The first determination of atmospheric phosphine in Antarctica

It is generally thought that phosphine (PH3) concentrations exist at the low ng/m3 level during the night and at the pg/m3 level during daylight in the remote atmosphere of the lower troposphere. The first de- termination of gaseous PH3 on the Antarctic Millor Peninsula is reported in this paper. No PH3 was de- tected in the air samples around 10:00 when it was sunny. However, PH3 was found in all the 10:00 air samples when it was cloudy or light snow with the average of 75.3±28.8 ng/m3 (n=5). It was also found in nearly all the samples around 22:00 with the average of 87.2±70.9 ng/m3 (n=11). Atmospheric PH3 concentrations around 22:00 were generally higher than those around 10:00 in January and they were almost the same in February. In addition, PH3 concentrations around 22:00 showed a downtrend with the decreasing air temperature, suggesting that light intensity and air temperature had an important effect on atmospheric PH3 concentration. It is very surprising to have found that high concentrations of PH3 exist in the Antarctic atmosphere under the influence of strong UV-radiation and light intensity. The tentative analyses show that dry, cold and very clean atmosphere may be very suitable for the PH3 sur- vival and cause the concentration to increase and accumulate in the local atmosphere. New ap- proaches for the PH3 formation and the process of atmospheric chemistry may exist under such an extreme environment. Atmospheric PH3 may also be from the emissions of local sources.     

Concentration level and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil and grass around Mt. Qomolangma, China

High mountains may serve as a condenser for persistent organic pollutants. In the present study, soil and grass samples from Mt. Qomolangma region, China were collected from 4600 to 5620 m a.s.I and were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） to determine if they are concentrated at colder, more elevated sites and to evaluate their possible resources and fractionation. The total PAHs concentration in soil samples was 〈 600 ng g^-1, the critical value to differentiate PAHs levels in remote and urban regions. This implied the PAHs levels at Mt. Qomolangma are relatively low and what one might expect in such a remote region of the world. These low values may represent a soil background for mid-latitude Northern Hemisphere soils away from the direct influence of an anthropogenic source. As for the distribution pattern, the low molecular weight PAHs were prone to accumulate at higher altitude, while the high molecular weight PAHs inversely related or unrelated with elevation. Based on high concentration of phenanthrene at elevated sample site and the ratios of individual PAHs, we deduced that home-heating combustion and vehicle emission may result in the constitution trait of PAHs in this mountain region. Monsoon traveling over India, Pakistan and other countries with dense population may carry contaminant to Mt. Qomolangma region.     

Characterization of PM2.5/PM2.5-10 and source tracking in the juncture belt between urban and rural areas of Beijing

Coarse （PM2.5-10） and fine （PM2.5） atmospheric particulate samples were collected in summer and winter during 2005-2007 in the juncture belt between urban and rural areas of Beijing. Elements, ions, organic/elemental carbon （OC/EC） and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） were determined to obtain some latest information about the particulate pollution in the juncture belt of Beijing. Particulate matter levels at this site were high as compared with the levels at other sampling sites in Beijing. Pollution elements, secondary ions and PAHs were enriched in fine particles rather than in coarse particles. An obvious seasonal variation of the chemical composition of PM was observed. Source apportionment results showed that secondary components were the largest mass contributor of PM2.5, accounting for 28%; whereas soil-related sources were the largest contributor of PM2.5-10, explaining about 49% of the total mass. The abnormal levels of soil heavy metals at the electronic waste disassembly site in the upwind villages suggested the potential impact of such activities to the environment.     

Mo isotopes in the Lower Cambrian formation of southern China and its implications on paleo-ocean environment

Over the past decade, as one of nontraditional stable isotopes, Mo isotope has developed rapidly and now become an important geochemical proxy to trace paleo-oceanic and atmospheric evolution through geological history. In this paper, Early Cambrian formations in southern China are investigated. The results indicate that δ 97/95Mo values of Early Cambrian seawater may have been larger than 1.4‰, values that are close to those of the modern ocean. It was also found that the variations in Mo isotope composition in samples from two sections （Huangjiawan and Gezhongwu in Guizhou） were closely related to changes in redox conditions during sedimentary processes. Combining our results with existing data, a preliminary model for the evolution of seawater Mo isotope composition through geological history was provided. It indicated that Mo isotopic variations were generally consistent with the evolution of atmospheric oxygen.     

