Measurements of peroxyacetylnitrate in the marine boundary layer over the Atlantic

The atmospheric concentration of peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN) was measured during a cruise of the R.S. Polarstern from Bremerhaven (Germany) to Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) in September/ October 1988. The measurements were made in-situ by a combination of electron capture gaschromatography with a cryogenic preconcentration step. The theoretical lower limit of detection (3) was 0.4 ppt. The mixing ratios of PAN varied by more than three orders of magnitude from 2000 ppt in the English Channel to less than 0.4 ppt south of the Azores (38° N). South of 35° N, PAN levels were below the detection limit, except at 30–31° S off the eastern coast of South America. Here, PAN mixing ratios of 10 to 100 ppt were detected in continentally influenced air masses. Detectable levels of PAN were mostly observed in air masses of continental or high northern origin. Changes in the wind directions were usually associated with substantial changes in the PAN mixing ratios.     

Latitudinal variation of measured O3 photolysis frequencies J(O1D) and primary OH production rates over the Atlantic Ocean between 50° N and 30° S

The latitudinal variation of the photolysis frequency of ozone to O(¹D) atoms, J(O¹D), was measured using a filter radiometer during the cruise ANT VII/1 of the research vessel Polarstern in September/October 1988. The J(O¹D) noon values exhibited a maximum of 3.6×10^-5 s^-1 (2 sr) at the equator and decreased strongly towards higher latitudes. J(O¹D) reached highest values for clean marine background air with low aerosol load and almost cloudless sky. The J(O¹D) data, measured under these conditions and a temperature of 295 K, can be expressed by: % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaamOsaiaacI% cacaqGpbWaaWbaaSqabeaaiiaacqWF8baFaaGccaqGebGaaeykaiaa% bccacqWF9aqpcaqGGaGaaeyzaiaabIhacaqGWbGaaeiiaiaabUhacq% GHsislcaaI4aGaaiOlaiaaicdacaaIYaGaeyOeI0IaaGioaiaac6ca% caaI4aGaaiiEaiaaigdacaaIWaWaaWbaaSqabeaacqGHsislcaaIZa% aaaOGaaeiiaiaabIhacaqGGaGaam4uaiabgUcaRiaaiodacaGGUaGa% aGinaiaacIhacaaIXaGaaGimamaaCaaaleqabaGaeyOeI0IaaGOnaa% aakiaadofadaahaaWcbeqaaiaaikdaaaGccaGG9bGaaeikaiaaboha% daahaaWcbeqaaiabgkHiTiaaigdaaaGccaGGPaaaaa!5EE9!\[J({\text{O}}^| {\text{D) }} = {\text{ exp \{ }} - 8.02 - 8.8x10^{ - 3} {\text{ x }}S + 3.4x10^{ - 6} S^2 \} {\text{(s}}^{ - 1} )\] where S represents the product of the overhead ozone column (DU) and the secant of the solar zenith angle. The meridional profile of the primary OH radical production rate P(OH) was calculated from the J(O¹D) measurements and simultaneously recorded O₃ and H₂O mixing ratios. While the latitudinal distribution of J(O¹D) and water vapour was nearly symmetric to the equator, high tropospheric ozone levels up to 40 ppb were observed in the Southern Hemisphere, SH, resulting in higher P(OH) in the SH.     

Seasonal variation of atmospheric dimethylsulfide at Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean

Daily measurements of atmospheric concentrations of dimethylsulfide (DMS) were carried out for two years in a marine site at remote area: the Amsterdam Island (37°50S–77°31E) located in the southern Indian Ocean. DMS concentrations were also measured in seawater. A seasonal variation is observed for both DMS in the atmosphere and in the sea-surface. The monthly averages of DMS concentrations in the surface coastal seawater and in the atmosphere ranged, respectively, from 0.3 to 2.0 nmol l^-1 and from 1.4 to 11.3 nmol m^-3 (34 to 274 pptv), with the highest values in summer. The monthly variation of sea-to-air flux of DMS from the southern Indian Ocean ranges from 0.7 to 4.4 mol m^-2 d^-1. A factor of 2.3 is observed between summer and winter with mean DMS fluxes of 3.0 and 1.3 mol m^-2 d^-1, respectively.     

青藏高原腹地湖泊沉积对第四纪晚期古季风变化的响应

通过对青藏高原腹地的综合科学考察和对中心钻孔岩芯剖面的最新研究,用层序地层学与年代地层学和气候地层学相结合的方法,分辨出可可西里地区湖泊沉积记录(孔深7.25 m)的第四纪晚期距今3万余年以来的古气候变化,沉积物磁化率等因子综合表征的高原古季风变化是波动发展的,发生在仙女木期地质环境事件中的季风活动具有强烈暴发的特点,是高原季风发展中的突变事件,而且地表热点效应对其起到了激发作用。综合分析的研究成果表明,它的变化频谱与激变因子及其运行机制是伴随着青藏高原地质效应的演变而发展的,为研究第四纪冰消期以来的气候变化提供了新的信息。     

Geography (or geographers) and earth system science

A response to Pitman’s recent arguments regarding a perceived invasion of geographers’ territory within the academic division of labour by earth system science. Geography is not the grand synthesiser, the only discipline which can explain the big picture, and arrogant claims that it is are counter-productive, both within and outwith the discipline. Geographers should just get on with what they are doing—well.     

