Grazing experiments and model simulations of the role of zooplankton in Phaeocystis food webs

A combined empirical and modelling study was conducted to further examine the potential importance of grazing by zooplankton in pelagic food webs in which Phaeocystis is a significant or dominant component. Laboratory experiments were designed to measure ingestion of Phaeocystis and other potential prey items which co-occur with Phaeocystis. Grazers included copepods and ciliates, and prey included Phaeocystis colonies and solitary cells, diatoms, ciliates, bacteria, and detritus. These data were expressed in the model currency of nitrogen units, and fit to hyperbolic tangent equations which included minimum prey thresholds. These equations and literature data were used to constrain a food web model whose purpose was to investigate trophic interactions rather than to mimic actual events. Nevertheless, the model output was similar to the general pattern and magnitude of development of Phaeocystis–diatom communities in some environments where they occur, e.g. north Norwegian waters. The model included three forms of nitrogen, three phytoplankton groups, bacteria, two zooplankton groups, and detritus, with detailed flows between compartments. An important component of the model was inclusion of variable prey preferences for zooplankton. The experiments and model simulations suggest several salient conclusions. Phaeocystis globosa colonies were eaten by a medium-sized copepod species, but ingestion appeared to be strongly dependent upon a proper size match between grazer and prey. If not, colonies were eaten little if at all. Phaeocystis solitary cells were ingested rapidly by ciliate microzooplankton, in agreement with prior literature observations. In contrast, detritus was eaten comparatively slowly by both ciliates and copepods. Both types of zooplankton exhibited apparent minimum prey thresholds below which grazing did not occur or was inconsequential. Model simulations implied that transitions between life cycle stages of Phaeocystis may potentially be important to phytoplankton–zooplankton interactions, and that relative rates of ingestion of Phaeocystis by various zooplankton may have significant impacts upon material fluxes through and out of Phaeocystis–diatom ecosystems. Indirect effects of trophic interactions appear to be equally significant as direct effects.     

Solar wind variation with the cycle

The cyclic evolution of the heliospheric plasma parameters is related to the time-dependent boundary conditions in the solar corona. “Minimal” coronal configurations correspond to the regular appearance of the tenuous, but hot and fast plasma streams from the large polar coronal holes. The denser, but cooler and slower solar wind is adjacent to coronal streamers. Irregular dynamic manifestations are present in the corona and the solar wind everywhere and always. They follow the solar activity cycle rather well. Because of this, the direct and indirect solar wind measurements demonstrate clear variations in space and time according to the minimal, intermediate and maximal conditions of the cycles. The average solar wind density, velocity and temperature measured at the Earth’s orbit show specific decadal variations and trends, which are of the order of the first tens per cent during the last three solar cycles. Statistical, spectral and correlation characteristics of the solar wind are reviewed with the emphasis on the cycles.     

Sunspot groups as tracers of sub-surface processes

Data on sunspot groups have been quite useful for obtaining clues to several processes on global and local scales within the sun which lead to emergence of toroidal magnetic flux above the sun’s surface. I present here a report on such studies carried out at Indian Institute of Astrophysics during the last decade or so.     

关于GPS载波相位中的野值周跳与模糊度

对于双频ＧＰＳ接收机,Ｇｉｐｓｙ软件可以对单站载波相位测量中野值,周跳进行自动检测与修复,本文用实测数据对Ｇｉｐｓｙ算法的效率进行评估。计算表明,对Ｐ码伪距的情形,该算法对周跳的修复基本无误;对Ｃ／Ａ码的伪距情形,则会有正负几周的误差。本文提出在Ｇｉｐｓｙ算法中加进小波方法,用来估计模糊度,计算表明,可极大地提高Ｇｉｐａｙ算法的效率。     

Stable carbon isotope distribution of particulate organic matter in the ocean: a model study

