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VHF meteor radar at King Sejong Station, Antarctica
Get PDFSince 2002, we have been observing the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region over King Sejong Station (KSS; 62.22°S, 58.78°W), Antarctica, using various instruments such as the Spectral Airglow Temperature Imager (SATI), All Sky Camera (ASC) and VHF meteor radar. The meteor radar, installed in March 2007, continuously measures neutral winds in the altitude region 70–110 km and neutral temperature near the mesopause 24 h∙d-1, regardless of weather conditions. In this study, we present results of an analysis of the neutral wind data for gravity wave activity over the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, where such activity is known to be very high. Also presented is temperature estimation from measurement of the decay times of meteor trails, which is compared with other temperature measurements from SATI and the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument onboard the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energy and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite
Study of ionospheric disturbances during solar flare events using the SuperDARN Hokkaido radar
Get PDFIt is well known that many types of ionospheric disturbances occur during solar flare events. The sudden increase in total electron content (SITEC) has been studied for several decades, but total electron content (TEC) data do not provide information on the altitudinal distribution of electron density changes. Previous studies used HF Doppler system data to investigate the contributions of the D-region and F-region ionospheric electron density changes by examining the HF radio wave frequency dependence on the Doppler shift values. In this study we examined the dependence of the elevation angle of the Doppler shift of ground scatter echoes using the SuperDARN Hokkaido radar. We analyzed solar flare events from Dec 2006 to Mar 2012. A sudden fade-out of echoes was observed in almost all the events we analyzed, which was the result of the radio absorption associated with a significant increase in electron density within the D-region ionosphere. In addition, we discovered positive Doppler shifts just before the sudden fade-out of echoes. The Doppler shift is negatively correlated with the elevation angle of received radar waves. It indicates that variation of electron density in the D-region ionosphere is dominant during solar flare events. This result is consistent with a previous study. We also compared the irradiation by X-ray and extreme ultra violet rays observed by the GOES-14 and GOES-15 satellites, which generated Doppler shifts. A positive Doppler shift is consistent with a change of X-ray flux
Composition and distribution of diatom assemblages in the surface sediments of the Bering Sea
Get PDFDiatoms collected from the top 1 cm of the surface sediment layer at seven Bering Sea stations during the Fourth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition (4th CHINARE-Arctic) in 2010 were studied. In total, 101 taxa belonging to 38 genera were found. The species were divided into four groups: eurythermal species, boreal-temperate species, polar species, and sea-ice species. The diatom assemblages at the stations in the southwestern basin area were primarily composed of boreal-temperate species, such as Neodenticula seminae, Thalassiosira trifulta, Rhizosolenia hebetata f. hiemalis, and Actinocyclus curvatulus. The northeastern shelf stations were dominated by polar species, including Fragilariopsis oceanica, Thalassiosira antarctica spora, Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii, and Thalassiosira hyalina. The overall abundance was highest at the basin stations with 3.7 ×106 cells∙g-1 of wet sediment, whereas the eastern shelf stations had the lowest abundance of 0.7×106 cells∙g-1 of wet sediment (excluding the resting spores of Chaetoceros spp.). The relationship between the distribution of the surface sediment diatom assemblages and the environment is discussed
Auroral event detection using spatiotemporal statistics of local motion vectors
Get PDFThe analysis and exploration of auroral dynamics are very significant for studying auroral mechanisms. This paper proposes a method based on auroral dynamic processes for detecting auroral events automatically. We first obtained the motion fields using the multiscale fluid flow estimator. Then, the auroral video frame sequence was represented by the spatiotemporal statistics of local motion vectors. Finally, automatic auroral event detection was achieved. The experimental results show that our methods could detect the required auroral events effectively and accurately, and that the detections were independent on any specific auroral event. The proposed method makes it feasible to statistically analyze a large number of continuous observations based on the auroral dynamic process
A comparative analysis of β-mannanases of bacteria from Antarctica and Malaysia
Get PDFβ-mannanase is an enzyme that is commonly expressed in environmental bacteria. It degrades hemicellulose found in plant material and recycles nutrients back into the environment. Because this enzyme significantly contributes to biodegradation and has recently been applied in industry, we conducted a comparative analysis of bacterial isolates found in soil samples from Schirmacher Oasis, Antarctica, and Sabah, Malaysia that were capable of degrading mannan. A total of 9 bacterial isolates from Antarctica and 30 bacterial isolates from Malaysia exhibited β-mannanase activity. These bacteria were differentiated and clustered using their random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiles, and the β-mannanase activity of these isolates was tested at different temperatures and pH. Five out of 9 Antarctica isolates and seven out of 30 Malaysian isolates were identified based on their 16S rDNA sequences. Identified bacterial isolates from Antarctica were: MP1 (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens), MP2 (Bacillus pumilus), MP5 (Bacillus pumilus), A40 (Arthrobacter sp.), and C27 (Arthrobacter oxydans). Identified bacterial isolates from Malaysia were: Y1 (Paenibacillus sp.), Y2 (Bacillus sp.), Y16 (Paenibacillus sp.), Y18 (Paenibacillus sp.), A7 (Paenibacillus sp.), B26 (Streptomyces sp.), and D4 (Paenibacillus amylolyticus). β-mannanases produced by the Antarctica bacterial isolates MP1 (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) and A40 (Arthrobacter sp.) were active at 5℃ and 20℃, respectively, while the β-mannanase produced by the bacterial isolate from Malaysia, A7 (Paenibacillus sp.), was active at 35℃
