Climatic significance of δ18O records from an 80.36 m ice core in the East Rongbuk Glacier, Mount Qomolangma (Everest)

The δ18O variations in an 80.36 m ice core retrieved in the accumulation zone of the East Rongbuk Glacier, Mount Qomolangma (Everest), is not consistent with changes of air temperature from both southern and northern slopes of Himalayas, as well as these of the temperature anomalies over the Northern Hemisphere. The negative relationship between the δ18O and the net accumulation records of the ice core suggests the "amount effect" of summer precipitation on the δ18O values in the region. Therefore, the δ18O records of the East Rongbuk ice core should be a proxy of Indian Summer Monsoon intensity, which shows lower δ18O values during strong monsoon phases and higher values during weak phases.     

A study of the chemistry of pore fluids and authigenic carbonates in methane seep environments: Kodiak Trench, Hydrate Ridge, Monterey Bay, and Eel River Basin

Analyses of the chemical and isotopic composition of carbonates rocks recovered from methane seepage areas of the Kodiak Trench, Hydrate Ridge, Monterey Bay Clam Flats, and the Eel River Basin, coupled with the studies of the chemistry of the pore fluids, have shown that these carbonates have grown within the sediment column. Geochemical profiles of pore fluids show that, in deep water seeps (Kodiak Trench—4450 m; Monterey Bay—1000 m; Hydrate Ridge—650 m), δ¹³C (DIC) values are low (isotopically light), whereas in the Eel River area ( 350–500 m), δ¹³C (DIC) values are much higher (isotopically heavier). In all cases, the δ¹³C values indicate that processes of methane oxidation, associated with sulfate reduction, are dominant in the shallow sediments. Data on the isotopic composition of authigenic carbonates found at sites in Kodiak Trench, Eel River Basin South, and Eel River Basin North indicate a variable composition and origin in different geochemical environments. Some of the authigenic carbonates from the study sites show a trend in their δ¹³C values similar to those of the pore fluids obtained in their vicinity, suggesting formation at relatively shallow depths, but others indicate formation at greater sediment depths. The latter usually consist of high magnesium calcite or dolomite, which, from their high values of δ¹³C (up to 23‰;) and δ¹⁸O (up to 7.5‰), suggest formation in the deeper horizons of the sediments, in the zone of methanogenesis. These observations are in agreement with observations by other workers at Hydrate Ridge, in Monterey Bay, and in the Eel River Basin.     

冰芯中所记录的气候异常与ENSO事件

通过对３００ＢＰ以来记录于中国古里雅冰芯中的降水和δ１８Ｏ等环境气候信息记录及ＥＮ－ＳＯ事件的分析,发现ＥＮＳＯ的发生与古里雅降水异常显著相关。在厄尔尼诺年,古里雅冰芯中的降水与δ１８Ｏ均负异常,即ＥＮＳＯ与古里雅的降水偏少,温度偏低相联系。     

Sampling soil water along the pF curve for δ2H and δ18O analysis

Soil water stable isotopes are widely used across disciplines (e.g., hydrology, ecology, soil science, and biogeochemistry). However, the full potential of stables isotopes as a tool for characterizing the origin, flow path, transport processes and residence times of water in different eco-, hydro-, and geological compartments has not yet been exploited. This is mainly due to the large variety of different methods for pore water extraction. While recent work has shown that matric potential affects the equilibrium fractionation, little work has examined how different water retention characteristics might affect the sampled water isotopic composition. Here, we present a simple laboratory experiment with two well-studied standard soils differing in their physico-chemical properties (e.g., clayey loam and silty sand). Samples were sieved, oven-dried and spiked with water of known isotopic composition to full saturation. For investigating the effect of water retention characteristics on the extracted water isotopic composition, we used pressure extractors to sample isotopically labelled soil water along the pF curve. After pressure extraction, we further extracted the soil samples via cryogenic vacuum extraction. The null hypothesis guiding our work was that water held at different tensions shows the same isotopic composition. Our results showed that the sampled soil water differed isotopically from the introduced isotopic label over time and sequentially along the pF curve. Our and previous studies suggest caution in interpreting isotope results of extracted soil water and a need to better characterize processes that govern isotope fractionation with respect to soil water retention characteristics. In the future, knowledge about soil water retention characteristics with respect to soil water isotopic composition could be applied to predict soil water fractionation effects under natural and non-stationary conditions. In this regard, isotope retention characteristics as an analog to water retention characteristics have been proposed as a way forward since matric potential affects the equilibrium fractionation between the bound water and the water vapour.     

Spatial variation of abundant picoeukaryotes in the subtropical Kuroshio Current in winter

To understand the importance of picoeukaryotes in the biogeochemical cycle in the subtropical Kuroshio Current, a year-round survey of the hydrography and the distribution of picoeukaryotes were conducted in four oceanographic cruises from October 2012 to July 2013. In comparison with other seasons, the highest abundancy of photosynthetic picoeukaryotes, with concentrations >10⁴ cells/ml, was observed around the eastern boundary of the Kuroshio in the winter. Accordingly, the composition of picoeukaryotes in this cold season was further studied by a metabarcoding analysis of the 18S rRNA gene. The majority of picoeukaryotes comprised Alveolata, followed by Haptophyta and Stramenopiles. Their composition was diverse in the waters affected by the Kuroshio and in the offshore province. For Haptophyta, in contrast to clade A prevailing in the Kuroshio waters, clade B1, which was considered the host of uncultivated diazotrophic cyanobacterium group A (UCYN-A), appeared only in the offshore area. Similarly, in Stramenopiles, Pseudo-nitzschia spp. and MAST-1D, respectively, dominated in the Kuroshio-influenced and offshore areas. While Alveolata was the most abundant group, the distributions of all lineages were similar. The association between picoeukaryote succession and hydrographic change is yet to be fully understood. Our results will assist future studies on the community composition of picoplankton and their relationship with marine ecology in the region.     

