The Opportunity Rover's Athena science investigation at Meridiani Planum, Mars

The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has investigated the landing site in Eagle crater and the nearby plains within Meridiani Planum. The soils consist of fine-grained basaltic sand and a surface lag of hematite-rich spherules, spherule fragments, and other granules. Wind ripples are common. Underlying the thin soil layer, and exposed within small impact craters and troughs, are flat-lying sedimentary rocks. These rocks are finely laminated, are rich in sulfur, and contain abundant sulfate salts. Small-scale cross-lamination in some locations provides evidence for deposition in flowing liquid water. We interpret the rocks to be a mixture of chemical and siliciclastic sediments formed by episodic inundation by shallow surface water, followed by evaporation, exposure, and desiccation. Hematite-rich spherules are embedded in the rock and eroding from them. We interpret these spherules to be concretions formed by postdepositional diagenesis, again involving liquid water.     

In situ evidence for an ancient aqueous environment at Meridiani Planum, Mars

Sedimentary rocks at Eagle crater in Meridiani Planum are composed of fine-grained siliciclastic materials derived from weathering of basaltic rocks, sulfate minerals (including magnesium sulfate and jarosite) that constitute several tens of percent of the rock by weight, and hematite. Cross-stratification observed in rock outcrops indicates eolian and aqueous transport. Diagenetic features include hematite-rich concretions and crystal-mold vugs. We interpret the rocks to be a mixture of chemical and siliciclastic sediments with a complex diagenetic history. The environmental conditions that they record include episodic inundation by shallow surface water, evaporation, and desiccation. The geologic record at Meridiani Planum suggests that conditions were suitable for biological activity for a period of time in martian history.     

海南橡胶园砖红壤光谱反射特征分析

[目的]了解海南橡胶园砖红壤的光谱反射特性,为海南胶园土壤分类提供光谱特征的分类指标.[方法]采用ASD Field Spec3高光谱仪采集土壤光谱反射率,对土壤样品进行室内分析,并在此基础上利用经典统计学方法对海南胶园砖红壤光谱反射特性进行分析.[结果]海南橡胶园不同母质发育的砖红壤反射率光谱曲线走势相似,除加来农场只在1900 nm附近出现微弱水分吸收谷外,其余在1400、1900和2200nm附近光谱曲线均出现明显的吸收谷.但不同土壤类型,光谱反射率强度不同且一些特征吸收带出现的位置和表现的相对强度也不同;胶园土壤中有机质和铁离子的含量共同影响着同种母质发育的不同土壤类型的光谱特征,海南土壤中普遍富含铁而有机质含量少,一般铁对光谱的贡献要大于有机质;不同母质发育的砖红壤光谱特征有很大差异,玄武岩发育成的砖红壤光谱特征最特别,反射率始终最小,且只在1900nm附近出现微弱水分吸收谷,土壤类型最易鉴别;通过对光谱聚类分析对橡胶园砖红壤进行简单的分类,结果显示所得分类土壤之间光谱反射率存在显著差异(P＜0.05).[结论]不同类型土壤的反射光谱曲线存在一定的规律性,且随着土壤母质、土壤中的有机质含量及铁离子含量的不同而表现一定的光谱特征差异,因此土壤反射光谱可作为土壤分类的一个指标.     

Acid rain: ionic correlations in the eastern United States, 1980-1981

Hydrogen ions in precipitation are correlated much more closely with sulfate than with nitrate, whereas ammonium ions are correlated more closely with nitrate than with sulfate. Target loadings of 14 to 16 kilograms of wet sulfate deposition per hectare per year, instead of 20 as suggested hitherto, are probably necessary to produce average pH values of 4.6 to 4.7, the approximate boundary levels for damage to aquatic ecosystems. Cluster analysis reveals that there are three linked groups of ions related to air pollution, agriculture, and sea spray.     

