Ratios of stable carbon isotopes in some High Arctic plants and lake sediments

¹³C/¹²C ratios for a number of High Arctic vascular plants (51 determinations), mosses (11), and freshwater algae (11) show considerable variation, particularly among the freshwater algae (range from-6.9 to -36.3). In some cases the stable carbon ratios on modern and fossil materials provide guidance as to whether marine waters formerly occupied a given pond or lake basin. In other cases the ¹³C values for algae collected along the present-day shore of a pond or lake bear no relation to the values obtained on constituents preserved within the bottom sediments, suggesting that major changes have occurred in the last few thousand years.Geological Survey of Canada Contribution No. 17291. Contribution No. 41 from the Cape Herschel Project.     

Detecting Arctic snow and ice cover with FY-1D global data

Chinese meteorological satellite FY-1D can obtain global data from four spectral channels which include visible channel(0.58-0.68 μm) and infrared channels(0.84-0.89 μm,10.3-11.3 μm,11.5-12.5 μm).2366 snow and ice samples,2024 cloud samples,1602 land samples and 1648 water samples were selected randomly from Arctic imageries.Land and water can be detected by spectral features.Snow-ice and cloud can be classified by textural features.The classifier is Bayes classifier.By synthesizing five d ays classifying result of Arctic snow and ice cover area,complete Arctic snow and ice cover area can be obtained.The result agrees with NOAA/NESDIS IMS products up to 70%.     

Use of terrestrial photogrammetry for monitoring and measuring bank erosion

This paper examines the use of terrestrial photogrammetry as a technique for measuring bank erosion in a rapidly changing fluvial environment. It has been recognized that there are a number of advantages when applying photogrammetric techniques to geomorphological situations. In this study the enhancement of spatial sampling combined with the ability to capture additional information, such as soil moisture, on film, is of particular importance in enabling the identification of specific processes involved in bank erosion as well as detailed volumetric analysis of losses. Metric terrestrial photography was taken of the river bank on several dates, and data were abstracted by the use of analytical photogrammetry. This enabled the generation of digital terrain models from which morphological and volumetric changes could be assessed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

近400年来北极地区和中国气温变化的对比研究

对中国和北极地区近400年来的气温变化进行了趋势分析和谱特征分析,通过对比认为,北极地区及中国基本上都有17世纪、19世纪两个寒冷期和18世纪、20世纪两个温暖期,在一定程度上说明了气候变化的全球性,但两地区气温的冷暖转化不同步。中国大部分地区(除华东、新疆、西藏区外)17、19世纪升温开始得较北极早;北极地区绝大部分站点18世纪升温较中国明显,且气温变化的区域差异较大。400aBP以来两地气温变化的周期较为一致,以130～140年、100年、80年的周期为主,说明400aBP以来气温的变化具有全球性,而且气温的变化受太阳活动的影响较大,自然因素尤其是太阳活动的影响是气候变化的主要原因。     

北极新奥尔松Austre Lovénbreen冰川退缩迹地不同演替阶段的植物组成与植被群落特征分析

为开展新奥尔松地区苔原植物生长和植被演替对冰川退缩响应的研究,在Austre Lovénbreen冰川(简称A冰川)前沿不同年代冰缘线附近布设了植被样方,调查了样方内植物组成与群落结构。结果表明:(1)A冰川1990年冰缘线代表植被演替的初始阶段,样方内仅出现先锋植物挪威虎耳草(Saxifraga oppositifolia);(2)1936年冰缘线代表冰川退缩长达75年后植被发育的情况,样方内植物种类和个体数明显增多,植被群落以木本植物极柳(Salix polaris)和草本植物黄葶苈(Draba bellii)为主,地衣以寒生肉疣衣(Ochrolechia frigida)和鸡皮衣(Pertusaria sp.)等壳状地衣为主;(3)随着冰川迹地形成时间更长,植被趋向成熟阶段发展,样方内极柳占绝对优势,地衣的物种多样性和盖度显著增加,出现雪黄岛衣(Flavocetraria nivalis)和刺岛衣(Cetraria aculeata)等叶状地衣。初步结果表明冰川退缩迹地上的物种更替明显,群落结构发生着显著变化。     

