川融水与大西洋水对王湾营养盐分布以及生态系统的影响,在2010年夏季黄河站考察期间,对王湾海水与地表径流进行采样分析,并测定了营养盐和叶绿素a。结果表明:2010年夏季王湾是大西洋水影响较弱的年份,以低温低盐高营养盐的本地变异水为主导。2010年7月王湾水体可以划分为4个水团,表层水(SW)、中层变异水(TIW)、本地变异水(TLW)和大西洋变异水(TAW),其中,表层水与中层变异水营养盐浓度较低,随着深度增加,本地变异水与大西洋变异水营养盐浓度都较高。大西洋变异水主要影响200m以深水柱,其营养盐浓度低于本地变异水影响的底部值,本地变异水中营养盐浓度的增加主要来自于颗粒物中营养盐的再生。表层水主要来源于地表径流与冰川融水,这些淡水输入与浮游植物的初级生产作用共同决定了表层水的营养盐浓度水平及结构。本地变异水中在水深100m上下出现的铵盐高值可能与浮游动物和/或微生物的代谢过程有关。     

白令海Navarinsky海底峡谷地震剖面解译

第五次北极科学考察在北极区的白令海首次进行了高分辨率单道地震作业。Navarinsky峡谷头部测线BL11-12剖面中部识别出不对称沙波,陡的一面朝向陆架,波高约为9m、波长约为882m。结合站位U1345的沉积速率及站位U1344表层纵波速率推测沙波沉积可以追溯到中更新世(距今约0.258Ma),同时近陆架的洼地逐渐填平。将地层分为3个沉积层,分析沉积物变化情况,结合0.25Ma以来白令海海平面变化历史,推测最大海退事件对应的界面。结合沙波的地理位置及海平面变化情况,认为内波对沙波的形成起主要作用。