31 December 2017, Volume 28 Issue 4

    

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  Contents of Vol.28 No.4 2017

  Editorial Office of Advances in Polar Science

  Advances in Polar Science. 2017, 28(4): 0-0.

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Opinion Editorials
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  Optical remote sensing of snow fraction—status and future prospects

  Igor APPEL

  Advances in Polar Science. 2017, 28(4): 229-230. https://doi.org/10.13679/j.advps.2017.4.00229

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  Optical remote sensing of snow fraction—status and future prospects
  
  
  
Reviews
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  Advances in Chinese and international biogeochemistry research in the western Arctic Ocean: a review

  CHEN Jianfang, Alba Marina COBO-VIVEROS, JIN Haiyan, CHEN Liqi, CHEN Min , LI Zhongqiao, ZHUANG Yanpei, ZHAN Liyang, GAO Zhongyong, REN Jian

  Advances in Polar Science. 2017, 28(4): 231-244. https://doi.org/10.13679/j.advps.2017.4.00231

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  Over the past decades, the Arctic Ocean has experienced rapid warming under climate change, which has dramatically altered its physical and biogeochemical properties. Reduction in the sea-ice cover is one of the most important driving forces of biogeochemical changes in the Arctic Ocean. Between 1999 and 2016, seven Chinese National Arctic Research Expeditions have taken place in the Bering and Chukchi seas, allowing assessment of the biogeochemical response of the western Arctic Ocean to global warming. Herein, we summarize advances in Chinese and international marine biogeochemistry research in the western Arctic Ocean, reviewing results from the Chinese expeditions and highlighting future trends of biogeochemistry in the Pacific Arctic region. The findings reported in this paper contribute towards a better understanding of water masses, greenhouse gases, nutrients, ocean acidification, and organic carbon export and burial processes in this region.
  
  Abstract: Chen J F, Cobo-Viveros A M, Jin H Y, et al. Advances in Chinese and international biogeochemistry research in the western Arctic Ocean: a review. Adv Polar Sci, 2017, 28 (4): 231-244, doi: 10.13679/j.advps.2017.4.00231
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  Glaciological observations at Dome Argus, East Antarctica

  AN Chunlei, WANG Yetang, HOU Shugui

  Advances in Polar Science. 2017, 28(4): 245-255. https://doi.org/10.13679/j.advps.2017.4.00245

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  Dome Argus (Dome A) in East Antarctica is a potentially likely site to meet one of the major objectives of the International Partnerships in Ice Core Sciences (IPICS) on the oldest ice core, and thus has aroused wide public and scientific interest. Since 2004/2005, many glaciological investigations have been conducted in this region. These have included GPS and ground-penetrating radar surveys, snow pit and ice core drilling, stake network measurements, and meteorological observations. In this article, the main results of these glaciological investigations in the Dome A region are summarized. We present details of the surface mass balance on different timescales and its spatial variability, geochemical characteristics of the surface snow, and paleo-environment reconstruction of ice cores. Finally, perspectives on the prospects for future studies are suggested.
  
  
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  Progress in Antarctic marine geophysical research by the Chinese Polar Program

  GAO Jinyao, SHEN Zhongyan, YANG Chunguo, WANG Wei , JI Fei, WU Zhaocai, NIU Xiongwei, DING Weifeng, LI Dongxu, ZHANG Qiao

  Advances in Polar Science. 2017, 28(4): 256-267. https://doi.org/10.13679/j.advps.2017.4.00256