不同海拔的长白山岳桦叶片反射光谱研究

通过对长白山不同海拔下岳桦叶片反射光谱的研究,探讨岳桦叶片对高山环境的适应机制.结果表明:不同海拔间岳桦叶片光谱反射率及光谱指数有较大差异.在1750～2000m海拔梯度内,叶绿素归一化指数(chlNDI)显示;岳桦叶片叶绿素相对含量先升高再降低;光化学反射指数(PRI)显示岳桦叶片光合有效辐射利用效率在2000m处最...     

福建将乐林场主要树种冠层光谱反射特征分析

【目的】对福建将乐林场主要树种的冠层光谱曲线进行分析,以建立和完善该地区森林树种光谱数据库,并对利用高光谱数据研究森林树种分类提供理论和技术支持。【方法】对实测的林场内5个主要树种(马尾松、杉木、毛竹、木荷和苦槠栲)的平均冠层反射光谱曲线,采用导数光谱、红边特征及将冠层光谱曲线转化到频率域的离散傅里叶变换方法进行分析,比较各树种冠层光谱曲线在空间和频率域上的差别。【结果】在可见光波段(480~700nm),毛竹和苦槠栲的冠层反射率高于其他树种;在近红外波段(720~920nm),苦槠栲、木荷、毛竹的冠层反射率明显高于马尾松和杉木,且苦槠栲木荷毛竹。一阶导数光谱对植被类型有很好的区分作用,可以将植被在可见光波段附近吸收谷的特征和在近红外波段的红边特征进行突出显示。冠层光谱的红边特征参数表现为木荷和苦槠栲的光谱曲线红边斜率较大,明显高于马尾松、杉木和毛竹;毛竹的红边位置明显低于其他树种。对树种冠层光谱的频谱分析结果得出,冠层光谱前12次谐波能量累计达到99%,原始光谱曲线冠层光谱在频域上也有可分性,前4次谐波的幅度谱可以将苦槠栲、木荷和毛竹区分出来。【结论】不同树种的光谱曲线在空间域和频率域都存在明显的差别,光谱曲线的红边参数和冠层光谱在频率域的幅度谱有助于定量化地区分不同的树种类型。     

香味植物开发——一块生“金”产“银”的处女地

来到豫北淇县我国特色农业的知名企业河南省未来农业示范园,身边不时飘来阵阵异香,问员工方知,这是该园为适应国内外市场对香味产品的巨大需求,新近从欧洲10多个国家引进的20多种名贵香味植物中的佼佼者--香草所散发出的醉人清香.     

Fracture-controlled paleo-fluid flow in Candor Chasma, Mars

Color observations from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reveal zones of localized fluid alteration (cementation and bleaching) along joints within layered deposits in western Candor Chasma, Mars. This fluid alteration occurred within the subsurface in the geologic past and has been exposed at the surface through subsequent erosion. These findings demonstrate that fluid flow along fractures was a mechanism by which subsurface fluids migrated through these layered deposits. Fractured layered deposits are thus promising sites for investigating the geologic history of water on Mars.     

Spectral reflectance indices as proxies for yield potential and heat stress tolerance in spring wheat: heritability estimates and marker-trait associations

