25 May 2001, Volume 12 Issue 2
    

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  • Advances in Polar Science. 2001, 12(2): 83-88.
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    This paper gives a brief account of substorm modeling with different key elements or factors. The progress of our understanding of substorms consists of three chief stages during this century. Nine previous substorm models are briefly recapitulated, and then a recent two neutral-points model by Prof. C. T. Russell is introduced. In order to test or to strengthen this new model, several correlated examples of meaningful data are duly given in this short paper.

  • Advances in Polar Science. 2001, 12(2): 89-98.
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    In this paper, CTD observational data obtained during the 15th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (CHIN A RE-15) in the Southern Ocean are used to analyse and study water mass distribution in the Prydz Bay and its adjacent seas. The area, depth, and the thermohaline characteristics are identified for the Prydz Bay summer coastal surface water, the Prydz Bay winter water, the Prydz Bay shelf water, and the circumpolar deep water. Based on the above discussion, the northward extention of the Prydz Bay shelf water are found. Then the thermodynamic and the dynamic characteristics are further discussed, dealing with the inversion layer depth of the water temperature, the locations of the minima of the vertical temperature distribution and the temperature vertical gradient in the water column, the baraclinicity, and the effect of Coriolis deflection force.

  • Advances in Polar Science. 2001, 12(2): 99-108.
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    The colorful satellite image maps with the scale of 1 : 100 000 were made by processing the parameters-on-satellite under the condition of no data of field surveying. The purpose is to ensure the smooth performance of the choice of expedition route, navigation and research task before the Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (CHIN ARE) first made researches on the Grove Mountains. Moreover, on the basis of the visual interpretation of the satellite image, we preliminarily analyze and discuss the relief and landform, blue ice and meteorite distribution characteristics in the Grove Mountains.

  • Advances in Polar Science. 2001, 12(2): 109-118.
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    During August 1999, we investigated sea ice characteristics; its distribution, surface feature, thickness, ice floe movement, and the temperature field around inter-borders of air/ice/seawater in the Chukchi Sea. Thirteen ice cores were drilled at 11 floe stations in the area of 72°24'- 77°18'N, 153°34'-163°28'W and the ice core structure was observed. From field observation, three melting processes of ice were observed; surface layer melting, surface and bottom layers melting, and all of ice melting. The observation of temperature fields around sea ice floes showed that the bottom melting under the ice floes were important process. As ice floes and open water areas were alternately distributed in summer Arctic Ocean; the water under ice was colder than the open water by 0.4-2.8℃. The sun radiation heated seawater in open sea areas so that the warmer water went to the bottom when the ice floes move to those areas. This causes ice melting to start at the bottom of the ice floes. This process can balance effectively the temperature fluctuating in the sea in summer. From the crystalline structure of sea ice observed from the cores, it was concluded that the ice was composed of ice crystals and brine- ice films. During the sea ice melting, the brine-ice films between ice crystals melted firstly; then the ice crystals were encircled by brine films; the sea ice became the mixture of ice and liquid brine. At the end of melting, the ice crystals would be separated each other, the bond between ice crystals weakens and this leads to the collapse of the ice sheet.

  • Advances in Polar Science. 2001, 12(2): 119-132.
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    Synchronous or quasi-synchronous stereoscopic sea-ice-air comprehensive observation was conducted during the First China Arctic Expedition in summer of 1999. Based on these data, the role of sea ice in sea-air exchange was studied. The study shows that the kinds, distribution and thickness of sea ice and their variation significantly influence the air-sea heat exchange. In floating ice area, the heat momentum transferred from ocean to atmosphere is in form of latent heat; latent heat flux is closely related to floating ice concentration; if floating ice is less, the heat flux would be larger. Latent heat flux is about 21-23.6 W ▪ m-2 , which is greater than sensible heat flux. On ice field or giant floating ice, heat momentum transferred from atmosphere to sea ice or snow surface is in form of sensible heat. In the floating ice area or polynya, sea-air exchange is the most active, and also the most sensible for climate. Also this area is the most important condition for the creation of Arctic vapor fog. The heat exchange of a large-scale vapor fog process of about 500000 km2 on Aug. 21-22, 1999 was calculated; the heat momentum Iransferred from ocean lo air was about 14.8×109 kW. There are various kinds of sea fog, radiation fog, vapor fog and advection fog, forming in the Arctic Ocean in summer. One important cause is the existence of sea ice and its resultant complexity of both underlying surface and sea-air exchange.

