The Reproductive Cycle of Ophioderma brevispinum (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea)

Abstract. .The reproductive cycle of the brittlestar Ophioderma brevispinum is described using histological and organ index data for a population in Massachusetts, U.S.A. The cycle consists of a one month mid-summer spawning phase followed by gametogenesis and gradual gonadal growth during the winter, and greatly accelerated gonadal growth from May to June. At the end of the spawning season, oogonia proliferate near the base of the ovary, and a continuous layer of spermatogonia lines the testis. As oocytes grow to a maximum diameter of 350 um, yolk granules accumulate and the cytoplasm becomes less basophilic. Prior to spawning, the testis becomes branched and sulcate, and a whorl of spermatozoa produced by columns of spermatids accumulates in the lumen. Comparisons between the reproductive cycles of different populations of O. brevispinum and its congeners support the hypothesis that temperature may be a critical exogenous factor, but definitely not the only factor, in the initiation and duration of the growth and spawning phases of the ophiuroid reproductive cycle.     

Reliability-Based Optimal Design for Very Large Floating Structure

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Fatigue Behavior of Plain Concrete Under Biaxial Compression: Experiments and Theoretical Model

The effects of different lateral confinement stress on the fatigue behavior of and cumulative damage to plain concrete are investigated experimentally. Eighty 100 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm specimens of ordinary strength concrete are tested under constant- or variable-amplitude fatigue loading and lateral confinement pressure in two orthogonal directions. A fatigue equation is developed by modifying the classical Aas-Jakobsen S-N equation for taking into account the effect of the confined stress on fatigue strength of plain concrete. The results of variable-amplitude fatigue tests indicate that the linear damage theory proposed by Palmgren and Miner is unreasonable in the biaxial stress state. A nonlinear cumulative damage model that could model the effects of the magnitude and sequence of variable-amplitude fatigue loading and lateral confinement pressure is proposed on the basis of the evolution laws of the residual strains in the longitudinal direction during fatigue tests. The residual fatigue life predic     

Carbon cycling in a high-arctic marine ecosystem – Young Sound, NE Greenland

Young Sound is a deep-sill fjord in NE Greenland (74°N). Sea ice usually begins to form in late September and gains a thickness of 1.5 m topped with 0–40 cm of snow before breaking up in mid-July the following year. Primary production starts in spring when sea ice algae begin to flourish at the ice–water interface. Most biomass accumulation occurs in the lower parts of the sea ice, but sea ice algae are observed throughout the sea ice matrix. However, sea ice algal primary production in the fjord is low and often contributes only a few percent of the annual phytoplankton production. Following the break-up of ice, the immediate increase in light penetration to the water column causes a steep increase in pelagic primary production. Usually, the bloom lasts until August–September when nutrients begin to limit production in surface waters and sea ice starts to form. The grazer community, dominated by copepods, soon takes advantage of the increased phytoplankton production, and on an annual basis their carbon demand (7–11 g C m⁻²) is similar to phytoplankton production (6–10 g C m⁻²). Furthermore, the carbon demand of pelagic bacteria amounts to 7–12 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹. Thus, the carbon demand of the heterotrophic plankton is approximately twice the estimated pelagic primary production, illustrating the importance of advected carbon from the Greenland Sea and from land in fuelling the ecosystem.In the shallow parts of the fjord (<40 m) benthic primary producers dominate primary production. As a minimum estimate, a total of 41 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ is fixed by primary production, of which phytoplankton contributes 15%, sea ice algae <1%, benthic macrophytes 62% and benthic microphytes 22%. A high and diverse benthic infauna dominated by polychaetes and bivalves exists in these shallow-water sediments (<40 m), which are colonized by benthic primary producers and in direct contact with the pelagic phytoplankton bloom. The annual benthic mineralization is 32 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ of which megafauna accounts for 17%. In deeper waters benthic mineralization is 40% lower than in shallow waters and megafauna, primarily brittle stars, accounts for 27% of the benthic mineralization. The carbon that escapes degradation is permanently accumulated in the sediment, and for the locality investigated a rate of 7 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ was determined.A group of walruses (up to 50 adult males) feed in the area in shallow waters (<40 m) during the short, productive, ice-free period, and they have been shown to be able to consume <3% of the standing stock of bivalves (Hiatella arctica, Mya truncata and Serripes Groenlandicus), or half of the annual bivalve somatic production. Feeding at greater depths is negligible in comparison with their feeding in the bivalve-rich shallow waters.     