The application of spectral reflectance indices (SRIs) as proxies to screen for yield potential (YP) and heat stress (HS) is emerging in crop breeding programs. Thus, a comparison of SRIs and their associations with grain yield (GY) under YP and HS conditions is important. In this study, we assessed the usefulness of 27 SRIs for indirect selection for agronomic traits by evaluating an elite spring wheat association mapping initiative (WAMI) population comprising 287 elite lines under YP and HS conditions. Genetic and phenotypic analysis identified 11 and 9 SRIs in different developmental stages as efficient indirect selection indices for yield in YP and HS conditions, respectively. We identified enhanced vegetation index (EVI) as the common SRI associated with GY under YP at booting, heading and late heading stages, whereas photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were the common SRIs under booting and heading stages in HS. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) using 18704 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from Illumina iSelect 90K identified 280 and 43 marker-trait associations for efficient SRIs at different developmental stages under YP and HS, respectively. Common genomic regions for multiple SRIs were identified in 14 regions in 9 chromosomes: 1B (60–62 cM), 3A (15, 85–90, 101– 105 cM), 3B (132–134 cM), 4A (47–51 cM), 4B (71– 75 cM), 5A (43–49, 56–60, 89–93 cM), 5B (124–125 cM), 6A (80–85 cM), and 6B (57–59, 71 cM). Among them, SNPs in chromosome 5A (89–93 cM) and 6A (80–85 cM) were co-located for yield and yield related traits. Overall, this study highlights the utility of SRIs as proxies for GY under YP and HS. High heritability estimates and identification of marker-trait associations indicate that SRIs are useful tools for understanding the genetic basis of agronomic and physiological traits.     

基于光谱指数的冬小麦变量施肥冠层光谱特征研究及产量分析

 【目的】由适时获得的高光谱数据代替传统繁琐的实验室土壤养分测定数据来进行变量施肥，实现冬小麦高产优质的目标。【方法】本研究利用冬小麦起身期和拔节期冠层光谱数据，选用反映冬小麦长势信息的优化土壤调节植被指数（OSAVI，optimization of soil-adjusted vegetation index）和变量施肥模型进行变量施肥管理（变量区），以相邻地块常规非变量（均一）施肥区（对照区）为对照，研究了不同氮肥处理冬小麦冠层光谱特征及其施肥效应。【结果】变量施肥之后两种氮肥处理在敏感波段670 nm和760～900 nm处反射率差异明显，而670nm和760～900nm是氮素和冠层的敏感波段，说明进行变量施肥时，利用基于这两个波段组合的光谱指数OSAVI优于其它波段组合的光谱指数；SAVI不同生育时期的变化情况，反映了变量施肥在调控作物长势及群体结构上的优势；与对照区相比变量区提高产量达378.72 kg•ha-1，并降低了各小区产量之间的变异,变量区土壤硝态氮浓度降低，氮肥利用率提高，生态效益较为明显。【结论】该技术通过改善冬小麦群体质量，延缓了植株衰老，促进干物质和氮积累，增加冬小麦产量和氮肥利用率。     

Stochastic late accretion to Earth, the Moon, and Mars

Core formation should have stripped the terrestrial, lunar, and martian mantles of highly siderophile elements (HSEs). Instead, each world has disparate, yet elevated HSE abundances. Late accretion may offer a solution, provided that ≥0.5% Earth masses of broadly chondritic planetesimals reach Earth's mantle and that ~10 and ~1200 times less mass goes to Mars and the Moon, respectively. We show that leftover planetesimal populations dominated by massive projectiles can explain these additions, with our inferred size distribution matching those derived from the inner asteroid belt, ancient martian impact basins, and planetary accretion models. The largest late terrestrial impactors, at 2500 to 3000 kilometers in diameter, potentially modified Earth's obliquity by ~10°, whereas those for the Moon, at ~250 to 300 kilometers, may have delivered water to its mantle.     

Pyroclastic activity at Home Plate in Gusev Crater, Mars

Home Plate is a layered plateau in Gusev crater on Mars. It is composed of clastic rocks of moderately altered alkali basalt composition, enriched in some highly volatile elements. A coarsegrained lower unit lies under a finer-grained upper unit. Textural observations indicate that the lower strata were emplaced in an explosive event, and geochemical considerations favor an explosive volcanic origin over an impact origin. The lower unit likely represents accumulation of pyroclastic materials, whereas the upper unit may represent eolian reworking of the same pyroclastic materials.     

