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Observations of stratospheric ozone above Ny-Ålesund in the Arctic, 2010–2011
Get PDFStratosphere ozone depletion above the Arctic region has drawn increased attention recently. Here we present stratospheric ozone column densities above Ny-Ålesund in the Arctic during summer 2010 and 2011, based on a self-developed passive differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) technique. By analyzing the received scattered solar spectrum, daily variations of ozone vertical column densities (VCDs) were obtained and correlated with satellite-borne ozone monitoring results and ozone sonde data. The comparisons showed good correlation, confirming the feasibility of DOAS in high-latitude Arctic regions. The preliminary analysis also demonstrated that abnormal low-level ozone columns found in spring 2011 had negative impacts on total ozone column densities over the entire year. The loss of stratospheric ozone may be correlated with low stratospheric temperatures, where heterogeneous atmospheric reactions were active
The various substrates of Usnea aurantiaco-atra and its algal sources in the Fildes Peninsula, Antarctica
Get PDFThe lichen species Usnea aurantiaco-atra (Jacq.) Bory is the most dominant vegetation on the Fildes Peninsula, Antarctica. Most individuals grow on rocks, and some are found with mosses. During the 27th and 28th Chinese National Antarctic Research expeditions of the Great Wall Station, U. aurantiaco-atra was observed growing on the lichen thallus of Umbilicaria antarctica Frey & I.M. Lamb, or on wood, which indicated that Usnea aurantiaco-atra could grow on various substrates. The diversities of the symbionts in U. aurantiaco-atra collected in the Fildes Peninsula were investigated using ITS rDNA sequences. The results showed that the sequences from mycobionts of U. aurantiaco-atra growing on various substrates did not exhibit significant differences. All photobionts in this lichen species were the green algae Trebouxia jamesii (Hildreth & Ahmadjian) Gärtner. The identical sequences from the photobionts of both Umbilicaria antarctica and Usnea aurantiaco-atra indicated there was an algae pool in this area and different mycobionts could obtain their algal partners from this pool. The variety of substrates for U. aurantiaco-atra suggested its photobiont could be obtained from a mature lichen thallus by vegetative propagation; from other lichen thalli (e.g. Umbilicaria antarctica); or from the surroundings. This study will promote understanding of the distribution of photobionts and the process of lichenization
Lunar meteorites: witnesses of the composition and evolution of the Moon
Get PDFLunar meteorites are fragments of the Moon that escaped the gravity of the Moon following high-energy impacts by asteroids, subsequently fell to Earth. An inventory of 165 lunar meteorites has been developed since the discovery and identification of the first lunar meteorite, ALHA 81005, in 1979. Although the Apollo samples are much heavier in mass than lunar meteorites, the meteorites are still an important sample supplement for scientific research on the composition and history of the Moon. Apart from a small amount of unbrecciated crystalline rocks, the majority of lunar meteorites are breccias that can be classified into three groups: highland feldspathic breccia, mare basaltic breccia, and mingled(including fledspathic and basaltic clasts) breccia. The petrography of lunar rocks suggests that there are a series of rock types of anorthosite, basalt, gabbro, troctolite, norite and KREEP in the Moon. Although KREEP is rare in lunar rocks, KREEP components have been found in the increasing number of lunar meteorites. KREEP provides important information on lunar magmatic evolution, e.g., the VHK KREEP clasts in SaU 169 may represent the pristine lunar magma (urKREEP). Six launching pairs of lunar meteorites have been proposed now, along with ten possible lunar launching sites. In addition, symplectite is often found in lunar basalts, which is a significant record of shock metamorphism on the lunar surface. Furthermore, isotopic ages and noble gases not only provide information on crystallization processes in lunar rocks and the formation of lunar crust, but also provide insight into shock events on the lunar surface
Alicyclobacillus sp. strain CC2, a thermo-acidophilic bacterium isolated from Deception Island (Antarctica) containing a thermostable superoxide dismutase enzyme
Get PDFA gram-positive, rod-shaped, aerobic, thermo-acidophilic bacterium CC2 (optimal temperature 55℃ and pH 4.0), belonging to the genus Alicyclobacillus was isolated from geothermal soil collected from “Cerro Caliente”, Deception Island, Antarctica. Owing to the harsh environmental conditions found in this territory, microorganisms are exposed to conditions that trigger the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). They must have an effective antioxidant defense system to deal with this oxidative stress. We focused on one of the most important enzymes: superoxide dismutase, which was partially purified and characterized. This study presents the first report of a thermo-acidophilic bacterium isolated from Deception Island with a thermostable superoxide dismutase (SOD)
Thickness distribution and extent of sea ice and snow in Prydz Bay and surrounding waters observed in 2012/2013 austral summer
Get PDFThree ship-based observational campaigns were conducted to survey sea ice and snow in Prydz Bay and the surrounding waters (64.40°S–69.40°S, 76.11°E–81.29°E) from 28 November 2012 to 3 February 2013. In this paper, we present the sea ice extent and its variation, and the ice and snow thickness distributions and their variations with time in the observed zone. In the pack ice zone, the southern edge of the pack ice changed little, whereas the northern edge retreated significantly during the two earlier observation periods. Compared with the pack ice, the fast ice exhibited a significantly slower variation in extent with its northernmost edge retreating southwards by 6.7 km at a rate of 0.37 km∙d-1. Generally, ice showed an increment in thickness with increasing latitude from the end of November to the middle of December. Ice and snow thickness followed an approximate normal distribution during the two earlier observations (79.7±28.9 cm, 79.1±19.1 cm for ice thickness, and 11.6±6.1 cm, 9.6±3.4 cm for snow thickness, respectively), and the distribution tended to be more concentrated in mid-December than in late November. The expected value of ice thickness decreased by 0.6 cm, whereas that of snow thickness decreased by 2 cm from 28 November to 18 December 2012. Ice thickness distribution showed no obvious regularity between 31 January and 3 February, 2013
