Microbial release of potassium from K-bearing minerals by thermophilic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus

A strain of thermophilic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus was cultured with K-bearing minerals to determine if microbe-mineral interactions enhance the release of mineralic potassium. Experiments were carried out in two settings, one with the mineral grains and the fungal cells in direct contact, and the other employing a membrane (pore size 0.22 μm) to separate the two. Measurements over a period of 30 days showed that, irrespective of the experimental setup, the concentration of free K in the culture was drastically higher than those in any of the control experiments where no living organism was present. Moreover, the occurrence of mineral-cell physical contact enhanced potassium release by an additional factor of 3 to 4 in comparison to the separation experiments. For contact experiments, Electron Probe Microanalysis revealed the formation of mycelium-mineral aggregates, and Atomic Force Microscopy imaging further indicated the possible ingestion of mineral particles by the fungus cells. Contrasting to what was observed and expected in control experiments, the potassium solubilization rate showed a positive dependence upon pH when fungi and minerals were mixed directly, and exhibited no correlations with solution acidity if cell-rock contact was restrained. These results appear to suggest that A. fumigatus promoted potassium release by means of at least three likely routes, one through the complexation of soluble organic ligands, another appealing to the immobile biopolymers such as the insoluble components of secretion, and the third related to the mechanical forces in association with the direct physical contact between cells and mineral particles.     

A three-dimentional model of the northeast East China Sea, with application to the M2 current field

A simple three-dimensional tidal model is used to examine the M2 tidal current distribution in a northeastern part of the East China Sea, especially the vertical variation of the current in the region. Computed M2 current is compared with observations available and found to be in good agreement.Main features of the calculating method in this study are: (1) Vertical variation of the tidal current is taken as a funetion of the depth-mean velocity: (2) the method is applicable to a variety of the vertical eddy viscosities; (3) it has a fine vertical resolution, especially near the sea bootom. So, this method not only enables us to get a steady state solution easily but also depicts effects of the friction on the vertical variation of the current much better.     

Semi-Probabilistic Evaluation of System Redundancy for Existing Offshore Structures

In this paper, a new definition of structure system redundancy is proposed in view of the various measures for structure redundancy. By introducing the terms of structure system failure at the mechanism level and equivalent reliability index, the safety for existing offshore platforms can be evaluated by the semi-probabilistic method presented in this paper. Some numerical examples are given and satisfactory results have been obtained.     

东海黑潮水与陆架水的季节性输运和交换

在流星分析和ｔ－Ｓ点聚分析的基础上，在台湾东北部ＩＳ断面和东海中部ＰＮ断面上选取适当的纵剖面作为分界面，将以面分成东、西两侧，计算了界面两侧的海水交换星。结果表明：１．东海陆架区海水交换可归纳为两种类型，即“穿插型”和“进退型”。２．参与分界面处海水交换总量的年平均是夏季最大，春、秋季次之，冬季最小。黑潮水向陆架区输运量为０．５８×１０６ｍ３／ｓ，陆架水向黑潮刚输运量为０．８４×１０６ｍ３／ｓ；参与交换的总量为１．４２×１０６ｍ３／ｓ．３．相对输运量计算结果表明；黑潮水对陆架区水文状况的影响是冬季最强，秋、春季次之，夏季最弱，而陆架水对黑潮区水文状况的影响是夏季最大，秋季次之，春季和冬季最小。     

某船坞南翼墙基岩水下控制爆破技术

本文介绍的基岩水下爆破属临近重要建筑物的水下控制爆破。当岩石裂隙发育，且岩面有较厚的石碴覆盖层，其技术难度大，采取的诸如搭钢平台钻孔。塑料套管护孔，以及孔间、排间塑料导爆管雷管接力式微差起爆网路等措施，都是成功之经验，值得今后类似工程推广应用。     

渤海小型底栖生物的丰度和生物量

该文是渤海 1997年 6月、1998年 9月和 1999年 4月 3个航次小型底栖生物调查结果。结果表明 ,3个航次小型底栖生物的平均丰度分别为 :(2 30 0± 12 0 6 ) ind/ (10 cm2 )、(86 9± 5 10 ) ind/(10 cm2 )和 (6 32± 4 0 0 ) ind/ (10 cm2 )。平均生物量分别为 :(15 2 1± 6 34) μg(dwt) / (10 cm2 )、(72 5±35 4 )μg (dwt) / (10 cm2 )和 (5 17± 393)μg (dwt) / (10 cm2 )。共鉴定出 14个小型底栖生物类群 ,其中自由生活海洋线虫丰度占绝对优势 ,桡足类丰度居第 2位 ,这两个类群总和占小型底栖生物总丰度的 94 .8%～ 97.5 %。在生物量中所占比例列前 4位的类群依次为线虫、多毛类、桡足类、双壳类 ,加起来超过小型底栖生物总生物量的 80 %。小型底栖生物的 74 %分布于 2 cm以浅表层中。小型底栖生物的丰度和生物量在渤海海峡和渤海中东部较高 ,与环境因子的相关分析表明小型底栖生物的丰度与水深呈极显著的正相关 ,与沉积物的中值粒径呈显著的负相关     

