The inhibition of marine nitrification by ocean disposal of carbon dioxide

In an attempt to reduce the threat of global warming, it has been proposed that the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations be reduced by the ocean disposal of CO2 from the flue gases of fossil fuel-fired power plants. The release of large amounts of CO2 into mid or deep ocean waters will result in large plumes of acidified seawater with pH values ranging from 6 to 8. In an effort to determine whether these CO2-induced pH changes have any effect on marine nitrification processes, surficial (euphotic zone) and deep (aphotic zone) seawater samples were sparged with CO2 for varying time durations to achieve a specified pH reduction, and the rate of microbial ammonia oxidation was measured spectrophotometrically as a function of pH using an inhibitor technique. For both seawater samples taken from either the euphotic or aphotic zone, the nitrification rates dropped drastically with decreasing pH. Relative to nitrification rates in the original seawater at pH 8, nitrification rates were reduced by ca. 50% at pH 7 and more than 90% at pH 6.5. Nitrification was essentially completely inhibited at pH 6. These findings suggest that the disposal of CO2 into mid or deep oceans will most likely result in a drastic reduction of ammonia oxidation rates within the pH plume and the concomitant accumulation of ammonia instead of nitrate. It is unlikely that ammonia will reach the high concentration levels at which marine aquatic organisms are known to be negatively affected. However, if the ammonia-rich seawater from inside the pH plume is upwelled into the euphotic zone, it is likely that changes in phytoplankton abundance and community structure will occur. Finally, the large-scale inhibition of nitrification and the subsequent reduction of nitrite and nitrate concentrations could also result in a decrease of denitrification rates which, in turn, could lead to the buildup of nitrogen and unpredictable eutrophication phenomena. Clearly, more research on the environmental effects of ocean disposal of CO2 is needed to determine whether the potential costs related to marine ecosystem disturbance and disruption can be justified in terms of the perceived benefits that may be achieved by temporarily delaying global warming.     

Estimation of Scalar Source/Sink Distributions in Plant Canopies Using Lagrangian Dispersion Analysis: Corrections for Atmospheric Stability and Comparison with a Multilayer Canopy Model

Source/sink distributions of heat, water vapour andCO₂ within a rice canopy were inferred using aninverse Lagrangian dispersion analysis and measuredmean profiles of temperature, specific humidity andCO₂ mixing ratio. Monin–Obukhov similarity theorywas used to account for the effects of atmosphericstability on _w(z), the standard deviation ofvertical velocity and _L(z), the Lagrangian timescale of the turbulence. Classical surface layer scaling was applied in the inertial sublayer (z > z_ruf)using the similarity parameter = (z - d)/L, where z is height above ground, d is the zero plane displacementheight for momentum, L is the Obukhov length,and z_ruf 2.3h_c, where h_c iscanopy height. A single length scale h_c, was usedfor the stability parameter 3 = h_c/L in the height range 0.25 < z/h_c < 2.5. This choice is justified by mixing layer theory, which shows that within the roughness sublayer there is one dominant turbulence length scaledetermined by the degree of inflection in the windprofile at the canopy top. In the absence of theoretical or experimental evidence for guidance,standard Monin–Obukhov similarity functions, with = h_c/L, were used to calculate the stabilitydependence of _w(z) and _L(z) in the roughness sublayer. For z/h_c < 0.25 the turbulence length and time scales are influenced by the presence of the lowersurface, and stability effects are minimal. With theseassumptions there was excellent agreement between eddycovariance flux measurements and deductions from theinverse Lagrangian analysis. Stability correctionswere particularly necessary for night time fluxes whenthe atmosphere was stably stratified.The inverse Lagrangian analysis provides a useful toolfor testing and refining multilayer canopy models usedto predict radiation absorption, energy partitioningand CO₂ exchanges within the canopy and at thesoil surface. Comparison of model predictions withsource strengths deduced from the inverse analysisgave good results. Observed discrepancies may be dueto incorrect specification of the turbulent timescales and vertical velocity fluctuations close to theground. Further investigation of turbulencecharacteristics within plant canopies is required toresolve these issues.     

温室气体源汇及其对气候影响的研究现状

温室气体对全球气候变化将产生深远的影响。本文拟从温室气体源汇研究以及温室气体对气候环境的影响等方面论述温室气体研究进展。尽管目前国内外对主要的温室气体源与汇研究报道很多,但不同的研究结果不尽一致,有些研究间甚至出现相反的结论。温室气体增加对气候的影响及其检测,主要是利用不同复杂程度的数值模式进行研究。     

海进体系域碳氧同位素地球化学响应——以黔西南地区三叠系为例

层序地层研究表明，位于扬子地块西南缘的黔西南地区在中三叠世末期（相当于Ladinian-Carnian期）出现了一次与全球同步的大规模海侵，形成了一个向上变深的碳酸盐岩台地淹没沉积层序。垄头组顶部和竹竿坡组分别是海进体系域（TST）的下、上部分。碳、氧同位素研究表明，垄头组顶部自下而上δ（^18O）持续增大，而δ（^13 C）先逐渐增大，后在顶部界面附近快速下降，反映了垄头组顶部在暴露环境下氧化作用的结果。竹竿坡组δ（^13 C）自下而上逐渐增大，δ（^13 C）总体呈现逐渐减小趋势，反映了海平面变化特征。研究认为，海进体系域的δ（^13 C）和δ（^18 O）演化不但反映了海平面和沉积环境变化，同时对密集段（CS）、层序界面和古暴露面等也有很好的识别作用，在层序地层研究中具有重要的意义。     