Seasonal variations of dust record in the Muztagata ice cores

Based on the oxygen isotope ratio and microparticle record in ice cores recovered at Mt. Muztagata, Eastern Pamirs, the seasonal variations of atmospheric dust have been reconstructed for the past four decades. High dust concentrations and coarser particle grains have the similar trend with oxygen isotope value. Our statistical results indicate that 50%--60% high dust concentration samples occur during the season with high oxygen isotope values （summer）, while low dust storm frequency during spring and winter. Back-trajectory analysis shows that the air mass hitting Muztagata predominately came from West Asia （such as Iran-Afghanistan Plateau） and Central Asia, which are the main dust source area for Muztagata. Dust storms in those source areas most frequently occur during summer （from May to August）, while frequent dust storm events in northern China mainly occur during spring （March to May）. Regions in the path of Asian dust transport, such as in Japan, the North Pacific, and Greenland, also show high dust concentrations during spring （from March to May）. Our results indicate that dust storms have different seasonality in different regions within Asia.     

Evidence for tritium production in the Earth's interior

We have made a new investigation on the vertical profiles of tritium and helium isotopes in Lakes Van and Nemrut(Eastern Turkey),using experimental data from the reference by Kipfer et al.for study of long-term vertical mixing and deep water renewal in Lake Van.Lakes Van and Nemrut are crater lakes.Lake Nemrut is at the western border of Lake Van.The 3He and 4He are injected at the bottom of Lakes Van and Nemrut,and the both helium isotopes are confirmed from the mantle source.From 3H(tritium) data in Lakes Van and Nemrut,we have observed "3H anomaly" at the vertical profile of 3H concentrations in Lake Nemrut.The 3H concentration at the lake bottom is 10% higher than at the surface.The difference of 3H concentrations between surface and bottom is about 3.7±1.2 TU.This excess 3H should be injected from the lake bottom.An investigation on the origin of the injected tritium has been made.The results show the conventional origins are excluded,such as residence of precipitation tritium from nuclear testing in the early 1950s-1960s and tritium from known nuclear reactions.Based on the correlation of excess 3H with 3He and heat flow in Lake Nemrut,we infer that the 3He and 3H might be all from the mantle source,and produced by the supposed natural-nuclear-fusion,which might occur in an environment rich in water(H) and(U Th) at high temperature and high pressure in the deep Earth.Detection of tritium in the Earth's interior is a key evidence for exploration of natural nuclear fusion in the deep Earth.Based on the published data,we have found that the excess 3He and 3H injected at the bottom of Lake Laacher(Germany) were also released from the mantle source.The present work will be helpful to the further study of mechanism of natural nuclear fusion in the Earth's interior.     

Development of a Chinese land data assimilation system: its progress and prospects

The objective of land data assimilation is to merge multi-source observations into the dynamics of land surface model for improving the estimation of land surface states. We have developed a land data assimilation system for China’s land territory. In this system, the Common Land Model and Simple Biosphere Model 2 are used to simulate land surface processes. The radiative transfer models of thawed and frozen soil, snow, lake, and vegetation are used as observation operators to transfer model predictions into estimated brightness temperatures. A Monte-Carlo based sequential filter, the ensemble Kalman filter, is implemented as data assimilation method to integrate modeling and observation. The system is capable of assimilating passive microwave remotely sensed data such as special sensor microwave/imager (SSM/I), TRMM microwave imager (TMI), and advanced microwave scanning radiometer enhanced for EOS (AMSR-E) and the conventional in situ measurements of soil and snow. A spatiotemporally consistent assimilated dataset for soil moisture, soil temperature, snow and frozen soil, with a spatial resolution of 0.25 degree and temporal resolution of one hour, has been produced. This paper introduces the development of Chinese land data assimilation system and the progress made on data assimilation algorithms, land surface modeling, microwave remote sensing of land surface hydrological variables, and the preparation of atmospheric forcing data. The distinct characteristics and challenges of developing land data assimilation system and the perspectives for future development are also discussed.     