西沙群岛及其附近海域多毛类动物地理学的研究

西沙群岛及其附近海域蕴藏着极其丰富的水产资源,是我国的良好渔场之一,自古以来就是我国渔民的渔捞基地.解放以来,在党的领导下,对我国神圣领土西沙群岛进行了大规模的开发和建设.中国科学院海洋研究所和中国科学院南海海洋研究所等单位,进行了多次海洋生物资源调查,我们曾报告过113种浮游和底栖多毛类.根据1975-1976年补充调查的标本,又发现了过去未报告过的多毛类70种,截至目前西沙群岛及其附近海域的多毛类共有183种.本文根据现在掌握的资料对我国西沙群岛及其附近海域多毛类动物地理学做一初步分析.     

东海温度锋的分布特征及其季节变异

根据１９３４－１９８８年东海水文观测资料，重点分析东海温度锋的分布特征及其季节变异，并结合近期中日黑潮合作调查研究成果，初步探讨温度锋季节变异和水团演变的关系，所得主要结论是：（１）东海不仅常年存在浙闽沿岸锋，东海北部陆架锋和黑潮锋，而且、春、夏两季，在东海南部还出现一条东海中部出架锋。（２）江海温度锋季节变化的特点是：冬季，锋的宽度和强度皆是表层最强，夏季，表层温度锋仅出现在浙江近岸小范围海域。     

Palynological characterization of gassy sediments in the inner part of Ría de Vigo (NW Spain). New chronological and environmental data

Palynological characterization of the pollen assemblages from core ZV-01 offers a reliable age record of shallow ‘gas seal’ and ‘gas reservoir’ sediments from the Ría de Vigo (NW Spain). Gassy sediments show a direct correspondence with the palynological assemblage zones (LPAZ) 2, 3 and 4, which range in age from 950 to 1510 a.d. for the interval 81–176 cm where gas is found. The facies acting as a seal would correspond to the sedimentation in the ria starting from 1510 a.d. These assemblages also provide significant data which make it possible to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental changes recorded in the sedimentary infill of the Ría de Vigo. The gassy horizon corresponds to the phase when riparian and mesophilous forest were better represented. This coincides with a relative high abundance of Lingulodinium machaerophorum, which indicates that the waters of the ria had been less renewed by oceanic waters and had a plentiful supply of continental nutrients. At that time, anoxic conditions resulted from restricted vertical circulation of seawater and/or high biological productivity. The dinocyst assemblages overlying and underlying the gassy horizon in core ZV-01 are clearly different from those concomitant with the accumulation of the gassy sediments. This suggests that oceanographic conditions in the Ría de Vigo may have changed several times during the time interval covered by our record. The weaker relationship between L. machaerophorum/Spiniferites spp., and simultaneous significant increases in Impagidinium spp. and Bitectatodinium tepikiense may indicate a greater intrusion of colder, more oceanic waters into the Ría de Vigo, which may have provoked intensification in upwelling during two periods, ca. 700–850 a.d. and ca. 1500–1750 a.d.     

Geologic evolution of the Canarian Islands of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and La Gomera and comparison of landslides at these islands with those at Tenerife, La Palma and El Hierro

In this paper we discuss the results of a swath bathymetric investigation of the Canary archipelago offshore area. These new data indicate that volcanism is pervasive throughout the seafloor in the region, much more that would be suggested by the islands. We have mapped tens of volcanic edifices between Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria and offshore Tenerife, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma. Volcanic flows are present between Tenerife and La Gomera and salic necks dominate the eastern insular slope of La Gomera. This bathymetry also supports land geologic studies that indicate that the oceanic archipelago has acquired its present morphology in part by mass wasting, a consequence of the collapse of the volcanic edifices. In the younger islands, Tenerife, La Palma and El Hierro, the Quaternary (1.2 to 0.15 Ma) debris avalanches are readily recognizable and can be traced offshore for distances measured in tens of km. Off the older islands, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and La Gomera (<20 to 3.5 Ma), the avalanches have been obscured by subsequent turbidity current deposition and erosion as well as hemipelagic processes. The failure offshore western Lanzarote is in the form of a ramp at the base of the insular slope bound on the seaward side by a scarp. Its size and the lack of evidence of rotation along its landwards side precludes the possibility that it is a slump. It probably represents a slide whose outer scarp is caused by break-up of the slide. Mounds on the ramp’s surface may represent post-displacement volcanic structures or exotic blocks transported to their present locations by the slide. The failures offshore Fuerteventura are so large that, although they occurred in the Miocene-Pliocene, exotic blocks displaced from upslope are still recognizable in the insular margin morphology. The Canary Island insular margin appears to be a creation of Miocene-Pliocene mass wasting and more recent turbidity current deposition and erosion, and hemilepagic deposition. Failures offshore La Gomera are due to debris flows and/or turbidity currents. These events have obscured earlier mass wasting events. An erratum to this article is available at .