Episodes of late Holocene aridity recorded by stalagmites from Devil's Icebox Cave, central Missouri, USA

Two stalagmites from Devil's Icebox Cave, central Missouri, display similar δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values and trends during the late Holocene. Positive δ¹³C excursions at 3.5-2.6 ka and 1.2-0.9 ka are interpreted to reflect drier conditions. These elevated stalagmite δ¹³C values could have plausibly been driven by increasing C₄ plant abundances over the cave or an increased contribution of bedrock carbon, both of which could reflect decreased effective moisture. A lack of corresponding oxygen isotopic anomalies during these intervals suggests that neither mean annual temperature nor the seasonality of precipitation changed concomitantly with dryness. Both of the δ¹³C excursions identified in our stalagmite record are roughly coincident with dry intervals from a number of sites located across the Great Plains.     

交会图和Carbon软件在火山碎屑岩识别中的应用

针对火山岩储层的特殊性(复杂性、离散性和随机性),应用交会图及Carbon软件对火山岩测井解释中岩性识别问题进行了研究。该方法的技术关键是交会图的选取,以交会图和Carbon软件为基础实现对岩性的识别。将研究方法应用在海拉尔地区火山碎屑岩岩性识别问题中,取得了很好的效果,岩性解释符合率80%。     

Tilt corrections over complex terrain and their implication for CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> transport

Observational data from sonic anemometers are commonly rotated from sonic to streamline coordinates, a procedure that is called tilt correction. Tilt corrections are often used to post-process air velocity data collected from sonic anemometers to allow objective interpretation of air flow data relative to the Earth. Since streamline coordinates depend on dynamical characteristics of the flow, the tilt correction depends not only on temporal and spatial variations of the flow, but also on local circulations. We found that ensemble- averaged slope flows are approximately parallel to the terrain slope close to the ground within the canopy layer, but not above, due to the influence of the diurnal variation of local vertical circulations. As a result, the diurnal variation of the observed vertical velocity in streamline coordinates at 21.5 m above the ground over 11-m tall forest canopies can be opposite to that calculated from the continuity equation. To estimate CO₂ transport over sloping terrain, a workable reference coordinate system is needed such that multiple sonic anemometers have a common reference relative to the Earth. Streamline coordinate systems can be the choice of the common reference coordinate system only if flow, at least ensemble-averaged flow, is parallel to terrain slopes. The choice of the reference coordinate system and its implication in investigation of CO₂ transport are discussed. The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

岩溶发育对温室气体CO2的调节能力研究

温室效应是当今世界上许多国家及其政府关注的重要问题之一。从地质角度研究全球最大碳库－－碳酸盐岩在其岩溶发育过程中对温室气体ＣＯ２的调节能力,从而为更全面,定量地考察温室气体ＣＯ２循环提供新思路及依据。     

The ocean as source or sink of reactive trace-gases

Summary After a brief review on recent experimental work on the uptake resp release of SO₂ and NH₃ by the ocean, new results on the distribution of these reactive trace-gases in the marine atmosphere are presented. In the case of SO₂ there is no doubt that the ocean acts as a sink. In the case of NH₃ new observations and calculations show that under certain conditions the ocean may be a NH₃ source.     

Carbon isotopic fractionation by desorption of shale gases

Geochemical studies of shale gas and conventional reservoirs within the Triassic Yanchang Formation of Xiasiwan and Yongning Field, Ordos Basin show that methane is isotopically depleted in ¹³C as compared to δ¹³C₁ calculated by the Ro based on the relationship between δ¹³C₁ and Ro. Geochemical fractionation during the adsorption/desorption process of shale system may play a significant part in influencing δ¹³C₁ values of shale gas. Two shale core samples from confined coring of the Yanchang Formation were adopted segmented desorption experiments to examine this phenomenon. The results show that the δ¹³C₁ of desorbed gas changes little in the first few phases of the experiments at low desorption levels, but become less negative rapidly when the fraction of desorbed methane exceeds 85%. The desorption process for the last 15% fraction of the methane from the shale samples shows a wide variation in δ¹³C₁ from −49‰ to −33.9‰. Moreover, δ¹³C₁ of all desorbed methane from the shale samples is substantially depleted in ¹³C than that calculated by Ro, according to Stahl and Carey's δ¹³C₁–Ro equation for natural gas generated from sapropelic organic matter. This shows some gases with isotopically enriched in ¹³C cannot be desorbed under the temperature and pressure conditions of the desorption experiments. This observation may be the real reason for the δ¹³C₁ of shale gases and conventional reservoirs becomes more negative in Xiasiwan and Yongning Fields, Ordos Basin. The magnitude of the deviation between the δ¹³C₁ of shale gas and that calculated by Ro may be related to the adsorption capacity of shale or the proportion of absorbed gases. In this way, we may be able to evaluate the relative adsorption capacity of shale in geological conditions by δ¹³C₁ of the shale gas, or by δ¹³C₁ of conventional gas which generated by the shale with certainty. The δ¹³C₁ of conventional gas in Dingbian and Yingwang Fields have no deviation because the TOC value of the hydrocarbon source rock is relatively low.