From mandatory icebreaker guiding to a permission regime: changes to the new Russian legislation of the Northern Sea Route
Get PDFThis article focuses on two issues. The first concerns definitions of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in old and new Russian legislation, and the second relates to Russian rules on icebreaker guiding. Based on a comprehensive comparative analysis of relevant Russian legal provisions enacted in 2013 and previous laws in this area, we offer the following conclusions. (1) Our legal analysis indicates that Russia’s view of the NSR as a historical national transportation route has not changed. However, the new law redefines the scope and coverage of the NSR, which now comprises the internal waters, territorial sea, adjacent zone, and the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation. In fact, the new law resolves previous ambiguity regarding extension of the NSR boundary to the high seas. (2) Based on an analysis of the new rules on icebreaker guiding, the article concludes that NSR is transitioning from a mandatory icebreaker guiding regime into a permit regime. This is particularly evident in its provision of a concrete, practical, and predictable clause on permissible or impermissible conditions relating to independent navigation. According to the new rules, it is possible for foreign ships to undertake independent navigation in the NSR. The Russian NSR policy, therefore, appears to have changed significantly, and has future potential for opening the NSR up to the international community
Seasonal changes in sea ice conditions along the Northeast Passage in 2007 and 2012
Get PDFRemote sensing data from passive microwave and satellite-based altimeters, associated with the data measured underway, were used to characterize seasonal and spatial changes in sea ice conditions along the Arctic Northeast Passage (NEP) and the high-latitude sea route (HSR) north of the island groups in the eastern Arctic Ocean in 2007 and 2012. In both years, summer Arctic sea ice extent reached minima since satellite records began in 1979. However, there were large differences in spatial distribution of sea ice between the two years. Sea ice conditions in the eastern sections of the sea routes were relatively slight in the 2007 summer, because of the remarkable decline of sea ice in the Pacific sector. A belt of sea ice that blocked sections from the western Laptev Sea to the eastern Kara Sea resulted in both sea routes not completely opening through the 2007 summer. The combination of a great storm in early August causing sea ice to be sheared from the Arctic pack ice and the thick ice surviving the winter delayed the summer opening of the eastern parts of the sea routes in 2012. However, the average open period, defined by 50% ice concentration for the entire NEP and HSR, reached 82 d and 55 d, respectively. Thus, 2012 was the most accessible year since the satellite era began in 1979. The distinct decrease in sea ice in the western parts of the HSR in the 2012 summer can be attributed to the thinning preconditions of sea ice prior to the melt season. The HSR opening can benefit Arctic shipping of deeper-draft vessels
Increasing Land Use Pressures in the European Arctic factsheet by the Strategic Assessment of Development of the Arctic:Assessment Conducted for the EU
Get PDFIncreasing Land Use Pressures in the European Arctic factsheet by the Strategic Assessment of Development of the Arctic:Assessment Conducted for the E
The composition and origination of particles from surface water in the Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean
Get PDFSuspended particle samples were collected at 11 stations on the shelf and slope regions of the Chukchi Sea and the central Arctic Ocean during the fifth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition (summer 2012). The particle concentration, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and the isotopic composition of the samples were analyzed. The suspended particle concentration varied between 0.56 and 4.01 mg.L-1; the samples collected from the sea ice margin have higher concentrations. The organic matter content is higher in the shelf area (TOC: 9.78%–20.24%; TN: 0.91%–2.31%), and exhibits heavier isotopic compositions (δ13C: –23.29‰ to –26.33‰ PDB; δ15N: 6.14‰–7.78‰), indicating that the organic matter is mostly marine in origin with some terrigenous input. In the slope and the central Arctic Ocean, the organic matter content is lower (TOC: 8.06% – 8.96%; TN: 0.46%–0.72%), except for one sample (SR15), and has lighter isotopic compositions (δ13C: –26.93‰ to – 27.78‰ PDB; δ15N: 4.13‰–4.84‰). This indicates that the organic matter is mostly terrestrially-derived in these regions. The extremely high amount of terrigenous organic matter (TOC: 27.94%; TN: 1.16%; δ13C: –27.43‰ PDB; δ15N: 3.81‰) implies that it was carried by transpolar currents from the East Siberian Sea. Material, including sea ice algae, carried by sea ice are the primary source for particles in the sea ice margins. Sea ice melting released a substantial amount of biomass into the shelf, but a large amount of detrital and clay minerals in the slope and the central Arctic Ocean
Arctic sea ice and atmospheric circulation under the abrupt4xCO2 scenario
Get PDFWe analyze sea ice changes from eight different earth system models that have conducted experiment abrupt4xCO2 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). In response to abrupt quadrupling of CO2 from preindustrial levels, Arctic temperatures dramatically rise by about 10°C—16°C in winter and the seasonal sea ice cycle and sea ice concentration are significantly changed compared with the pre-industrial control simulations (piControl). Changes of Arctic sea ice concentration are spatially correlated with temperature patterns in all seasons and highest in autumn. Changes in sea ice are associated with changes in atmospheric circulation patterns at heights up to the jet stream. While the pattern of sea level pressure changes is generally similar to the surface air temperature change pattern, the wintertime 500 hPa circulation displays a positive Pacific North America (PNA) anomaly under abrupt4xCO2-piControl. This large scale teleconnection may contribute to, or feedback on, the simulated sea ice cover change and is associated with an intensification of the jet stream over East Asia and the north Pacific in winter