海洋纹层硅藻席古海洋学与生物地球化学研究进展

海洋大型硅藻的勃发及其在海底的纹层硅藻席沉积代表大规模的有机碳和生物硅输出通量,该生物堆积事件或过程对海洋酸化和全球变暖产生负反馈,因而在气候变化中的地位不容小觑。本文在融入作者研究成果的基础上总结了国内外关于海洋纹层硅藻席的研究现状,认为大型硅藻勃发不能直接和上涌活动相关联,在热带海区一般与成层化相关,在亚热带海区总体上与锋面作用相关。大型硅藻勃发时,表层水不一定贫养,也可以是富养的,也不总是需要借助浮力下沉到营养跃层吸收营养物,可直接吸收海洋表层中的营养物(如风尘溶解来源的硅酸)。大型硅藻通过高的初级生产力吸收大气中的CO_2,尔后在海洋深部降解形成的CO_2在海洋成层化条件下以巨大"呼吸CO_2库"得以封存,代表促使冰期大气pCO_2降低的一种重要机制。海洋纹层硅藻席的保存环境由多种因素制约,可以是氧化的也可以是亚氧化的,因而对用纹层沉积物来指示缺氧底层水条件应持谨慎态度。另外,提出了解释大型硅藻勃发和硅藻席形成机制的新模式"风尘触发硅藻席沉积",极大地促进了硅藻席沉积成因谜团的解决。最后,指出了目前海洋纹层硅藻席研究中存在的问题并阐述了未来可以开展的研究方向。     

准噶尔盆地阜东斜坡区侏罗系沉积特征

通过对准噶尔盆地阜东斜坡区侏罗系的沉积背景,沉积岩成分、结构、构造及岩性序列等综合研究表明,该区侏罗系具有较好的旋回性,可划分为6个沉积层序和两个构造层序,侏罗系沉积物具有较低的成分成熟度和中等结构成熟度,粒度概率图及沉积构造均显示其具有牵引流沉积特征及三角洲沉积序列。在研究区侏罗系发育南、北两大物源区及方向的水系,据此可识别出辫状河、辫状河三角洲、曲流河、正常三角洲、滑塌浊积扇和湖泊等多种沉积体系类型。     

多年冻土区活动层冻融状况及土壤水分运移特征

利用位于典型多年冻土区的唐古拉综合观测场2007年9月1日—2008年9月1日实测活动层剖面土壤温度和水分数据,对多年冻土区活动层的冻结融化规律进行研究;同时,对冻融过程中的活动层土壤液态水含量的变化特征进行分析,探讨了活动层内部土壤水分分布特征及其运移特点对活动层冻结融化过程的影响. 结果表明：活动层融化过程从表层开始向下层土壤发展,冻结过程则会出现双向冻结现象. 一个完整的年冻融循环中活动层冻结过程耗时要远远小于融化过程. 活动层土壤经过一个冻融循环,土壤水分整体呈现下移的趋势,土壤水分逐步运移至多年冻土上限附近积累. 同时,土壤水分含量和运移特征会对活动层冻融过程产生显著的影响.     

辽西地区中生代义县旋回火山活动特征分析

辽西地区广泛发育中生代火山岩,其中以义县旋回火山岩最为发育。本文在对辽西地区义县旋回火山岩微量元素地球化学特征研究的基础上,认为义县旋回火山岩具有同源性质,由壳幔混溶物质作用于统一的火山活动过程中产生。     

塔里木盆地沉积剥蚀过程与油气关系

塔里木盆地典型井的周期分析表明,塔里木盆地在其地质历史时期100Ma左右的周期是很明显的,自寒武纪以来共经历了4个完整的周期,每一完整周期都由正相位和负相位两个半周期所组成。而第三纪为第5个周期的正相位阶段。该周期控制了盆地内的沉积与剥蚀的过程及成藏旋回。对沉积与剥蚀过程的控制作用表现在周期波正相位和负相位分别对应于沉积期和剥蚀期,这在地质年代序列中表现为沉积与间断的互为消长的演化进程。对食油气系统的控制作用表现在:第1个周期波构成以早古生代地层为主体的含油气系统,第2个周期波至第4个周期波构成以晚古生代至中生代地层为主体的含油气系统,第5个周期的正相位阶段构成以第三纪地层为主体的含油气系统。     

从准层序到米级旋回——层序地层学与旋回地层学相互交融的纽带

层序地层学的基本单位是层序。准层序和准层序组构成了层序的基本结构单元,它们在层序内有规律的空间叠置样式是识别体系域的客观标准。准层序被定义为以海泛面为界的向上变浅序列,但是准层序是一个比较松散的概念,存在问题是对其成因机制研究不足。米级旋回作为旋回地层学的基本单位,定义为数厘米至数米厚的向上变浅的岩相序列,是高频率海平面升降变化的产物,其形成时限为相应的米兰柯维奇天文旋回周期。作为旋回地层学的基本单位,米级旋回以其明确的沉积学涵义和有规律的天文成因机制,是对层序地层学概念体系中的"准层序"的良好补充,对其进行深入研究具有重要的理论意义和应用价值。从准层序到米级旋回这一概念体系的演变,代表了层序地层学与旋回地层学相互交融的纽带。最后介绍旋回地层学的最新进展亚米兰柯维奇旋回,它对精确数字定年具有重大意义。