Hydrocarbon degraders from tropical marine environments

Analysis of 20 samples of marine mud and water around Mumbai resulted in the isolation of 17 bacteria and yeasts all of which were able to degrade more than 10% of the supplied crude oil. The yeasts strains were important degraders of the aliphatic fraction of crude. All the isolated yeasts belonged to the genus Candida. Using biochemical tests these were identified as Candida parapsilosis, C. albicans, C. guilliermondii, Yarrowia lipolytica, C. tropicalis and C. intermedia. Y. lipolytica was the best degrader utilizing 78% of the aliphatic fraction of Bombay High crude oil. None of these isolates degraded the aromatic or ashphaltene fractions. All the isolates required aeration, nitrogen and phosphate supplementation for optimal degradation. Four out of the six yeasts are human pathogens.     

Wavelet filter analysis of atmospheric pressure effects in the long-period seismic mode band

The importance of the reduction of atmospheric pressure effects becomes very clear when investigating seismic normal-mode spectra below 1.5 mHz. The usual simple correction method consists in subtracting a term converted from local atmospheric pressure (pressure multiplied by a frequency-independent admittance) from the gravity record in time domain. Thus, estimating an efficient admittance is the key for an improved correction. Band-pass filters derived from dyadic orthogonal wavelet transform, having narrow pass-bands with good frequency response but without Gibbs phenomenon and causing no phase lag, are very helpful to estimate an efficient admittance, which is both time and frequency-dependent. Processing of high quality superconducting gravimeter (SG) records for the great Sumatra earthquake (Mw = 9.3, Dec 26, 2004) with wavelet filters reveal the three very well resolved splitting singlets of overtone ₂S₁ with a single gravity record after correction with time-dependent and frequency-dependent admittances. We also observe all coupled toroidal modes below 1.5 mHz, except ₀T₅, ₀T₇ and ₁T₁, with good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); moreover, toroidal modes ₁T₂ and ₁T₃ are for the first time unambiguously revealed in vertical components.     

THE ANALYSIS OF TROPICAL CYCLONE PRECIPITATION AFFECTING THE LIAODONG PENINSULA

1 INTRODUCTIONTropical cyclones (TCs) moving north and gettingto the Liaodong Peninsula and waters of the Yellowand Bohai Seas are in their late phase of life cycle.While weakening rapidly, TCs carry a large amount ofwarm and humid air that forms heavy ra…     

Wavelet filter analysis of splitting and coupling of seismic normal modes below 1.5 mHz with superconducting gravimeter records after the December 26, 2004 Sumatra earthquake

New generation superconducting gravimeters (SGs), which have been demonstrated to be better than the best seismometers STS-1 at frequencies below 1 mHz, can be accepted as the quietest vertical seismometers for observation of long-period earth free oscillations. Wavelet filtering with narrow band-pass frequency response as shown in this paper is very helpful in removing at- mospheric pressure effects from on gravity records in long-period seismic mode frequency bands. The processing of high quality SG records after the great Sumatra earthquake (Dec. 26, 2004) with wavelet filtering leads to clear observations of all coupled toroidal modes below 1.5 mHz except these for 0T5, 0T7 and 1T1; moreover 1T2 and 1T3 are, for the first time, unambiguously revealed in the vertical components of the free oscillations. The three well-resolved splitting singlets of overtones 2S1 are observed from a single SG record for the first time.     

The relationships between tropical Atlantic sea level variability and major climate indices

Relationships were examined between variability in tropical Atlantic sea level and major climate indices with the use of TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter and island tide gauge data with the aim of learning more about the external influences on the variability of the tropical Atlantic ocean. Possible important connections were found between indices related to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the sea levels in all three tropical regions (north, equatorial, and south), although the existence of only one major ENSO event within the decade of available altimetry means that a more complete investigation of the ENSO-dependence of Atlantic sea level changes has to await for the compilation of longer data sets. An additional link was found with the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) in the equatorial region, this perhaps surprising observation is probably an artifact of the similarity between IOD and ENSO time series in the 1990s. No evidence was obtained for significant correlations between tropical Atlantic sea level and North Atlantic Oscillation or Antarctic Oscillation Index. The most intriguing relationship observed was between the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation and sea level in a band centered approximately on 10°S. A plausible explanation for the relationship is lacking, but possibilities for further research are suggested.     