  • Advances in Polar Science. 2001, 12(2): 133-144.
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    The present paper is based on materials collected in Chukchi Sea and adjacent southern edge waters of Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean during the period from July to August 1999 on the icebreaker, the R/V "Xuelong" by the Chinese First Arctic Scientific Expedition. Totally, 8 species of pelagic Hydromedusae were identified, of which 4 species belonged to Anthomedusae, 2 species to Leptomedusae, 1 species to Trachymedusae and 1 species to Narcomedusae, the Neoturris breviconis is recorded for the first time in Chukchi Sea. Their principal morphological characteristics are described and illustrated. The 8 species of Hydromedusae occurring in the Chukchi Sea were all cold water species, of which 6 species belong to neritic species and 2 species to ocean species. According to the geographic distribution of species, they may be divided into three groups: Arctic species, Aretie-boreal species and Boreal-temperate species. From the view-point of zoogeography, species from these waters belong to the Arctic fauna. The abundance of Hydromedusae in Chukchi Sea was generally low, with a mean value of 108 ind. ▪ 10-2 ▪ m-3. Rathkea octopunctata and Aglantha digitale were dominant species. From the view-point of vertical distribution Aglantha digitale is inhabiting in the depth of 0-300 m and with the maximum in the depth of 50 m to 100 m.

  • Advances in Polar Science. 2001, 12(2): 145-152.
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    A series of solar flare and coronal mass ejection (CME) event occurred in July 2000, particularly the largest flare (X5.7/3B) with CME on 14th of July since 1989, which stimulated a great geomagnetic storm with index reaching - 300 nT. A number of data have been obtained from the Chinese Antarctic Zhongshan Station (ZHS, INT Lat. 74.5°, L≈14), which is located at cusp latitude, and from the ACE satellite. After analyzing these data we have got the results as follows: a lot of solar high energy particles penetrated into the polar ionosphere and ionized it, which significantly increased the cosmic noise absorption (CNA) and blanked the DPS-4 data for more than two days. The magnetic pulsation in Pc 3/5 frequency band on the ground has a high relation with the fluctuation of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz which shows the contribution of interplanetary magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) waves to the Pc 3/5 pulsation on the ground. The Pc 3/5 pulsation was intensified much during the great magnetic storm. The H component of the magnetic field at ZHS varied with the southern value of IMF Bz but lagged behind for about 8-10 h. While Dst index responded to the variation of the IMF Bz very quickly, which suggested that the magnetic storm occurred at low latitude firstly and then effected the ionospheric current at high latitude.

  • Advances in Polar Science. 2001, 12(2): 153-159.
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    Metabolic rates (oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion) of two dominant copepods, Calanoides acutus and Metridia gerlachei, were measured during the austral summer (December 1998-January 1999), in the marginal ice zone of the Prydz Bay. Their elemental compositions (C and N) were also analysed through these metabolic experiments. The results showed that C. acutus was 48.4%-48.6% of dry weight in carbon content and 6.1%-6.5% of dry weight in nitrogen content. Metridia gerlachei was 47.1%-50.1% and 5.9%-7.4%, relatively. Oxygen consumption rates of C. acutus were variant in the different areas (0.226 to 0.774 μlO2mg-1 h-1). And its ammonia excretion rates ranged from 0.014 to 0.105 μgNmg-1h-1. The ratio between the rates (0:N) exhibited a large difference(5-6 times) ? For Metridia gerlachei, oxygen consumption rates were 0.488-0.644 μlO2mg-1 and ammonia excretion rates were 0.015-0.034 μgNmg-1h-1. From the results of metabolic rate measurements and elemental analyses, daily losses of body carbon and nitrogen were estimated to be 0.59%-1.99% and 0.44%-3.27%, respectively. The metabolic carbon requirements accounted for 0.6%-29.2% of primary production per day, and their excretion of ammonia occupied 0.2%-38.0% of daily phytoplankton nitrogen demand.