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: 六月婷婷中文字幕 | 久久久久亚洲香蕉网 | 久久99精品久久久久久青青日本 | 免费看色视频 | 亚洲午夜视频在线 | 国产亚洲欧美日韩综合另类 | 特级毛片8级毛片免费观看 特级毛片aaaaaa蜜桃 | 在线免费看一级片 | 亚洲欧美日韩成人 | 亚洲不卡在线观看 | 亚洲欧美日韩特级毛片 | 曰本又色又爽又黄三级视频 | 俄罗斯aa毛片极品 | 五月婷婷亚洲综合 | 久草福利站 | 亚洲精品中文字幕乱码影院 | 成人蜜桃网 | 欧美激情精品久久久久久大尺度 | 中文无码久久精品 | 国产高清在线精品二区一 | 欧美激情毛片 | 伊人久久青青 | 91福利在线观看视频 | 国产精品久久久久免费a∨ 国产精品久久久久这里只有精品 | 欧美精品一区二区精品久久 | 中文黄色| 国产农村1级毛片 | 无码中文字幕乱在线观看 | 伊人久久综在合线亚洲91 | 亚洲欧美日韩激情在线观看 | 色花五月色婷婷 | 亚洲精品永久www嫩草 | 国产精品人人爱一区二区白浆 | 久草福利在线播放 | 国产不卡视频在线观看 | xxxxxhd69日本护士 | 国产一级小视频 | 尤物在线网站 | 久久国产精品一国产精品金尊 | 免费特级黄毛片在线成人观看 | 欧美另类z0zxi |