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  Marine geophysical survey by the Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE) began with the first science expedition in 1984/1985, although only four cruises were performed in the vicinity of the Antarctic Peninsula between then and 1991/1992. After a 20 year hiatus, Antarctic marine geophysical research was relaunched by the Chinese Polar Environmental Comprehensive Investigation and Assessment Programs (known simply as the China Polar Program) in 2011/2012. Integrated geophysical surveys have been carried out annually since, in Prydz Bay and the Ross Sea. During the last 5 years, we have acquired about 5500 km of bathymetric, gravimetric, and magnetic lines; more than 1800 km of seismic reflection lines; and data from several heat flow and Ocean Bottom Seismometer (OBS) stations. This work has deepened understandings of geophysical features and their implications for geological tectonics and glacial history in Antarctica and its surrounding seas. Compiled Antarctic Bouguer and Airy isostatic gravity anomalies show different features of tectonics between the East Antarctic stability and West Antarctic activity. Calculated magnetic anomalies, heat flow anomalies and lithospheric anisotropy offshore of Prydz Bay may imply high heat capacity of mantle shielded by the continental shelf lithosphere, but high heat dissipation of mantle due to the Cretaceous breakup of Gondwana along the continent and ocean transition (COT), where large sediment ridges would be brought about by the Oligocene ice sheet retreat and would enlarge free-air gravity anomalies. In the western Ross Sea, CHINARE seismic profiles indicate northern termination of the Terror Rift and deposition time of the grounding zone wedge in the northern JOIDES Basin.
  
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  Spatial variability in sea-ice algal biomass: an under-ice remote sensing perspective

  Emiliano CIMOLI, Klaus M. MEINERS, Lars Chresten LUND-HANSEN, Vanessa LUCIEER

  Advances in Polar Science. 2017, 28(4): 268-296. https://doi.org/10.13679/j.advps.2017.4.00268

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  Sea-ice algae are a paramount feature of polar marine ecosystems and ice algal standing stocks are characterized by a high spatio-temporal variability. Traditional sampling techniques, e.g., ice coring, are labor intensive, spatially limited and invasive, thereby limiting our understanding of ice algal biomass variability patterns. This has consequences for quantifying ice-associated algal biomass distribution, primary production, and detecting responses to changing environmental conditions. Close-range under-ice optical remote sensing techniques have emerged as a capable alternative providing non-invasive estimates of ice algal biomass and its spatial variability. In this review we first summarize observational studies, using both classical and new methods that aim to capture biomass variability at multiple spatial scales and identify the environmental drivers. We introduce the complex multi-disciplinary nature of under-ice spectral radiation profiling techniques and discuss relevant concepts of sea-ice radiative transfer and bio-optics. In addition, we tabulate and discuss advances and limitations of different statistical approaches used to correlate biomass and under-ice light spectral composition. We also explore theoretical and technical aspects of using Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV), and Hyperspectral Imaging (HI) technology in an under-ice remote sensing context. The review concludes with an outlook and way forward to combine platforms and optical sensors to quantify ice algal spatial variability and establish relationships with its environmental drivers.
  
  
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  Petroleum resource assessment of the East Greenland Basin

  LI Bin, LIU Chenglin, ZHAO Yue, HONG Weiyu, PING Yingqi, LIANG Dexiu

  Advances in Polar Science. 2017, 28(4): 297-310. https://doi.org/10.13679/j.advps.2017.4.00296

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  The onshore and offshore parts of the East Greenland Basin are important areas for petroleum exploration at the North Pole. Although assessments by the US Geological Survey suggest a substantial petroleum potential in this area, their estimates carry a high risk because of uncertainties in the exploration data. This paper compares the reservoir-forming conditions based on data from the East Greenland Basin and the North Sea Basin. The petroleum resources of the East Greenland Basin were assessed by geochemical and analogy methods. The East Greenland Basin was a rift basin in the late Paleozoic–Mesozoic. Its basement is metamorphic rock formed by the Caledonian Orogeny in the Archean to Late Ordovician. In the basin, Devonian–Paleogene strata were deposited on the basement. Lacustrine source rock formed in the late Paleozoic and marine source rocks in the Late Jurassic. Shallow-marine sandstone reservoirs formed in the Middle Jurassic and deep-marine turbiditic sandstone reservoirs formed in the Cretaceous. The trap types are structure traps, horst and fault-block traps, salt structure traps, and stratigraphic traps. The East Greenland Basin possesses superior reservoir-forming conditions, favorable petroleum potential and preferable exploration prospects. Because of the lack of exploration data, further evaluation of the favorable types of traps, essential amount of source rock, petroleum-generation conditions and appropriate burial histories in the East Greenland Basin are required.