Near-surface structure and energy characteristics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current
Get PDFHistorical surface drifter observations collected from the Southern Ocean are used to study the near-surface structure, variability, and energy characteristics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). A strong, nearly zonal ACC combined with complex fronts dominates the circulation system in the Southern Ocean. Standard variance ellipses indicate that both the Agulhas Return Current and the East Australian Warm Current are stable supplements of the near-surface ACC, and that the anticyclonic gyre formed by the Brazil warm current and the Malvinas cold current is stable throughout the year. During austral winter, the current velocity increases because of the enhanced westerly wind. Aroused by the meridional motion of the ACC, the meridional velocity shows greater instability characteristics than the zonal velocity does over the core current. Additionally, the ACC exhibits an eastward declining trend in the core current velocity from southern Africa. The characteristics of the ACC are also argued from the perspective of energy. The energy distribution suggests that the mean kinetic energy (MKE), eddy kinetic energy (EKE), and EKE are strong over the core currents of the ACC. However, in contrast, EKE/MKE suggests there is much less (more) eddy dissipation in regions with strong (weak) energy distribution. Both meridional and zonal energy variations are studied to illustrate additional details of the ACC energy characteristics. Generally, all the energy forms except EKE/MKE present west-east reducing trends, which coincide with the velocity statistics. Eddy dissipation has a much greater effect on MKE in the northern part of the Southern Ocean
Study of the climatic teleconnection between the Siberian high and maritime continent warm pool
Get PDFThis paper attempts to establish a method for analysing the relationship between the polar and equatorial climate of the Northern Hemisphere. The Arctic Oscillation (AO) is known to have no direct relationship with the monsoon over the Maritime Continent (MC). Thus, an index called the Siberian High(SH)–Maritime Continent(MC) Index (SHMCI) is developed to represent the mean sea level pressure difference between the SH and the warm pool over the MC. This index indicates a strong link with the monsoon circulation. A positive (strong) value of the SHMCI is associated with strong meridional winds and intense and frequent cold surge events over the South China Sea. The correlation between the AO index and the SHMCI is -0.39, which is medium but statistically significant; however, it is not sufficiently conclusive to infer direct correlation. Nevertheless, the SHMCI can be used as a tool to relate the AO with the monsoon over the MC because of the influence demonstrated by the AO towards the SH. Further analysis on the convergence and divergence anomalies over the MC reveals an impact discernible only from the SHMCI. This implies that the SHMCI manifests clearly the relationship between the Arctic and equatorial climate
Ice concentration assimilation in a regional ice-ocean coupled model and its application in sea ice forecasting
Get PDFA reasonable initial state of ice concentration is essential for accurate short-term forecasts of sea ice using ice-ocean coupled models. In this study, sea ice concentration data are assimilated into an operational ice forecast system based on a combined optimal interpolation and nudging scheme. The scheme produces a modeled sea ice concentration at every time step, based on the difference between observational and forecast data and on the ratio of observational error to modeled error. The impact and the effectiveness of data assimilation are investigated. Significant improvements to predictions of sea ice extent were obtained through the assimilation of ice concentration, and minor improvements through the adjustment of the upper ocean properties. The assimilation of ice thickness data did not significantly improve predictions. Forecast experiments show that the forecast accuracy is higher in summer, and that the errors on five-day forecasts occur mainly around the marginal ice zone
Field measurements of absolute gravity in East Antarctica
Get PDFThis paper reports the results of field-based absolute gravity measurements aimed at detecting gravity change and crustal displacement caused by glacial isostatic adjustment. The project was initiated within the framework of the 53rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE53). Absolute gravity measurements, together with GPS measurements, were planned at several outcrops along the Prince Olav Coast and Sôya Coast of East Antarctica, including at Syowa Station. Since the icebreaker Shirase (AGB 5003) was unable to moor alongside Syowa Station, operations were somewhat restricted during JARE53. However, despite this setback, we were able to complete measurements at two sites: Syowa Station and Langhovde. The absolute gravity value at the Syowa Station IAGBN (A) site, observed using an FG-5 absolute gravimeter (serial number 210; FG-5 #210), was 982 524 322.7±0.1 μGal, and the gravity change rate at the beginning of 2012 was –0.26 μGal∙a-1. An absolute gravity value of 982 535 584.2±0.7 μGal was obtained using a portable A-10 absolute gravimeter (serial number 017; A-10 #017) at the newly located site AGS01 in Langhovde
The content and distribution of Ge in the sediments of Prydz Bay, Antarctica
Get PDFThe content and distribution of Ge is investigated in sediments from the Southern Ocean (Prydz Bay, Antarctica). The content of Getotal in the sediments ranges from 1.14×10-6 to 2.35×10-6 (average of 1.71×10-6) and the highest value occurs at station P3-9 where water depth is > 1 000 m. The lowest value occurs at station P4-13 which is near the edge of the Amery ice shelf. The surface sediments have 16%–68% Gebio within Getotal. The distribution trends of Gebio and Getotal are generally similar, and the values outside Prydz Bay are higher than within the bay, bounded at 67°S. The vertical distribution of Ge in sediment cores presents higher values at the surface than in underlying sediments. Values of Gebio appear to positively correlate with biogenic silica (BSiO2) in surface sediments from non-polynyas sea. The vertical distribution of Gebio and BSiO2 is similar in sediments of station P3-16