Environmental impacts from mining at Taojiang Mn ore deposit, central Hunan, China

The Taojiang Mn ore deposit was exploited in the early 1960s, and waste rocks were developed since then. Because the Mn ores were hosted within the metal-enriched black shales （Peng et al., 2004）, the continuous mining has led to the exposure of an immense quality of black shales, which might cause serious impacts on environments. The present study deals with this environmental issue with samples from the waste rocks, and from the surrounding soils and surface water. The mineralogy of the waste rock was studied using EMPA, then a large number of elements in all waste rock, soil, and water samples were analyzed at a wide range of concentrations with high accuracy using an Elan6000 ICP-MS machine at Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The waste rock is composed mostly of black shales, with minor Mn carbonates. Both black shales and Mn carbonates of the waste rock contain many sulfide minerals, mainly pyrite, with minor galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and others. The waste rocks are enriched in many metals including Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Th, U, Mo, Sb, Sn, Tl, and others, and the metals are mostly hosted within the sulfides. Weathering of waste rocks might cause emission of the following metals： V, Cd, Ni, Th, U, Mo, Sb, Tl, Sc, Cr, Cu, Zn, Sn, and minor Co, and Pb. The surrounding soils are highly enriched in Cr, Co, Cu, Zn, Mn, Mo, Cd, Tl, and Pb, with the enrichment factors of 2.67.3.8, 7.26, 7.27, 8.2, 5.7, 13, and 5.4, respectively. The element ratios （Rb/Cs, Fe/Mn, Nb/Zr, Hf/Zr, and Ba/Sr） and REE distribution patterns of the soils are similar to those of the waste rocks and bedrocks.     

Studies on environment protection of vanadium exploitation in open air

Vanadium, improving mechanism and jointing capacity of steel products, is a kind of excellent additive during steel-making and its industry gets support from national industry policy. On account of shallow buried depth and low technique request of exploitation, there is much exploitation by local people lacking system management and technique guidance in area rich in vanadium since years ago, which damages regional environment dramatically. Accordingly, taking stone coal-vanadium as an example, the paper focuses on environment impact on water environment and eco-environment caused by exploitation in open air. Impact of exploitation on surface water mainly includes mining drainage and eluviated water of stock yard. According to civilian exploitation in the area, the rock suffers man-made disturbance, therefore, water quality indicators of mining drainage like heavy metal, permanganate, CI, SO4^2-, F are able to be analogies of ground water quantity in the region since the primary component of drainage is surrounding rock ground water. Water monitoring result of local well shows as follows： pH 6.68, SO4^2- 5.76 mg/L, F- 0.005 mg/L, Fe 0.025 mg/L, Mo 8.08 μg/L, Ni 5.91 μg/L, Co 0.61 μg/L, and all of them reach corresponding standard of water quality. Ground water turns into acid mine water by oxygenation after it discharges and with the help of sulfur the acid water contains nocuous elements which permeate in groundwater and surface water arousing pollution. The value of pH in the range of standard indicates that the acidification of mine water is relatively weak in the diggings. Eco-environment damage is another aspect that cannot be ignored, it acts as： （1） peeling work and establishment construction destroy landform; （2） stack of waste soil and rock occupies amounts of land; （3） various exploitation activities like vegetation peeling, landform change will enlarge the scope or enhance the intensity of soil erosion, which destroys eco-environment by leading water and soil loss;     

Heavy metal contents in soil of major towns in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia

A total of 63 soil samples from 3 different soil profiles （urban, suburban and industrial areas） in major towns in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia were analyzed for the total concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni and Cr. The soil samples were subjected to acid digestion and the concentrations of total metals extracted were measured or flame atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma - atomic emission spectrometry. According to the result of this study, Pb and Zn concentrations in urban soils are much higher than those of industrial and suburban soils. Total concentrations of Cu and Cr in industrial soil samples are high compared to other two soil profiles and Ni concentrations in the suburban area are slightly higher those of urban and industrial soils. Since Malaysia has not yet to come up with her own soil maximum allowable limit, the heavy metal concentrations were compared with the Dutch maximum allowable limit. The results indicated that the median of heavy metals values in the three different soil profiles is still below the Dutch system limit. From the maximum allowable value obtained from the Dutch system, a contamination/pollution （C/p） index for each site was calculated for the set of these five heavy metals. An advantage of using this method is to make a differentiation between pollution （C/p〉1） and contamination （C/p〈1） status in soils as well as being able to characterize each status into 5 different categories （slight, moderate, severe, very severe and excessive）.     

Changes in manganese and lead in the environment and young children associated with the introduction of MMT in gasoline

This is a 4-year longitudinal study to evaluate changes to the environment and exposure of young children associated with the introduction of methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl （MMT） into Australia in 2000. The cohort includes 57 females and 56 males; age range of 0.29 to 3.9 years. Samples are collected every 6 months from children in residences located at varying distances from major traffic thoroughfares in Sydney. Environmental samples： air, house and day care dustfall, soil, dust sweepings and gasoline. Samples from children： blood, urine, handwipes prior to and after playing outdoors, and a 6-day duplicate diet. All samples are analyzed for a suite of 20 elements using ICP-MS. Results are presented for the first three 6-month sampling periods for Pb and Mn. For dustfall accumulation, there was no significant change over the 3 sampling periods （time） for Pb or Mn, and a positive relationship between ‘traffic exposure＇ （traffic volume and proximity to the road） and Pb but not Mn. For handwipes, Pb and Mn in wipes taken from children after playing outdoors were usually significantly greater than for wipes taken prior to playing. There was no significant association between Pb or Mn in handwipes with traffic exposure. Dustfall accumulation was a significant predictor for Pb in the handwipes, and dust sweepings were a significant predictor of Mn in handwipes.