Seasonal Variations of Water Properties and the Baroclinic Flow Pattern in Toyama Bay under the Influence of the Tsushima Warm Current

The seasonal variations of water properties and the baroclinic flow pattern in the upper layer of Toyama Bay, where the shelf breaks in the passway of the eastward coastal branch of the Tsushima Warm Current, have been examined using temperature and salinity data from 26 local stations collected in the 32 years from 1963 through 1994. The results show that the flow pattern around the bay, as inferred from the distributions of the geopotential anomaly at 300 dbar and saline core water, changes remarkably from summer to autumn. There are two obvious inflows into Toyama Bay in a year. One is the surface inflow of less saline water from east of the Noto Peninsula as the coastal-trapped density-driven flow of the coastal branch during the transition from May to July. In September, this inflow is abruptly weakened by a transient northwestward reversal flow in the intermediate layer around 100 m depth. This reversal flow is accompanied by the temporary shallowness of the pycnoclines inside the bay. At that time, another inflow with more saline water of the year occurs in the intermediate layer. From November until January, this reversal flow disappears and a southeastward passing through-flow gradually intensifies across the bay mouth, accompanied by deepening of the pycnoclines inside the bay. According to our interannual analysis over the 32-year study period, this reversal flow has been a stable seasonal phenomenon, except for only 4 years, in which a local warm region or warm eddy developed just north of the Noto Peninsula.     

中华绒螯蟹(Eriocheir sinensis)雄性生殖系统发育过程中生化成分的季节变化

采用生化方法测定了中华绒螯蟹雄性生殖系统及肝胰腺各组织中甘油三酯、胆固醇、蛋白质、葡萄糖和糖原含量的季节变化。结果表明，全年胆固醇含量在肝胰腺、血淋巴和精巢中均有2个高峰，分别在6月和12月、7月和12月、9月和次年1月，且第二峰值均明显高于第一峰值；肝胰腺葡萄糖含量最高值出现在6月，之后逐渐下降，而血淋巴和精巢则在7月，之后亦逐渐下降；肝胰腺和血淋巴出现糖原峰值的时间和葡萄糖相似，但精巢在9月，而副性腺在8月时已达到较高含量，最高值出现在次年1月；蛋白质的变化与上述3种物质基本相似，但血淋巴出现峰值的时间要早于肝胰腺。上述各生化成分变化的先后顺序和连续性表明，肝胰腺内上述物质在进入性腺快速发育期前，经血淋巴向精巢和副性腺转移，精巢对胆固醇和葡萄糖的积累要早于副性腺，这些物质的变化与生殖周期存在明显的相关性。肝胰腺中甘油三酯始终处于积累状态，而精巢和副性腺在前期对甘油三酯的积累极少，直至后期才略有上升，表明甘油三酯并非性腺发育所必需。     

长江口悬浮体粒度特征及其季节性差异

1998年11月和1999年5月长江口悬浮体样品的激光粒度仪分析结果表明，长江口悬浮体粒度较细，分选较差，偏态和峰态偏小，粒度组成以粉砂为主；粘土含量次之，基本不含砂或砂含量很小，由陆向海平均粒径有由粗到细的变化趋势。粒度分布呈典型的非正态分布，存在“双峰”和“三峰”两种形式，表层样品以“双峰”分布为主，底层“三峰”或“双峰”并存。标准偏差-粒度曲线上多峰出现，反映了长江口悬浮体组成的复杂性。长江口悬浮体粒度特征有较大的季节变化。悬浮体粒度变化的影响因素包括泥沙来源、底质再悬浮、生物作用和絮凝作用，粒度特征的季节差异是这些因素综合作用的结果。     

Seasonal and interannual variability of the air–sea CO2 flux in the Atlantic sector of the Barents Sea

The seasonal and interannual variability of the air–sea CO₂ flux (F) in the Atlantic sector of the Barents Sea have been investigated. Data for seawater fugacity of CO₂ (fCO₂^sw) acquired during five cruises in the region were used to identify and validate an empirical procedure to compute fCO₂^sw from phosphate (PO₄), seawater temperature (T), and salinity (S). This procedure was then applied to time series data of T, S, and PO₄ collected in the Barents Sea Opening during the period 1990–1999, and the resulting fCO₂^sw estimates were combined with data for the atmospheric mole fraction of CO₂, sea level pressure, and wind speed to evaluate F.The results show that the Atlantic sector of the Barents Sea is an annual sink of atmospheric CO₂. The monthly mean uptake increases nearly monotonically from 0.101 mol C m^− 2 in midwinter to 0.656 mol C m^− 2 in midfall before it gradually decreases to the winter value. Interannual variability in the monthly mean flux was evaluated for the winter, summer, and fall seasons and was found to be ± 0.071 mol C m^− 2 month^− 1. The variability is controlled mainly through combined variation of fCO₂^sw and wind speed. The annual mean uptake of atmospheric CO₂ in the region was estimated to 4.27 ± 0.68 mol C m^− 2.     

