Nutrient concentrations and primary productivity at the Peros Banhos and Salomon atolls in the Chagos Archipelago

Coral atolls are areas of high biological productivity even though they are usually located in regions of the tropical ocean characterized by low primary production and extremely low levels of vital dissolved nutrient materials. Recent studies have indicated the possible importance of in situ dinitrogen fixation on shallow reef flats in supplementing low oceanic nitrate levels and thus contributing to the maintenance of high reef productivity. Variations in the structure of atolls may have a direct bearing on the accumulation of fixed nitrogen and other nutrient materials, and consequently on lagoonal and reefal primary productivity. This paper investigates the effect of differing atoll configurations by comparing neighbouring, but structurally dissimilar, mid-ocean atolls. The findings are discussed in terms of ecosystem function and possible influences on the structural evolution of atolls.     

Flounders follow the tides to feed: Evidence from ultrasonic tracking in an estuary

Ultrasonically tagged flounders were tracked in the estuary of the River Bann, Northern Ireland, for periods of between 2 and 12 h (11 fish for a total of 92 h and 2·5 km), during their summer residence. Positions were determined by triangulation with two receivers.All fish remained within 400 m of the release point; on average flounders moved about 270 m during one tidal cycle, equivalent to 830 body lengths, or just over 1 body length per minute. Movements were most likely at dusk, but other parameters were not contingent upon time of day, although no data were gathered at dawn. Frequency, direction, distance, speed and duration of movement and turn rate were all significantly contingent upon state of the tide. The movement data are interpreted in terms of feeding behaviour, supported by results from other parts of the study. At high tide flounders made active but meandering searches for food on the inundated mudflats. Similar but faster searches heading downstream on falling tides reflected (a) completion of feeding while littoral invertebrates were still available and (b) avoidance of stranding. Flounders made infrequent but long and linear passages downstream at low tide, when they tended to bury themselves at the edge of the main channel where there was little food. Subsequently, the fish followed the rising tide upstream so that the cycle of movements kept most fish in the same area of the estuary in the short term. It is suggested that tolerance of changing salinities enables flounders, more than other flatfish species, to exploit dense populations of estuarine intertidal invertebrates as food.     

The extent of desertification on Saudi Arabia

Desertification is the process that turns productive deserts into non-productive deserts as a result of poor land-management. Desertification reduces the ability of land to support life, affecting wild species, domestic animals, agricultural crops and humans. The reduction in plant cover that accompanies desertification leads to accelerated soil erosion by wind and water. South Africa is losing approximately 300–400 million tons of topsoil every year. As vegetation cover and soil layer are reduced, rain fall impact and run-off increases. This paper discusses the extent of desertification, its potential threat to sustained irrigated agriculture and possible measures adopted to control ongoing desertification processes to minimize the loss of agricultural productivity in an arid country such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.     

Electrical resistivity surveys to delineate groundwater potential aquifers in Peddavanka watershed,Anantapur District,Andhra Pradesh,India

Vertical electrical resistivity soundings were conducted in order to delineate groundwater potential aquifers in Peddavanka watershed, which is a catchment of about 398 km² in Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh, India. The main lithologic units in the watershed are quartzite, limestone, shale, and alluvium. Ninety-nine vertical electrical soundings were conducted using the Schlumberger configuration, covering the entire watershed. The data were interpreted with the help of master curves and auxiliary point charts. Interpretations of VES were used to generate a top layer apparent resistivity contour map and longitudinal conductance map. Isoresistivity contour maps were prepared and interpreted in terms of resistivity and thickness of various sub-surface layers using computer software (SURFER), and isocontour diagrams depicting the depth to bedrock were prepared. Resistivity results were correlated with the existing lithology. Based on the depth to bedrock, the thickness of the saturated layer and the resistivity of the second layer, a groundwater potential map has been prepared, in which good, moderate, and poor zones are classified. The study reveals that the weathered and fractured portions in shale and limestone that occur in the southernmost and central portions of the watershed area constitute the productive water-bearing zones categorized as good groundwater potential aquifers.     

黑龙江省三江平原地下水资源潜力与生态环境地质研究综述

黑龙江省三江平原地下水资源潜力与生态环境地质调查评价项目,是首批国土资源大调查项目之一。此项目已经完成,在水工环境方面取得了重要的成绩。本文对三江平原地下水资源潜力与生态环境地质进行了综合研究;提出了本次研究的目的任务及预期目标;对以往工作进行了评述;阐释了研究思路及主要研究方法;系统地总结了本次工作的成果;最后提出了下一步工作建议。     

Comparison of the acid-base responses to CO2 and acidification in Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

To investigate whether the biological toxicity of aquatic hypercapnia is due to the direct effects of CO2 or to the effects of acidification of seawater by CO2, the Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) was subjected to seawater equilibrated with a gas mixture of air containing 5% CO2 (pH 6.18) or seawater acidified to the same pH with 1 N H2SO4. All the fish died within 72 h in the CO2 exposure group, whereas no mortality occurred in the acid group. Acid-base parameters as well as plasma ion concentrations were severely perturbed in the CO2 exposure group, whereas they were minimally affected in the acid group. These results clearly demonstrate that the mortality in the CO2 group is a direct result of the elevated levels of dissolved CO2 and not to the effects of the reduced water pH.     

南海北部一百万年以来的表层古生产力变化：来自ODP1144站的蛋白石记录

通过南海北部ODP 1144站蛋白石含量测定及其堆积速率的计算,并结合氧同位素记录等相关资料,获得南海北部1050ka以来高分辨率的表层古生产力变化与冰期旋回和东亚季风的关系。约900ka以来,蛋白石含量及其堆积速率较900ka以前明显增加,反映了“中更新世革命”事件之后,全球气候变冷,并导致表层生产力的提高。由于第四纪冰期旋回中的冬、夏季风的加强,加上1144站特殊的地理位置,使该站在冰期时表层生产力增加,间冰期时表层生产力降低。浮游有孔虫氧同位素记录与蛋白石含量及其堆积速率的时间序列频谱分析结果显示,三者均出现了相对应的偏心率周期、斜率周期和岁差周期,说明该站表层生产力的变化主要受地球轨道周期的驱动。     

新疆尉犁县双峰岭金矿床特征及资源潜力分析

双峰岭金矿床处于塔里木板块东北缘的库鲁克塔格陆缘地块,北邻艾尔宾晚古生代残余盆地,南为塔里木中央地块;金矿体严格受地层岩性、韧性剪切带、脉岩三重控制.矿石类型有石英脉型和石英脉蚀变岩复合型;蚀变主要有绿泥石化、褐铁矿化、黄钾铁矾化、绢云母化、碳化和碳酸盐化、硅化等.金矿成矿物质主要来自变质热液,由于矿体受断裂构造控制,...     

潜在连接点集下拓扑推进三维建模算法研究

通过三维激光扫描仪可以获取到表示空间对象的点云数据。通过设置仪器的采样间隔可以获取到表示对象不同精密程度的点集。但是由于离散点之间缺乏相应的拓扑关系,限制了以点为基本图元的模型的应用。以空间离散特征点集为研究对象,研究了一种三维建模算法。算法基于距离较近的点之间比距离较远的点之间存在拓扑连接的可能性更大的前提,对点集进行预处理,然后在此基础上进行快速建模,最终获取到以三角形为基本面片的格网模型。所建立的模型易于进行各项空间分析和操作。该算法也能够有效地应用于更为复杂的建模任务中,以达到一体化建模的目的。