Evidence for tritium production in the Earth’s interior

We have made a new investigation on the vertical profiles of tritium and helium isotopes in Lakes Van and Nemrut （Eastern Turkey）, using experimental data from the reference by Kipfer et al. for study of long-term vertical mixing and deep water renewal in Lake Van. Lakes Van and Nemrut are crater lakes. Lake Nemrut is at the western border of Lake Van. The ^3He and ^4He are injected at the bottom of Lakes Van and Nemrut, and the both helium isotopes are confirmed from the mantle source. From ^3H （tritium） data in Lakes Van and Nemrut, we have observed ＂^3H anomaly＂ at the vertical profile of ^3H concentrations in Lake Nemrut. The ^3H concentration at the lake bottom is 10% higher than at the surface. The difference of ^3H concentrations between surface and bottom is about 3.7±1.2 TU. This excess ^3H should be injected from the lake bottom. An investigation on the origin of the injected tritium has been made. The results show the conventional origins are excluded, such as residence of precipitation tritium from nuclear testing in the early 1950s--1960s and tritium from known nuclear reactions. Based on the correlation of excess ^3H with ^3He and heat flow in Lake Nemrut, we infer that the ^3He and ^3H might be all from the mantle source, and produced by the supposed natural-nuclear-fusion, which might occur in an environment rich in water （H） and （U ＋ Th） at high temperature and high pressure in the deep Earth. Detection of tritium in the Earth＇s interior is a key evidence for exploration of natural nuclear fusion in the deep Earth. Based on the published data, we have found that the excess ^3He and ^3H injected at the bottom of Lake Laacher （Germany） were also released from the mantle source. The present work will be helpful to the further study of mechanism of natural nuclear fusion in the Earth＇s interior.     

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in surface sediments of the Yangtze and Yellow River Estuaries, China

The concentrations and congener profiles of poly-chlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in surface sediment samples collected from the Yangtze and Yellow River Estuaries were inves-tigated. PCN congeners (from MoCNs to OCN) were determined by isotope dilution/high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC-HRMS). The total concentrations of PCNs were 34.3-303.0 pg/g (dry weight, dw) in the Yangtze Estuary samples and 6.2-408.0 pg/g (dw) in the Yellow River Estuary samples, which were lower compared with that in other sediments reported by previous studies. In addition, the remarkably different homologue or congener profiles of PCNs have been obtained in this study. Samples dominated with MoCNs to TrCNs might be attributed to atmospheric deposition and global fractionation, while in other samples taken from the surrounding industrial areas the enrichment of higher chlorinated homologues suggested that the industrial and human activities should be the main potential sources.     

Development of a Chinese land data assimilation system:its progress and prospects

The objective of land data assimilation is to merge multi-source observations into the dynamics of land surface model for improving the estimation of land surface states.We have developed a land data assimilation system for China's land territory.In this sys- tem,the Common Land Model and Simple Biosphere Model 2 are used to simulate land surface processes.The radiative transfer models of thawed and frozen soil,snow,lake,and vegetation are used as observation operators to transfer model predictions into estimated bright- ness temperatures.A Monte-Carlo based sequential filter,the ensemble Kalman filter,is implemented as data assimilation method to inte- grate modeling and observation.The system is capable of assimilating passive microwave remotely sensed data such as special sensor mi- crowave/imager (SSM/I),TRMM microwave imager (TMI),and advanced microwave scanning radiometer enhanced for EOS (AMSR- E) and the conventional in situ measurements of soil and snow.A spatiotemporally consistent assimilated dataset for soil moisture,soil temperature,snow and frozen soil,with a spatial resolution of 0.25 degree and temporal resolution of one hour,has been produced.This paper introduces the development of Chinese land data assimilation system and the progress made on data assimilation algorithms,land sur- face modeling,microwave remote sensing of land surface hydrological variables,and the preparation of atmospheric forcing data.The dis- tinct characteristics and challenges of developing land data assimilation system and the perspectives for future development are also dis- cussed.     

Microbial community structure in major habitats above 6000 m on Mount Everest

Bacterial abundance in surface snow between 6600 and 8000 m a.s.l. on the northern slope of Mt. Ev- erest was investigated by flow cytometry. Bacterial diversity in serac ice at 6000 m a.s.l., glacier melt- water at 6350 m, and surface snow at 6600 m a.s.l. was examined by constructing a 16S rRNA gene clone library. Bacterial abundance in snow was higher than that in the Antarctic but similar to other mountain regions in the world. Bacterial abundance in surface snow increased with altitude but showed no correlation with chemical parameters. Bacteria in the cryosphere on Mt. Everest were closely related to those isolated from soil, aquatic environments, plants, animals, humans and other frozen environ- ments. Bacterial community structures in major habitats above 6000 m were variable. The Cyto- phaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides (CFB) group absolutely dominated in glacial meltwater, while β-Proteobacteria and the CFB group dominated in serac ice, and β-Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria dominated in surface snow. The remarkable differences among the habitats were most likely due to the bacterial post-deposition changes during acclimation processes.     

