Chinese Journal of Polar Research

Progress in polar upper atmospheric physics research in China

LIU Ruiyuan&YANG Huigen

2012, 23 (2-English): 55-71. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1085.2012.00055

Abstract ( 2276 )

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Chinese Antarctic Great Wall Station, Zhongshan Station and Kunlun Station and Arctic Yellow River Station have unique geographical locations, well suited to carry out the polar upper atmospheric observations. This paper reviews the glorious history of nearly 30 years of Chinese polar expeditions, and overviews major progress in the polar upper atmospheric physics research. They are: the polar upper atmospheric physics conjugate observation system established at Zhongshan Station in Antarctic and Yellow River Station in Arctic, and some original research achievements in fields of the polar ionosphere, the aurora and particle precipitations, the polar current system, the polar plasma convection, geomagnetic pulsations and space plasma waves, inter-hemispheric comparisons of the space environment, the space weather in polar regions, the power spectrum of the incoherent scatter radar, ionospheric heating experiments and the polar mesospheric summer echoes, the polar ionosphere - magnetosphere numerical simulation and so on. Finally, prospects of China's polar upper atmospheric physics research are outlined.

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Seasonal and inter-annual variations of the primary types of the Arctic sea-ice drifting patterns

WANG Xiaoyu & ZHAO Jinping

2012, 23 (2-English): 72-81. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1085.2012.00072

Abstract ( 1955 )

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Monthly mean sea ice motion vectors and monthly mean sea level pressure (SLP) for the period of 1979-2006 are analyzed to investigate the spatial and temporal changes of Arctic sea-ice drift. According to the distinct differences in monthly mean ice velocity field as well as in the distribution of SLP, there are four primary sea-ice drifting types in the Arctic Ocean: Beaufort Gyre+Transpolar Drift, Anticyclonic Drift, Cyclonic Drift and Symmetric Drift. These four drifting types account for 81% of the total, and reveal distinct seasonal variations. The Cyclonic Drift with a large-scale anticlockwise ice motion pattern trends to prevail in summer while the Anticyclonic Drift with an opposite pattern trends to prevail in winter and spring. The prevailing seasons for the Beaufort Gyre+Transpolar Drift are spring and summer, while the Symmetric Drift trends to prevail in winter, especially in February. The annual occurring times of the Anticyclonic Drift and the Cyclonic Drift are closely correlated with the yearly mean Arctic Oscillation (AO) index, with a correlation coefficient of -0.54 and 0.54 (both significant with the confident level of 99%), respectively. When the AO index stays in a high positive (negative) condition, the sea-ice motion in the Arctic Ocean demonstrates a more anticlockwise (clockwise) drifting pattern as a whole. When the AO index stays in a neutral condition, the sea-ice motion becomes much more complicated and more transitional types trend to take place.

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Anomalously low ozone of 1997 and 2011 Arctic spring : Monitoring results and analysis

ZHANG Yan，WANG Weihe，LI Xiaojing，ZHANG Xingying，ZHENG Zhaojun，LIU Ruixia

2012, 23 (2-English): 82-86. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1085.2012.00082

Abstract ( 1727 )

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Total ozone observations from the Total Ozone Unit (TOU) on board the second generation polar orbiting meteorological satellite of China, Fengyun-3/A (FY-3/A) revealed that the total column ozone over the Arctic declined rapidly from the beginning of March 2011. An extensive region of low column amount of ozone formed around mid March, the monthly mean total column ozone of March 2011 was about 30% lower than the average value observed during 1979-2010. The daily total column density of ozone near the center of low ozone area in mid March was below 240 DU, about half of the total column ozone amount observed during the same period of last 10 years. The data of total column ozone during 1979-2011 observed by different satellites are analyzed, the results show that the Arctic depletion of ozone in the spring of 2011 was initiated by the cold polar vortex in the lower stratosphere, the March mean value of total ozone over the Arctic has a decreasing trend during the past 32 years and its variation is strongly correlated with the polar vortex. The similar low ozone process in spring of 1997 was compared to that of 2011, but the daily variations of total ozone in March over the north hemisphere in 1997 and 2011 have different patterns.