Relationship of Mn-carbonates in varved lake-sediments to catchment vegetation in Big Watab Lake, MN, USA

Mn-carbonates are documented in the late-glacial varved sediments from Big Watab Lake, Minnesota, USA. The Mn-carbonate is authigenic and forms rims around contemporaneous epilimnetic calcite. Although such carbonates are found in minor amounts throughout the entire late-glacial sequence, significant quantities of Mn-carbonate are associated mainly with laminated intervals.Because of the suspected difference in isotopic fractionation between different carbonate minerals, the stable-isotopic compositions of bulk carbonate samples are used as a proxy for relative amounts of the Mn-carbonate in the sediment. High ¹⁸O and low ¹³C values are associated with abundant Mn-carbonates. Low ¹⁸O and high ¹³C values are associated with only minor concentrations of Mn-carbonates.The oxygen-18 record is correlated with fluctuations in the vegetation assemblage based on pollen spectra using a multiple regression model with backward elimination. The proposed link between the sedimentary archive and local vegetation is the mediation of advective mixing in the lake by forest composition. In this model, periods of forest closure resulted in a well-stratified water column that was anoxic at the sediment/water interface, permitting the formation of authigenic Mn-carbonates. Openings of Artemisia in the forest allowed wind shear to mix oxygen to depth, causing bioturbation of the laminations and preventing the formation of Mn-carbonate.     

内陆河流域系统降水中的稳定同位素——乌鲁木齐河流域降水中δ18O与温度关系研究

研究了乌鲁木齐河流域从下游乌鲁木齐站、中游跃进桥站和源头大西沟站降水中稳定同位素 与温度的关系,揭示了内陆河流域系统降水中稳定同位素的变化规律．在乌鲁木齐河流域,降水中 的δ18O随海拔增高而减小,δ18O与温度有密切的正相关关系,说明δ18O是温度的可靠指标．在乌鲁 木齐河流域,局地性降水的增加影响单个降水事件中δ18O与温度的关系．在跃进桥站和大西沟站, 因局地性降水增加,所以单个降水事件中δ18O与温度的关系较乌鲁木齐站差．但在月平均以上时间 尺度上．跃进桥站和大西沟站δ18O与温度的关系反比乌鲁木齐站好．说明越往冰川区．δ18O对温度 反映越敏感．     

PERSISTENCES IN THE δ~(13)C AND δ~(18)O FROM TS95, A LAKE CORE AT THE SOUTH FRANK OF WEST KUNLUN MOUNTAIN

PERSISTENCES IN THE δ~(13)C AND δ~(18)O FROM TS95, A LAKE CORE AT THE SOUTH FRANK OF WEST KUNLUN MOUNTAIN     

Primers to block the amplification of symbiotic apostome ciliate 18S rRNA gene in a PCR-based copepod diet study

Pelagic copepods play an important role in the marine food web. However, a full understanding of the ecological status of this zooplankton group depends on the careful study of their natural diets. In previous PCR-based copepod diet studies, we found many apostome ciliates that live symbiotically under the exoskeleton of the copepods, and their sequences were often over-represented in the 18S rRNA gene （18S rDNA） libraries. As a first step to address this issue, we designed three apostome ciliate 18S rDNA blocking primers, and tested their blocking efficiency against apostome ciliate 18S rDNA under various PCR conditions. Using a semi-quantitative PCR method, we optimized the conditions to efficiently amplify the 18S rDNA of the prey while simultaneously excluding the symbiotic apostome ciliates. This technique will facilitate PCR-based diet studies of copepods and other zooplankton in their natural environments.     

Depth matters: Microbial eukaryote diversity and community structure in the eastern North Pacific revealed through environmental gene libraries

Protistan community structure was examined from 6 depths (1.5, 20, 42, 150, 500, 880 m) at a coastal ocean site in the San Pedro Channel, California. A total of 856 partial length 18S rDNA protistan sequences from the six clone libraries were analyzed to characterize diversity present at each depth. The sequences were grouped into a total of 259 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) that were inferred using an automated OTU calling program that formed OTUs with approximately species-level distinction (95% sequence similarity). Most OTUs (194 out of 259) were observed at only one specific depth, and only two were present in clone libraries from all depths. OTUs were obtained from 21 major protistan taxonomic groups determined by their closest BLAST matches to identified protists in the NCBI database. Approximately 74% of the detected OTUs belonged to the Chromalveolates, with Group II alveolates making up the largest single group. Protistan assemblages at euphotic depths (1.5, 20 and 42 m) were characterized by the presence of clades that contained phototrophic species (stramenopiles, chlorophytes and haptophytes) as well as consumers (especially ciliates). Assemblages in the lower water column (150, 500 and 800 m) were distinct from communities at shallow depths because of strong contributions from taxa belonging to euglenozoans, acantharians, polycystines and Taxopodida (Sticholonche spp. and close relatives). Species richness (Chao I estimate) and diversity (Shannon index) were highest within the euphotic zone and at 150 m, and lowest for protistan assemblages located in the oxygen minimum zone (500 and 880 m). Multivariate analyses (Bray-Curtis coefficient) confirmed that protistan assemblage composition differed significantly when samples were grouped into shallow (≤150 m) and deep water assemblages (≥150 m).