Mars north polar deposits: stratigraphy, age, and geodynamical response

The Shallow Radar (SHARAD) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has imaged the internal stratigraphy of the north polar layered deposits of Mars. Radar reflections within the deposits reveal a laterally continuous deposition of layers, which typically consist of four packets of finely spaced reflectors separated by homogeneous interpacket regions of nearly pure ice. The packet/interpacket structure can be explained by approximately million-year periodicities in Mars' obliquity or orbital eccentricity. The observed approximately 100-meter maximum deflection of the underlying substrate in response to the ice load implies that the present-day thickness of an equilibrium elastic lithosphere is greater than 300 kilometers. Alternatively, the response to the load may be in a transient state controlled by mantle viscosity. Both scenarios probably require that Mars has a subchondritic abundance of heat-producing elements.     

Ancient impact and aqueous processes at Endeavour Crater, Mars

The rover Opportunity has investigated the rim of Endeavour Crater, a large ancient impact crater on Mars. Basaltic breccias produced by the impact form the rim deposits, with stratigraphy similar to that observed at similar-sized craters on Earth. Highly localized zinc enrichments in some breccia materials suggest hydrothermal alteration of rim deposits. Gypsum-rich veins cut sedimentary rocks adjacent to the crater rim. The gypsum was precipitated from low-temperature aqueous fluids flowing upward from the ancient materials of the rim, leading temporarily to potentially habitable conditions and providing some of the waters involved in formation of the ubiquitous sulfate-rich sandstones of the Meridiani region.     

Numerical models of caldera-scale volcanic eruptions on Earth, venus, and Mars

Volcanic eruptions of gassy magmas on Earth, Venus, and Mars produce plumes with markedly different fluid dynamics regimes. In large part the differences are caused by the differing atmospheric pressures and ratios of volcanic vent pressure to atmospheric pressure. For each of these planets, numerical simulations of an eruption of magma containing 4 weight percent gas were run on a workstation. On Venus the simulated eruption of a pressure-balanced plume formed a dense fountain over the vent and continuous pyroclastic flows. On Earth and Mars, simulated pressure-balanced plumes produced ash columns, ash falls, and possible small pyroclastic flows. An overpressured plume, illustrated for Mars, exhibited a complex supersonic velocity structure and internal shocks.     

Magma generation on Mars: amounts, rates, and comparisons with Earth, moon, and venus

Total extrusive and intrusive magma generated on Mars over the last approximately 3.8 billion years is estimated at 654 x 10(6) cubic kilometers, or 0.17 cubic kilometers per year (km(3)/yr), substantially less than rates for Earth (26 to 34 km(3)/yr) and Venus (less than 20 km(3)/yr) but much more than for the Moon (0.025 km(3)/yr). When scaled to Earth's mass the martian rate is much smaller than that for Earth or Venus and slightly smaller than for the Moon.     

Political economic history,culture, and Wounaan livelihood diversity in eastern Panama

A growing literature on scholarly and practical approaches to conservation and development uses a livelihood approach to understand rural peoples’ diverse assets and activities, especially as they serve to minimize vulnerability to economic and ecological shocks. In recent years, the suite of potential assets available to rural households has been theorized as human, natural, physical, social, and cultural capitals and includes the context in which they are used. Here we explore Wounaan livelihood strategies and how they articulate with the dynamic political economic history of eastern Panama. Known in Panama as forest dependent swiddeners, semi-structured interviews and participant observation revealed Wounaan’s increasing reliance on fishing, artisanship, and ecotourism in their income profiles. While these income sources are linked to decreasing land availability and increasing market opportunities, we address the role of cultural beliefs and values in Wounaan negotiation of their income strategies. J. Vela′squez Runk has studied ecology and anthropology in eastern Panama for ten years. Presently she is a Resident Scholar at the School of American Research in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Gervacio Ortíz is a business student at the University of Panama and a resident of Majé, Panama. Wilio Quintero is a resident of Boca Lara, Panama. Cristobalino Quiróz is a resident of Boca Lara, Panama.