Records of volcanic events since AD 1800 in the East Rongbuk ice core from Mt. Qomolangma

Continuous Bi profile of the East Rongbuk (ER) ice core near Mt. Qomolangma reveals nine major volcanic events since AD 1800. Compared with Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI), it shows that the concentrations of Bi in the ER ice core can reflect the major volcanic events within the key areas. This provides a good horizon layer for ice core dating, as well as a basis for reconstructing a long sequence of volcanic records from the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau ice cores. Supported jointly by National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2007CB411501), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 90411003), Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KZCX3-SW-344) and Hundred Talents Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences     

The early Holocene optimum inferred from a hish-resolution pollen record of Husuansyan Maar Lake in southern China

A high-resolution pollen record of the past 13000 a from Huguangyan Maar Lake reveals the vegetation and environment changes in southern China during the Holocene. It shows that （i） pollen percentage of trees and shrubs reached 56% during the early Holocene （11600-7800 cal a BP）, of which the pollen percentage of tropical trees reached a maximum at 9500-8000 cal a BP, reflecting a hot and wet environment; （ii） during the mid-Holocene （7800-4200 cal a BP）, the pollen percentage of montane coniferous trees and herbs increased, while the percentage of tropical-subtropical trees decreased, indicating lower temperature and humidity; （iii） in the late Holocene spanning from 4200 to 350 cal a BP, the pollen percentage of herbs and montane conifer increased significantly, indicating a marked decrease of temperature and humidity. Our pollen data reveal that the time period 9500-8000 cal a BP in southern China represents a climatic optimum for the Holocene characterized by hot and wet conditions. This is consistent with the Holocene optimum found in lower latitude regions globally. We speculate that strong insolation might cause the northward migration of the ITCZ and subtropical summer monsoon front, which resulted in an early Holocene optimum in the Huguangyan area. The dry tendency and climate fluctuations of the middle and late Holocene could be associated with a decrease in solar insolation and frequent ENSO event.     

Using 137Cs tracing technique to estimate wind erosion rates in the typical steppe region,northern Mongolian Plateau

Wind erosion is one of the major factors of land degradation in the typical steppe region, northern Mongolian Plateau. Using ^137Cs tracing technique, we estimated the wind erosion rates of different pastures and abandoned farmland at Bayannur and Karakorum in Mongolia. The pastures and cutting grassland at Bayannur were slightly eroded by wind, with the rates of 64.58-169.07 t·km^-2.a^-1. The abandoned farmland in Karakorum, however, was strongly eroded by wind, with annual surface soil loss of 4.05 mm. a^-1, and wind erosion rates up to 6723.06 t· km^-2. a^-1. The total loss of surface soil due to wind erosion has been 17.4 cm since the cultivation of the steppe land in the 1960s. The wind ero- sion rate at the abandoned farmland was much higher than that at the typical steppe sites, showing that the cultivation led to serious wind erosion in the typical steppe region, northern Mongolian Plateau. By contrast, traditional livestock grazing resulted in less disturbance to the surface soil, and did not induce to devastating wind erosion, which plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the steppe ecosystem in the northern Mongolian Plateau.     

Changes in annual accumulation retrieved from Geladaindong ice core and its relationship to atmospheric circulation over the Tibetan Plateau

Annual accumulation records covering 1935 to 2004 were reconstructed using Geladaindong ice core in the source of Yangtze River. A significant positive correlation between annual accumulation and precipitation from nearby meteorological stations was found, suggesting ice core accumulation could be taken as a precipitation proxy in the region. In the past 70 years, precipitation in the Geladaindong region was low from 1930s to early 1960s, and the lowest value occurred in the later 1950s. Since 1960s, precipitation increased dramatically and reached the maximum around 1980s, then decreased slightly in 1990s. By using Mann-Kendall rank statistical test method, a change point for precipitation was determined in 1967. Analysis of the atmospheric circulation over the Tibetan Plateau suggested that, compared with the southwest wind during the low precipitation period （before 1967）, it extended about 2 latitudes northward during high precipitation period （after 1967）. Moreover, during the high precipitation, the trough over the Bal Karshi Lake was also enhanced, and both the meridional wind and vapor transporting displayed a remarkable aggrandizement.     

Relationship between the Antarctic oscillation in the western North Pacific typhoon frequency

Relationship between the Antarctic oscillation (AAO) and the western North Pacific typhoon number (WNPTN) in the interannual variability is examined in this research. The WNPTN is correlated with the AAO in June-July-August-September (JJAS) in 1949-1998 at -0.48 for the detrended time series, statistically significant at 99% level. The tropical atmospheric circulation as well as the sea surface temperature variability over the western Pacific associated with AAO has been analyzed. It follows that a positive phase of JJAS AAO corresponds to the larger magnitude of the vertical zonal wind shear, the anomalous low-lever anticyclonic circulation and anomalous high-level cyclonic circulation, and lower sea surface temperature in the major typhoon genesis region in the western North Pacific, thus providing unfavorable environment for the typhoon genesis, and vice versa.     