北极苔原新奥尔松地区的地表辐射特征

利用我国北极黄河站所在地,德国Koldewey站1993-2003年的资料,对新奥尔松地区的地表辐射特征进行了初步分析。结果表明,由于云的影响,新奥尔松极昼期间的日照百分率仅为32.2%。暖季由于下垫面地表冰雪融化,地表反射率迅速减小,地面吸收辐射和地面有效辐射都迅速增大。全年累计的净辐射为正值;暖季是接受太阳辐射能的主要时段,寒季接受的太阳辐射能极少。虽近10年来新奥尔松地区的气温增加十分显著,但各辐射量的变化趋势不明显。地表辐射实测值与同期NCEP/NCAR相邻格点逐日资料的比较表明,NCEP资料对各辐射项模拟的精度不高。     

Influence of Arctic Oscillation on winter climate over China

In this study the relationship between the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and climate in China in boreal winter are investigated. Correlation analysis for the last 41 years shows that the winter temperature and precipitation in China change in phase with AO. High positive correlation (>0.4) between temperature and AO appears in the northern China. High correlation coefficients between precipitation and AO cover the southern China (close to the South China Sea) and the central China (between 30o-40oN and east of ~100oE), with the values varying between +0.3 and +0.4. It is found that during the past several decades the precipitation was strongly affected by AO, but for the temperature the Siberian High plays a more important role. At the interdecadal time scale the AO has significant influence on both temperature and precipitation. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrates that AO and the Siberian High related variance in temperature and precipitation is 35% and 11% respectively. For precipitation, however the portion is rather low, implying that some other factors may be responsible for the changes in precipitation, in addition to AO and the Siberian High.     

Transition Periods Between Sea Ice Concentration and Sea Surface Air Temperature in the Arctic Revealed by an Abnormal Running Correlation

This study used the synthetic running correlation coefficient calculation method to calculate the running correlation coefficients between the daily sea ice concentration(SIC) and sea surface air temperature(SSAT) in the Beaufort-Chukchi-East Siberian-Laptev Sea(BCEL Sea), Kara Sea and southern Chukchi Sea, with an aim to understand and measure the seasonally occurring changes in the Arctic climate system. The similarities and differences among these three regions were also discussed. There are periods in spring and autumn when the changes in SIC and SSAT are not synchronized, which is a result of the seasonally occurring variation in the climate system. These periods are referred to as transition periods. Spring transition periods can be found in all three regions, and the start and end dates of these periods have advancing trends. The multiyear average duration of the spring transition periods in the BCEL Sea, Kara Sea and southern Chukchi Sea is 74 days, 57 days and 34 days, respectively. In autumn, transition periods exist in only the southern Chukchi Sea, with a multiyear average duration of only 16 days. Moreover, in the Kara Sea, positive correlation events can be found in some years, which are caused by weather time scale processes.     

A comparison of annual and seasonal carbon dioxide effluxes between sub-Arctic Sweden and High-Arctic Svalbard

Recent climate change predictions suggest altered patterns of winter precipitation across the Arctic. It has been suggested that the presence, timing and quantity of snow all affect microbial activity, thus influencing CO₂ production in soil. In this study annual and seasonal emissions of CO₂ were estimated in High-Arctic Adventdalen, Svalbard, and sub-Arctic Latnjajaure, Sweden, using a new trace gas-based method to track real-time diffusion rates through the snow. Summer measurements from snow-free soils were made using a chamber-based method. Measurements were obtained from different snow regimes in order to evaluate the effect of snow depth on winter CO₂ effluxes. Total annual emissions of CO₂ from the sub-Arctic site (0.662–1.487 kg CO₂ m^–2 yr^–1) were found to be more than double the emissions from the High-Arctic site (0.369–0.591 kg CO₂ m^–2 yr^–1). There were no significant differences in winter effluxes between snow regimes or vegetation types, indicating that spatial variability in winter soil CO₂ effluxes are not directly linked to snow cover thickness or soil temperatures. Total winter emissions (0.004–0.248 kg CO₂ m^–2) were found to be in the lower range of those previously described in the literature. Winter emissions varied in their contribution to total annual production between 1 and 18%. Artificial snow drifts shortened the snow-free period by 2 weeks and decreased the annual CO₂ emission by up to 20%. This study suggests that future shifts in vegetation zones may increase soil respiration from Arctic tundra regions.