Estimation of seasonal changes in the flow of Shirase Glacier using JERS-1/SAR image correlation

This paper presents estimates of detailed seasonal variations in ice-flow velocity for Shirase Glacier calculated using data obtained by Japanese Earth Resources Satellite-1 (JERS-1) synthetic aperture radar (SAR). We used 12 pairs of images (44-day repeat cycle) over the interval from 30 April 1996 to 1 July 1998 to estimate ice-flow fields using an image correlation method. Geometric registration was performed with reference to the RADARSAT Antarctic Mapping Project (RAMP) image dataset. Error analysis based on feature mismatch indicated an absolute error of ±0.30 km/a and relative error of ±0.04 km/a in the estimated flow velocity. The obtained ice-flow velocity increases rapidly from the upstream region (1.18 km/a) to the grounding line, where it becomes stagnant (2.32 km/a), before accelerating gradually to 2.62–2.82 km/a in the downstream region and then increasing to 3.05–3.50 km/a at the terminus of the floating ice tongue. The ice-flow velocities in the downstream region are highly variable, depending on both the distance from the grounding line and the observed epoch (season). Most of the obtained seasonal variations in ice-flow velocity at the floating ice tongue are within the range of the associated error estimate, but the annual difference between 1997 (3.11 km/a) and 1998 (3.50 km/a) is significant, reflecting a possible acceleration in the ice-flow velocity in association with the disappearance of the floating ice tongue between April and May of 1998. In terms of the summer–winter difference in averaged air temperature, the large difference recorded in 1997 (17.0 °C) relative to 1996 (13.9 °C) corresponds to a reduced ice-flow velocity in 1997 (approximately 0.20 km/a) relative to that in 1996 (approximately 0.30 km/a), indicating interactions between air, sea ice, and glacier flow in Lützow-Holm Bay.     

Organic composition of atmospheric urban aerosol: Variations and sources of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The non-polar organic composition of airborne particulate matter was analysed over a two year period in an urban area under oceanic climate conditions (Errenteria, Basque Country, Spain). In addition, the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) among different aerosol particle sizes was determined. Clues as to the origin of various particle types were gained by using scanning electron microscopy to view the morphology of the particulates in each size fraction. Samples were collected on glass fibre filters and analysed by means of soxhlet extraction and gas chromatography (either with a flame ionization detector or coupled to a mass spectrometry). In general, total PAH levels were moderate (0.96–50 ng m^− 3) as compared to other studies conducted in Europe, and showed clear seasonal variation with maxima in winter and minima in summer. Vehicular traffic was identified as a major source of PAHs in the study area. Regarding particle size, a bimodal distribution was observed. The large sized particles exhibited an apparent seasonal variation with higher concentrations in winter than in summer. The dependences between particle size, PAH distribution and meteorological variables were studied with multivariate statistics. Three main sources of organic compounds were identified: combustion, vegetation, and atmospheric oxidation.     

Characterization of C2−C4 NMHCs distributions at a high altitude tropical site in India

