Nonlinear chemical couplings in the tropospheric NO x -HO x gas phase chemistry

A bifurcation phenomenon with relevance to atmospheric chemistry is discussed. The gasphase reactions in the troposphere exhibit two types of temporal evolution which are controlled by the strength of the source,Q, of nitric oxide, NO, via the nonlinear chemical coupling between the hydrogen oxides and nitrogen oxides chemistry. IfQ remains below a threshold value, all short-lived species, including NO, approach steady-state concentrations, while above the threshold bifurcation to another state with increasing (nonstationary) NO concentrations accompanied by a depletion of the OH and HO₂ abundances takes place.     

POPULATION DYNAMICS AND PRODUCTION OF NEANTHES JAPONIC A (IZUKA)IN A SHRIMP POND

During late February to mid-March, 1991, when mature N. japonica swarmed in the sea surface off Jimo County, Qingdao, seawater containing numerous early embryos was pumped into a nearby 2.7 ha. muddy-sand shrimp pond, where the embryos continued to develop. 800000 Penaeus chinensis seedlings were introduced into the pond on May 30, 1991. Monthly benthic samplings were carried out to determine the population dynamics and production of N. japonica in this atypical environ -ment.The density of N. japonica varied from 0 to 20400 ind./m2. The predation of P. chinensis was considered to be responsible for the mass mortality of N. japonica in June through July, when the worms were 2.2-3.3cm in length and lived in the top 2-4cm sediment. From August to September of 1991, the hottest period in the site, there was no substantial mortality of N. japonica as reported in earlier literature. This was explained by the deeper burrowing of the' worms that protected them from predation by shrimps.Monthly biomass ranged f     

Modelling the effects of motion on primary production in the mixed layer of lakes

A model of the time dependent relationship between productivity and light intensity following changes in light intensity is briefly described. The model incorporates two response timescales simulating initial response and photoinhibition, although additional timescales could easily be incorporated. The model is calibrated against one set of time dependent data, and applied to two simple models of motion in the upper mixed layer of a lake. The two models are: organised motion simulating Langmuir cells, and disorganised motion simulating the turbulent velocity field associated with surface wind stirring. The depth and therefore light histories for a number of photosynthesising particles are calculated by these models, and used by the productivity model to calculate mean productivities. The results show that the influence of the time dependent nature of the productivity relationship depends on the ratio of the mixed layer depth to the euphotic depth, and to a less extent, on the rate at which the particles circulate in the mixed layer.     

The control of the production process of phytoplankton by the physical structure of the aquatic environment with special reference to its optical properties

This tutorial was designed for nonbiologists requiring an introduction to the nature and general timescales of phytoplankton responses to physical forcing in aquatic environments. As such, an effort was made to highlight biological markers which might assist in identifying, measuring and/or validating physical processes controlling the variability in the distribution, abundance, composition and activity of phytoplankton communities. Given the recent advances in environmental optics and remote sensing capabilities, a special emphasis was placed on the nature and utility of phytoplankton optical properties in current bio-optical modelling efforts to predict temporal and spatial variability in phytoplankton productivity and growth.     

Aggregate resources: Production and environmental constraints

Aggregates are produced from sand and gravel deposits or from bedrock sources. Production sites are numerous to minimize transport and are more and more in a competing land use position. Urbanization, while creating a market, also sterilizes deposits and pressures producers to relocate further from populated areas. Regulating and permitting quarries is an issue in regions with growing populations. This regulatory environment may cause exploitation schemes to evolve towards greater recycling, importing, and marine production, for example. These changes may be entirely attributable to increased environmental constraints on producing operations and not on conventional mining constraints such as overburden, ore grade, and costs of operation.     

A critical analysis of processes governing the nutrient profiles in the ocean

We have theoretically considered the problem of interpretation of nutrient profiles in the upper ocean (100–2000m). We compare the experimental depth profiles of nonconservative tracers, both stable and radioactive, with solutions of one-dimensional steady state transport equations of increasing complexity including situations not encountered in the real oceans. Apart from gaining insight into the nutrient transport processes, this analysis is useful in offering a way to obtain operational estimates of depth dependent/independent eddy diffusivity and dissolution fluxes in the ocean. These parameters are essential for estimating new production, total production and burial of carbon in the sediments.     

叶县盐田探采结合井钻井工艺

针对叶县盐田的地质条件，上部无岩心钻进，采用大钻压、低转速、高泵压、大泵量喷射钻井的快速钻进技术；下部取心钻进，采用小钻压、高转速、低泵压、小泵量的取心钻进技术。采用防塌淡水泥浆与饱和盐水泥浆分别治理取得了较好的技术效果。     

Tropospheric methane in the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere

Results of more than 800 new measurements of methane (CH₄) concentrations in the Southern Hemisphere troposphere (34–41° S, 130–150° E) are reported. These were obtained between September 1980 and March 1983 from the surface at Cape Grim, Tasmania, through the middle (3.5–5.5 km) to the upper troposphere (7–10 km). The concentration of CH₄ increased throughout the entire troposphere over the measurement period, adding further support to the view that CH₄ concentrations are currently increasing on a global scale. For data averaged vertically through the troposphere the rate of increase found was 20 ppbv/yr or 1.3%/yr at December 1981. In the surface CH₄ data a seasonal cycle with a peak to peak amplitude of approximately 28 ppbv is seen, with the minimum concentration occurring in March and the maximum in September–October. A cycle with the same phase as that seen at the surface, but with a significantly decreased amplitude, is apparent in the mid troposphere but no cycle is detected in the upper tropospheric data. The phase and amplitude of the cycle are qualitatively in agreement with the concept that the major sink for methane is oxidation by hydroxyl radicals. Also presented is evidence of a positive vertical gradient in methane, with a suggestion that the magnitude of this gradient has changed over the period of measurements.     

The global distribution of methane in the troposphere

Methane has been measured in air samples collected at approximately weekly intervals at 23 globally distributed sites in the NOAA/GMCC cooperative flask sampling network. Sites range in latitude from 90° S to 76° N, and at most of these we report 2 years of data beginning in early 1983. All measurements have been made by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector at the NOAA/GMCC laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. All air samples have been referenced to a single secondary standard of methane-in-air, ensuring a high degree of internal consistency in the data. The precision of measurements is estimated from replicate determinations on each sample as 0.2%. The latitudinal distribution of methane and the seasonal variation of this distribution in the marine boundary layer has been defined in great detail, including a remarkable uniformity in background levels of methane in the Southern Hemisphere. We report for the first time the observation of a complete seasonal cycle of methane at the South Pole. A significant vertical gradient is observed between a sea level and a high altitude site in Hawaii. Globally averaged background concentrations in the marine boundary layer have been calculated for the 2 year-period May 1983–April 1985 inclusive, from which we find an average increase of 12.8 ppb per year, or 0.78% per year when referenced to the globally averaged concentration (1625 ppb) at the mid-point of this period. We present evidence that there has been a slowing down in the methane growth rate.Presented at the Conference on the Scientific Application of Baseline Observations of Atmospheric Composition (SABOAC), Aspendale, Australia, 7–9 November 1984.     

Termites and global methane—another assessment

New CH₄ emission data from a number of Northern and Southern Hemispheric, tropical and temperate termites, are reported, which indicate that the annual global CH₄ source due to termites is probably less than 15 Tg. The major uncertainties in this estimate are identified and found to be substantial. Nevertheless, our results suggest that termites probably account for less than 5% of global CH₄ emissions.