Modeling studies of the upper ocean response to a tropical cyclone

A coupled ocean and boundary layer flux numerical modeling system is used to study the upper ocean response to surface heat and momentum fluxes associated with a major hurricane, namely, Hurricane Dennis (July 2005) in the Gulf of Mexico. A suite of experiments is run using this modeling system, constructed by coupling a Navy Coastal Ocean Model simulation of the Gulf of Mexico to an atmospheric flux model. The modeling system is forced by wind fields produced from satellite scatterometer and atmospheric model wind data, and by numerical weather prediction air temperature data. The experiments are initialized from a data assimilative hindcast model run and then forced by surface fluxes with no assimilation for the time during which Hurricane Dennis impacted the region. Four experiments are run to aid in the analysis: one is forced by heat and momentum fluxes, one by only momentum fluxes, one by only heat fluxes, and one with no surface forcing. An equation describing the change in the upper ocean hurricane heat potential due to the storm is developed. Analysis of the model results show that surface heat fluxes are primarily responsible for widespread reduction (0.5°–1.5°C) of sea surface temperature over the inner West Florida Shelf 100–300 km away from the storm center. Momentum fluxes are responsible for stronger surface cooling (2°C) near the center of the storm. The upper ocean heat loss near the storm center of more than 200 MJ/m² is primarily due to the vertical flux of thermal energy between the surface layer and deep ocean. Heat loss to the atmosphere during the storm’s passage is approximately 100–150 MJ/m². The upper ocean cooling is enhanced where the preexisting mixed layer is shallow, e.g., within a cyclonic circulation feature, although the heat flux to the atmosphere in these locations is markedly reduced.     

大气季节内振荡的数值模拟 II. 全球变暖的影响

利用中国科学院大气物理研究所大气科学和地球流体力学数值模拟国家重点实验室（LASG）发展的耦合气候模式FGOALS1.0_g控制试验、二氧化碳（CO2）浓度加倍试验模拟结果及实测结果（NCEP/NCAR逐日再分析资料）研究了全球变暖对大气季节内振荡（ISO）特征变化的影响。通过对比分析控制试验、二氧化碳浓度加倍试验模拟结果及观测结果发现:（1）FGOALS1.0_g耦合气候模式具有一定的模拟季节内振荡的能力，主要表现为模式能够模拟出ISO活跃区的位置、中心位置的季节变动以及强度的季节变化，其缺陷是模拟的ISO强度偏弱，模拟的ISO周期不显著且偏高频；（2）实测资料诊断分析得到的近六十年来偏暖阶段ISO活跃区强度增强及范围扩大可能不是人类活动影响使温室气体增加所导致的，它可能是大气ISO本身的年代际尺度变化；（3）近六十年来纬向东传波（西传波）的能量的存在增长（减少）趋势的主要原因可能是人类活动影响引起温室气体增加所导致的；（4）由于FGOALS1.0_g耦合气候模式在模拟ISO主周期及强度方面时存在不足，因此实测结果诊断分析得到的偏暖阶段ISO小波能量强，主周期范围大，偏冷阶段反之的结论用FGOALS1.0_g耦合气候模式尚难以证实。     

Tropical Deforestation and Climate Change: What Does the Record Reveal?

Tropical deforestation is widely believed to directly influence the climate at a number of scales. Yet while much has been written about the tropical forest-climate relationship, there is little empirical evidence showing if and how local and regional climates are modified by deforestation. This study presents the results of an analysis of deforestation and climate change in a rain forest in southern Mexico. Records from 18 climate stations in the Selva Lacandona of Chiapas, Mexico were examined and related to an analysis of deforestation based on Landsat images. The area surrounding some stations has been deforested since the stations were established, while the area surroundings others has remained forested. Strong climatic trends were generally evident at the deforested stations, including decreases in the average daily maximum temperature and temperature range. No precipitation changes were observed. A comparison of the results with microclimatic experiments and modeling studies suggests that the climatic impacts of deforestation are overgeneralized at the local scale. Landscape heterogeneity appears to influence the biophysical mechanisms linking tropical forests and climate, and should be explicitly represented in modeling studies.     

A Ca ii H&K survey of γ Doradus candidates

In an investigation of the starspot hypothesis as it applies to the 'slowly variable' F-type dwarfs, we spectroscopically observed eight promising γ Doradus candidates to search for Ca  ii H&K emission. We found that there are no significant emission reversals in the cores of these resonance lines. Based on the ceiling flux calculations of the Ca  ii K line and on calculations of the Rossby number, we conclude that there is no support for the presence of strong magnetic activity and the starspot hypothesis in these objects.     

On the properties of strange modes

Properties of the so-called strange modes occurring in linear stability calculations of stellar models are discussed. The behaviour of these modes is compared for two different sets of stellar models, for very massive zero-age main-sequence stars and for luminous hydrogen-deficient stars, both with high luminosity-to-mass ratios. We have found that the peculiar behaviour of the frequencies of the strange modes with the change of a control parameter is caused by the pulsation amplitude of a particular eigenmode being strongly confined to the outer part of the envelope, around the density inversion zone. The frequency of a strange mode changes because the depth of the confinement zone changes with the control parameter. Weakly non-adiabatic strange modes tend to be overstable because the amplitude confinement quenches the effect of radiative damping. On the other hand, extremely non-adiabatic strange modes become overstable because the perturbation of radiation force (gradient of radiation pressure) provides a restoring force that can be out of phase with the density perturbation. We discuss this mechanism by using a plane-parallel two-zone model.