Air samples were collected covering a full diurnal cycle during each month of the year 2002 at a mountaintop of Mt. Abu (24.6^∘ N, 72.7^∘ E, 1680 amsl). These samples were analyzed for C₂−C₄ NMHCs using a gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with flame ionization detector (FID). The seasonally averaged diurnal distributions of these NMHCs do not show significant variations in the summer season. While sharp peaks in the diurnal variation of some species during evening hours are additional features apart from higher levels in all NMHCs in the winter season. The seasonal variations in relatively long lived species (e.g. ethane, propane and acetylene) are observed to be more pronounced compared to those in reactive species (e.g. ethene, propene and butanes). The seasonal changes in transport patterns seem to be more dominant factor at this site for the observed variations in NMHCs than changes in OH radical concentration. The annual mean mixing ratios of ethane, ethene, propane, propene, i-butane, acetylene, and n-butane are 1.22 ± 0.58, 0.34 ± 0.24, 0.46 ± 0.20, 0.17 ± 0.14, 0.21 ± 0.18, 0.41 ± 0.43, and 0.31 ± 0.35 ppbv, respectively. Only few pairs of NMHCs are observed to show good correlations, mainly due to transport of air masses with different degree of photochemical processing. A comparison of this measurement with data reported for other remote sites of the globe indicates lower levels of light NMHCs in the tropical sites. The annual mean mixing ratios of various C₂−C₄ NMHCs at Mt. Abu are lower by factors ranging between 3 to 9 compared to a nearest urban site of Ahmedabad. The annual mean propylene (propene) equivalent concentrations of about 1.12 and 8.62 ppbC were calculated for Mt. Abu and Ahmedabad, respectively.     

新墨西哥州SOR中间层钠层结构的季节和夜间变化

利用1998年1月至2000年5月美国新墨西哥州Starfire Optic Range (SOR：35°N,106.5°W)钠风场、温度激光雷达共46个观测夜的数据，分析大气中间层钠层结构的季节变化特征. 结果表明，钠层丰度变化显示出很强的年振荡现象，其平均值为5.06×109cm-2，最大值出现在11月份，最小值出现在6月和7月份. 钠层均方根宽度的平均值为4.30km，中心高度的平均值为91.60km. 均方根宽度和中心高度变化显示出较明显的半年振荡特征. 年平均钠层夜间变化显示出潮汐的影响，丰度夜间变化在午夜前最小，日出前达到最大. 白天光离化作用和夜间复合过程，与潮汐动力学一起，导致钠层丰度发生较大的夜间变化.     

Summer and winter drought in a cold desert ecosystem (Colorado Plateau) part I: effects on soil water and plant water uptake

We investigated the effects of winter and summer drought on plants of the Colorado Plateau in western North America. This winter-cold, summer-hot desert region receives both winter and summer precipitation. Droughts were imposed for two consecutive years using rainout shelters. Here, we examine drought effects on the hydrologic interactions between plants and soil. We chose three perennial species for this study, representing different rooting patterns and responsiveness to precipitation pulses: Oryzopsis hymenoides, a perennial bunch grass with shallow roots; Gutierrezia sarothrae, a subshrub with dimorphic roots; and Ceratoides lanata, a predominantly deep-rooted woody shrub. Drought effects on plant water status were qualitatively similar among species, despite morphological differences. Summer drought affected the water status of all species more negatively than winter drought. Isotopic analysis of stem water revealed that all three species took up deeper soil water under drought conditions and shallow soil water after a large rainfall event in summer. Thus all three species appeared to use the same water sources most of the time. However, after a particularly dry summer, only the deepest-rooted species continued to take up soil water, while the more shallow-rooted species were either dead or dormant. Our study suggests therefore that increased occurrence of summer drought could favor the most deep-rooted species in ecosystem.     

Intra-Seasonal Oscillation (ISO) of south Kerala rainfall during the summer monsoons of 1901–1995

Time series of daily averaged rainfall of about 40 rain gauge stations of south Kerala, situated at the southern-most part of peninsular India between latitudes about 8‡N and 10‡N were subjected to Wavelet Analysis to study the Intra Seasonal Oscillation (ISO) in the rainfall and its inter-annual variability. Of the 128 days, 29th May to 3rd October of each of the 95 years 1901-1995 were analysed. We find that the period of ISO does not vary during a monsoon season in most of the years, but it has large inter-annual variability in the range 23 to 64 days. Period-wise, the years cluster into two groups of ISO, the SHORT consisting of periods 23, 27 and 32 days and the LONG with a single period of 64 days, both the sets at a significance level of 99%. During the 95 years at this level of significance there are 44 years with SHORT and 20 years with LONG periods. 11 years have no ISO even at the 90% level of significance. We composited NCEP SST anomalies of the summer monsoon season June to September for two groups of years during the period 1965–1993. The first group is of 5 years with a LONG ISO period of 64 days for south Kerala rainfall at significance level of 99% and the second group is of 12 years with SHORT ISO periods of 23, 27 and 32 days at the same level of significance. The SST anomaly for the LONG (SHORT) ISO resembles that for an El Nino (La Nina).