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Multiple processes affecting surface seawater N2O saturation anomalies in tropical oceans and Prydz Bay, Antarctica

CHEN Liqi，ZHAN Liyang，XU Suqing，ZHANG Jiexia，ZHANG Yuanhui & XU Guojie

2012, 23 (2-English): 87-94. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1085.2012.00087

Abstract ( 1923 )

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We analyzed the N2O content in surface seawater sampled in Prydz Bay, Antarctica, on a cruise track between 30°S and 30°N during the 22nd Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition during austral summer, 2006. The surface water showed an average pN2O value of 311.9±7.6 nL/L (14.1±0.4 nmol/L), being slightly undersaturated; the air-sea N2O flux of this region was -0.3±0.8 μmol/(m2?d). However, N2O in the surface water was oversaturated in most stations along the cruise track. Saturation anomalies were above 10%, in maximum of 54.7% found at the Equator, followed by 31% at 10°N in the Sulu Sea; in other words, the air-sea fluxes at these locations were 12.4 and 4 μmol/(m2?d), respectively. Therefore, we believe that the surface water in Prydz Bay was near equilibrium with atmospheric N2O, and ocean waters in lower latitudes acted as a N2O source. Physical processes, such as stratification, ice-melt water dilution, and solar radiation dominate the N2O saturation in surface water Prydz Bay; While biological production and upwelling in subtropical and tropical regions should responsible for N2O over saturation in Surface water along the cruise track.

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Summertime freshwater fractions in the surface water of the western Arctic Ocean evaluated from total alkalinity

GAO Zhongyong，SUN Heng，CHEN Liqi & ZHANG Fan

2012, 23 (2-English): 95-102. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1085.2012.00095

Abstract ( 1807 )

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As a quasi-conservative tracer, total alkalinity (TA) could trace freshwater and seawater. In this study, fractions of sea ice meltwater, river runoff, and seawater in the surface water of western Arctic Ocean are determined from salinity and total alkalinity relationships based on the Third Chinese Arctic Research Expedition during the summer of 2008. The largest fraction of sea ice meltwater was found around 75°N in the Canada Basin, the ice edge zone during survey, where ice concentrations increased northward gradually. The presence of river runoff was associated with the circulation, accumulated in the western Arctic Ocean.

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Pollen morphology of selected tundra plants from the high Arctic of Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard

YAO Yifeng，ZHAO Qi，BERA Subir，LI Xiaoli & LI Chengsen

2012, 23 (2-English): 103-115. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1085.2012.00103

Abstract ( 1889 )

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Investigation of the modern pollen morphology in any area is fundamental for identification of the fossil pollen and reconstruction of past vegetation and climate of that area. This paper presents the pollen morphology of 20 species of tundra plants from the high Arctic of Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, using the light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The investigated plants belong to 12 families, viz., Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Cyperaceae, Ericaceae, Juncaceae, Papaveraceae, Poaceae, Polygonaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, Salicaceae, and Scrophulariaceae. Shapes of the studied pollen grains include spheroidal, subprolate and prolate. Variable apertural patterns ranging from 3-(-5)-colpate, 3-colporate, 5-poroid, ulcus to pantoporate are recorded. Exine ornamentations comprise psilate, striate-perforate, reticulate, microechinate, microechinate-perforate, scabrate, granulate and granulate-perforate. This study provides a useful reference for comparative studies of fossil pollen and for the reconstruction of palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate in Svalbard region of Arctic.

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Composition and distribution of fish species collected during the fourth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition in 2010

LIN Longshan，LIAO Yunchih，ZHANG Jing，ZHENG Senlin，XIANG Peng，YU Xingguang，WU Risheng & SHAO Kwangtsao

2012, 23 (2-English): 116-127. DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1085.2012.00116

Abstract ( 2177 )

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Awareness and concerns have been caused by the decreasing sea ice coverage around the Arctic and the Antarctic affected by climate change. Emphasize was on the study of the rapid change of Arctic sea ice coverage and its impacts on the marine ecology during the Chinese Arctic Research Expedition in 2010. Our purpose is establishing the base line of Arctic fish composition, and the consequent climate change on fish community and biogeography. Fish specimens were collected by using the multinet middle water trawl, French type beam trawl, otter trawl, and triangular bottom trawl, totally 36 tows were operated along the shelf of Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea in the Arctic Ocean. There were 41 fish species belong to 14 families in 8 orders collected during the expedition. Among them, Scorpaeniformes, including 21species, account almost half of the total number (47.1%), the following as 5 species in Pleuronectiformes (22.3%), 2 species in Gadiformes (15.4%), and 9 species in Perciformes (13.8%). The most 6 abundant species were Hippoglossoides robustus, Boregadus saida, Myoxocephalus scorpius, Lumpenus fabricii, Artediellus scaber, and Gymnocanthus tricuspis. Abundant species varies by methods, the number of family and species recorded were not different by methods, species and abundance decreased with depth and latitude, and species extend their known geographic range were evident during the expedition. Station information, species list, and color photograph for all fishes were provided here.

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