三级aa视频在线观看-三级国产-三级国产精品一区二区-三级国产三级在线-三级国产在线

Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
China
Home / China / Innovation

Findings of first autumn Antarctic expedition released

By Zhou Wenting in Shanghai | China Daily | Updated: 2025-06-09 09:00
Share
Share - WeChat
Members of China's 41st Antarctic expedition team and penguins are pictured while China's research icebreakers Xuelong and Xuelong 2 are carrying out unloading operations surrounding Zhongshan Station, a Chinese research base in Antarctica, Dec 8, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

In an unprecedented autumn expedition to Antarctica, scientists observed a significant surge in small planktonic organisms in the deep and bottom layers of the ocean, a stark contrast to their typical presence in the upper ocean during spring and summer.

Researchers said the rich, balanced distribution of water properties and planktonic life in the vertical layers of the ocean was especially striking in the polynya area — the "ice-making factory" of Antarctica — located in the Ross Sea.

The findings underscore the profound impact of intense deep convection activities driven by strong ice formation processes in the polynya, an area of unfrozen sea within a large patch of ice, during the cold season. These activities shape the physical properties of seawater and influence biological distribution and overwintering processes, scientists said.

The observations came from the first-ever human expedition to Antarctica in its autumn season, during which researchers collected more than 3,000 chemical analysis samples and 2,500 biological analysis samples. The results were presented by scientists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University at a news briefing on Friday.

During the transition from March to April, when Antarctic productivity sharply declined, about 50 researchers from nine countries — China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand — braved extreme temperatures from -20 C to -28 C in the autumnal Ross Sea. They conducted continuous observations for 20 days.

Their work was part of China's 41st Antarctic expedition and marked the first multinational collaborative research focused on the autumnal ecosystem of the Antarctic marginal seas. The initiative was led by the School of Oceanography at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Polar Research Institute of China.

Zhou Meng, dean of the school and a veteran of 14 Antarctic and 10 Arctic expeditions, highlighted the rarity of Antarctic research beyond the summer season, citing challenges posed by extreme climate and complex marine conditions. The lack of observational data available during autumn and winter meant that there was limited human understanding of natural processes around those seasons, scientists said.

"When we reached Antarctica in early spring during previous expeditions, we saw that 99 percent of the biomass had disappeared, so there always existed this curiosity about what happened in autumn and winter," Zhou said.

The Ross Sea plays a pivotal role in Antarctic studies, serving as a crucial site for the generation of the densest water mass in the Southern Ocean, known as Antarctic Bottom Water.

This region significantly influences global heat and salt circulation and climate patterns, scientists said.

"Moreover, the Ross Sea stands out as one of the most biologically productive areas in the Southern Ocean, boasting abundant marine resources vital for ecosystem functioning," Zhou said. "The high productivity and deep water formation processes make the Ross Sea a hotspot for the burial of organic carbon in the deep sea."

Zhang Zhaoru, assistant chief scientist of the research and a professor at the school, said the deep convection processes in the polynya during the windy autumn period can effectively transport surface ocean particles to deeper layers. This process may play a crucial role in carbon burial, she said.

The team's research also identified warm signals of deep water intrusion and cold signals of ice shelf meltwater in the polynya, processes instrumental in the generation of Antarctic Bottom Water driven by deep ocean convection.

Furthermore, the team observed significant differences in nutrient concentrations in the polynya compared with other marine regions, indicating active biological processes before their expedition.

"These unique ecological processes in the polynya area of the Ross Sea provide essential observations for a comprehensive understanding of the biogeochemical cycles in the Antarctic marginal sea," Zhou said.

Scientists said an active "dark ecosystem" exists in the Antarctic marginal sea during the autumn and winter seasons, lasting as long as eight to nine months. This ecosystem encompasses various organisms, including krill, fish, birds and mammals.

"Our discoveries and ongoing explorations will help answer scientific questions: Where do the organic matter and energy driving the marine biosphere in the dark ecosystem of the Antarctic autumn and winter seasons come from? How do processes such as ice formation, deep convection and mixing impact the transport of marine organisms and vertical carbon flux? Which processes in winter determine the population structure of planktonic organisms, influencing productivity in the following spring season?" Zhou said.

The research team said its work enhances the international community's understanding of the adaptation and survival strategies of key biological groups and ecosystems in the challenging dark environment of the Southern Ocean during autumn. The team's efforts also offer valuable experience for future Antarctic expeditions in winter.

Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
 
主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲国产精品影院 | 在线播放黄色片 | 日韩不卡高清视频 | 日本中出视频 | 免费观看视频成人国产 | 国产精品久久毛片 | 久久精品视频免费观看 | 毛片基地免费 | 999成人精品视频在线 | 国产精品黄网站 | 国产美女挤奶水在线观看 | 国产影片在线观看 | 亚洲日本欧美综合在线一 | 国产成人盗拍精品免费视频 | 亚洲综合久久成人69 | 国产成人综合日韩精品无 | 国产片欧美片亚洲片久久综合 | 亚洲第一区精品日韩在线播放 | 黄色网页免费 | 国产精品国产三级国产专区5o | 久久伊人青青 | 黄色国产在线观看 | 亚洲精品一区二区手机在线 | 97综合久久| 在线小视频国产 | 国产精品久久在线 | 国产特黄特色一级特色大片 | 鸥美肥妇特级毛片视频 | 国产成人福利色视频 | 成人午夜精品网站在线观看 | 可以看毛片的网址 | 在线观看色 | 亚洲欧洲一区二区 | 国产成人99精品免费观看 | 亚洲美女aⅴ久久久91 | 欧美高清在线精品一区二区不卡 | 欧美性猛交xxxx乱大交蜜桃 | 国产精品欧美亚洲韩国日本久久 | 快使劲弄我视频在线播放 | 黄色影院在线观看视频 | 高h浪诱受肉耽文 |