The stable carbon isotopic composition of particulate organic matter in the ocean, δ¹³C_POC, shows characteristic spatial variations with high values in low latitudes and low values in high latitudes. The lowest δ¹³C_POC values (−32‰ to −35‰) have been reported in the Southern Ocean, whereas in arctic and subarctic regions δ¹³C_POC values do not drop below −27‰. This interhemispheric asymmetry is still unexplained. Global gradients in δ¹³C_POC are much greater than in δ¹³C_DIC, suggesting that variations in isotopic fractionation during organic matter production are primarily responsible for the observed range in δ¹³C_POC. Understanding the factors that control isotope variability is a prerequisite when applying δ¹³C_POC to the study of marine carbon biogeochemistry. The present model study attempts to reproduce the δ¹³C_POC distribution pattern in the ocean. The three-dimensional (3D) Hamburg Model of the Oceanic Carbon Cycle version 3.1 (HAMOCC3.1) was combined with two different parametrizations of the biological fractionation of stable carbon isotopes. In the first parametrization, it is assumed that the isotopic fractionation between CO₂ in seawater and the organic material produced by algae, _P, is a function of the ambient CO₂ concentration. The two parameters of this function are derived from observations and are not based on an assumption of any specific mechanism. Thus, this parametrization is purely empirical. The second parametrization is based on fractionation models for microalgae. It is supported by several laboratory experiments. Here the fractionation, _P, depends on the CO₂ concentration in seawater and on the (instantaneous) growth rates, μ_i, of the phytoplankton. In the Atlantic Ocean, where most field data are available, both parametrizations reproduce the latitudinal variability of the mean δ¹³C_POC distribution. The interhemispheric asymmetry of δ¹³C_POC can mostly be attributed to the interhemispheric asymmetry of CO₂ concentration in the water. However, the strong seasonal variations of δ¹³C_POC as reported by several authors, can only be explained by a growth rate-dependent fractionation, which reflects variations in the cellular carbon demand.     

Correspondence Between Astronomical Periods and Sedimentary Cycles

The term of geological cycle was used firstly inHutton's" The Earth Theory" in 1788 (Williams,1980). The geological cycles including tectonic cycles and sedimentary cycles have been describedwidely since than. Some researchers have perceivedthat the geolo…     

辽西金羊盆地南部髫髻山组陆相火山岩及旋回层序划分

辽西金羊盆地（金岭寺－羊山盆地）南部髫髻山组陆相火山岩发育,为一套以中性为主的基性、中基性、中性火山岩组合。火山岩碱度主要为钙碱性。火山岩形成环境为活动大陆边缘区,这与本区所处大地构造位置相吻合。根据当前火山岩的研究现状,尝试性地对该盆地髫髻山组火山岩进行了火山喷发旋回层序的划分,共划分了四级火山喷发旋回层序。其中 A-A′剖面Ⅰ级 1个,Ⅱ级 5个,Ⅲ级 17个,Ⅳ级 21个; B-B′剖面Ⅰ级 1个,Ⅱ级 5个,Ⅲ级 18个,Ⅳ级 24个。     

循环流化床燃煤脱硫剂技术研究现状及开发前景

本文论述了循环流化床在煤燃烧领域中的优势地位,并着重阐述了国内外循环流化床脱硫技术研究与脱硫剂开发利用状况,指出了在脱硫剂应用方面与国外的差距,提出了脱硫剂生产的产业化发展方向。     

南海混合层深度的季节变化及年际变化特征

通过分析新的SODA(Simple Ocean Data Assimilation)资料,得到南海混合层时空场的分布特征,剖析了南海混合层深度的季节及年际变化特征。资料分析表明:南海混合层存在着显著的季节和年际变化,且两者的均方差分布存在一定的差异。在季节变化中,冬季混合层在南海北部及西北陆架区深,在南海南部及吕宋冷涡处浅;夏季混合层在南海西北部浅,东南深。南海这种混合层深度分布特征除了与热通量的季节变化有关外,在相当大的程度上与季风引起的Ekman输送及Ekman抽吸有关。混合层深度距平场EOF(Empirical Othorgnal Function)第一模和第二模时间变化的主信号均为周期的年际变化信号,其中第一模态约为3 a,第二模态则有1.8,2.4和4.3 a的3个显著周期。EOF第一模显示混合层深度在南海东南部年际变化幅度最大,且滞后Nino3指数7个月时相关性最好(相关系数为0.422 3);EOF第二模显示在南海南部和北部混合层深度呈反位相变化。