Arctic dipole anomaly and summer rainfall in Northeast China

A dipole structure anomaly in summer Arctic atmospheric variability is identified in this study, which is characterized by the second mode of empirical orthogonal function （EOF） analysis of summer monthly mean sea level pressure （SLP） north of 70°N, accounting for 12.94% of the variance. The dipole anomaly shows a quasi-barotropic structure with opposite anomalous centers over the Canadian Arctic and the Beaufort Sea and between the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea. The dipole anomaly reflects alternating variations in location of the polar vortex between the western and eastern Arctic regions. The positive phase of the dipole anomaly corresponds to the center of the polar vortex over the western Arctic, leading to an increase in summer mean rainfall in Northeast China. The dipole anomaly has a predominant 6-year periodicity, and shows interdecadal variations in recent decades.     

Statistic characteristics and weather significance of infrared TBB during May―August in Beijing and its vicinity

In order to meet the demand of nowcasting convective storms in Beijing, the climatological characteristics of convective storms in Beijing and its vicinity were analyzed based on the infrared （IR） temperature of black body （TBB） data during May--August of 1997--2004. The climatological probabilities, the diurnal cycle and the spatial distribution of convective storms are given respectively in this paper. The results show that the climatological characteristics of convective storms denoted by TBB≤-52℃ are consistent with those statistic studies based on the surface and lightning observations. Furthermore, the climatological characteristics of May and June are very different from those of July and August, showing that there are two types of convective storms in this region. One occurs in the transient polar air mass on the midlatitude continent during the late spring and early summer. This type of convection arises with thunder, strong wind gust and hail over the mountainous area in the northern part of this region from afternoon to nightfall, the other occurs with heavy rainfall in the warm and moist air mass over the North China Plain and vicinity of Bohai Sea. This study also shows that the long-term data of IR TBB observed by geostationary satellite can complement the temporal and spatial limitation of the weather radar and surface observations.     

Elemental composition of aerosols collected in the glacier area on Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau, during summer monsoon season

In order to investigate the elemental composition in atmospheric aerosols and its sources in the glacier area over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), seven totally suspended particle samples were collected continuously at the col of the Zhadang glacier (30°28′N,90°39′E,5800 m a.s.l.), Nyainqêntanglha Range, southern TP, from June to October 2006. Twenty-seven elements (Li, Be, B, Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Fe, Mn, Zn, Ga, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Cd, Cs, Ba, Tl, Pb, Bi, Th, U) were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The result indicates that the concentrations of most elements (especially crustal elements) are lower than values at the Nam Co Station during the same period of 2005, and also much lower than other sites in the TP such as Wudaoliang and Waliguan. This suggests that elemental compositions of aerosols in the Zhadang glacier area may represent the background levels of the middle/upper troposphere over the TP. Crustal enrichment factors (EFs) reveal that several elements (e.g. B, Zn, As, Cd, Pb and Bi) may have anthropogenic sources. The southern TP is mainly influenced by the summer Indian monsoon during the sampling period. Backward air mass trajectory analysis suggests that air masses in the region may originate from South Asia. Therefore, anthropogenic pollutants from South Asia may be transported by the summer Indian monsoon to the region which clearly affects the atmospheric environment in the southern TP during the summer monsoon season.     

Study on wavy distribution of rainfall associated with typhoon Matsa （2005）

An analysis is made to investigate the structure features of the extensive heavy rainfall left by typhoon Matsa, after its landfall in mainland China in August 2005, based on a range of observational results, including surface intensive observation data, TBB data from China's FY-2 satellite, and NCEP 1°×1° reanalysis data. The study tries to explore the interaction between atmospheric waves, 3-D atmospheric structures, and typhoon rainbands. Observational facts, diagnostic analysis, and atmospheric wave theory are used to look into the formation mechanism of distant typhoon rainbands. Results show that (1) Matsa rainbands have the features of noticeable wave train distribution and long distance propaga-tion; (2) the typhoon rainbands extend as far as 2000 km northwardly from the typhoon center, with a wavelength of 500―1000 km and a wave period of 12―24 h; (3) the wave structure of Matsa rainbands is closely associated with the corresponding wave variation of the ambient 3-D atmospheric structures, including disturbance vorticity, divergence field, vertical motion field, water vapor flux divergence field, etc. (4) both observational facts and theoretical analysis show that the northward extending typhoon rainbands are associated with the mixed effects of atmospheric inertia wave and internal gravity wave; (5) only under proper atmospheric stratification and vertical wavenumber of gravity wave, can a ty-phoon stimulate such a wave being able to reach such a distance, and result in extending wavy rain-bands.