The Eocene/Oligocene boundary event in the deep sea

Analysis of middle Eocene to early, Oligocene calcareous and siliceous microfossils shows gradual biotic changes with no massive extinction event across the Eocene/Oligocene boundary. Biotic changes in the late Paleogene appear to reflect changing paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic conditions and do not support suggestions of a catastrophic biotic event caused by a bolide impact at the Eocenel Oligocene boundary.     

Anthropogenic warming of Earth's climate system

We compared the temporal variability of the heat content of the world ocean, of the global atmosphere, and of components of Earth's cryosphere during the latter half of the 20th century. Each component has increased its heat content (the atmosphere and the ocean) or exhibited melting (the cryosphere). The estimated increase of observed global ocean heat content (over the depth range from 0 to 3000 meters) between the 1950s and 1990s is at least one order of magnitude larger than the increase in heat content of any other component. Simulation results using an atmosphere-ocean general circulation model that includes estimates of the radiative effects of observed temporal variations in greenhouse gases, sulfate aerosols, solar irradiance, and volcanic aerosols over the past century agree with our observation-based estimate of the increase in ocean heat content. The results we present suggest that the observed increase in ocean heat content may largely be due to the increase of anthropogenic gases in Earth's atmosphere.     

A fossil lemur from the Oligocene of Pakistan

In the absence of a comprehensive fossil record, the origin and early evolution of Malagasy lemurs have been subject to much uncertainty. We report here the discovery of a strepsirrhine fossil with strong cheirogaleid lemur affinities, Bugtilemur mathesoni gen. et sp. nov., from early Oligocene deposits of the Bugti Hills (Balochistan, Pakistan). Bugtilemur represents the earliest record of Lemuriformes, which hence appear to have already diversified outside of Madagascar at least 30 million years ago. This fossil clearly enhances the critical role of the Indian subcontinent in the early diversification of lemurs and constrains paleobiogeographic models of strepsirrhine lemur evolution.     

河北省蔚县甸子梁夷平面的科学价值与开发保护

河北省蔚县甸子梁夷平面具有重大的科学价值,且其旅游开发潜力巨大。对其开发和保护的相应理念与措施作了介绍。     

Soil warming and carbon-cycle feedbacks to the climate system

In a decade-long soil warming experiment in a mid-latitude hardwood forest, we documented changes in soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in order to investigate the consequences of these changes for the climate system. Here we show that whereas soil warming accelerates soil organic matter decay and carbon dioxide fluxes to the atmosphere, this response is small and short-lived for a mid-latitude forest, because of the limited size of the labile soil carbon pool. We also show that warming increases the availability of mineral nitrogen to plants. Because plant growth in many mid-latitude forests is nitrogen-limited, warming has the potential to indirectly stimulate enough carbon storage in plants to at least compensate for the carbon losses from soils. Our results challenge assumptions made in some climate models that lead to projections of large long-term releases of soil carbon in response to warming of forest ecosystems.     

Instability of glacial climate in a model of the ocean- atmosphere-cryosphere system

In contrast to the relatively stable climate of the past 10,000 years, during glacial times the North Atlantic region experienced large-amplitude transitions between cold (stadial) and warm (interstadial) states. In this modeling study, we demonstrate that hydrological interactions between the Atlantic thermohaline circulation (THC) and adjacent continental ice sheets can trigger abrupt warming events and also limit the lifetime of the interstadial circulation mode. These interactions have the potential to destabilize the THC, which is already more sensitive for glacial conditions than for the present-day climate, thus providing an explanation for the increased variability of glacial climate.     

Optical measurements of extracellular calcium depletion during a single heartbeat

The impermeant dye antipyrylazo III was used to measure depletion of extracellular calcium and net influx of calcium through the sarcolemma during the cardiac action potential. It was found that calcium entry occurs continuously during the action potential and is under direct control of the membrane potential. The inotropic action of epinephrine is accompanied by increased influx of calcium, while strophanthidin enhances the twitch without altering calcium influx during the action potential.     

天山北坡家庭牧场复合系统对极端气候的响应过程

在草原牧区,家庭牧场作为取代游牧制度而产生的新生事物,其对极端气候响应过程的研究尚未见报道。以"极端气候敏感性-影响途径-响应方式"为分析框架,基于问卷调查方法,研究了天山北坡山地草原牧民对极端气候的响应过程。结果表明:1)天山北坡1980-2009年冬季雪灾、秋季旱灾风险趋于增大,家庭牧场草料储备不足、畜种结构经济驱动型增加了对极端气候的敏感性;2)旱灾、雪灾是影响家庭牧场的主要极端气候类型,其作用介质为牲畜和草场;3)自适应与外力适应是牧户响应极端气候的2种主要形式,其中购买草料是最主要的响应策略;4)通过Probit模型估计显示,极端气候认知、家庭特征、资产状况与牧户间适应行为选择有显著的关系。研究认为,家庭牧场对极端气候短期响应的反馈过程主要围绕草、畜2因子展开,基于降水波动的周期性,牧户长期响应形成了家庭牧场生产周期。     

The evolution of climate over the last millennium

Knowledge of past climate variability is crucial for understanding and modeling current and future climate trends. This article reviews present knowledge of changes in temperatures and two major circulation features-El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)-over much of the last 1000 years, mainly on the basis of high-resolution paleoclimate records. Average temperatures during the last three decades were likely the warmest of the last millennium, about 0.2 degrees C warmer than during warm periods in the 11th and 12th centuries. The 20th century experienced the strongest warming trend of the millennium (about 0.6 degrees C per century). Some recent changes in ENSO may have been unique since 1800, whereas the recent trend to more positive NAO values may have occurred several times since 1500. Uncertainties will only be reduced through more extensive spatial sampling of diverse proxy climatic records.     

The climate change commitment

Even if atmospheric composition were fixed today, global-mean temperature and sea level rise would continue due to oceanic thermal inertia. These constant-composition (CC) commitments and their uncertainties are quantified. Constant-emissions (CE) commitments are also considered. The CC warming commitment could exceed 1 degrees C. The CE warming commitment is 2 degrees to 6 degrees C by the year 2400. For sea level rise, the CC commitment is 10 centimeters per century (extreme range approximately 1 to 30 centimeters per century) and the CE commitment is 25 centimeters per century (7 to 50 centimeters per century). Avoiding these changes requires, eventually, a reduction in emissions to substantially below present levels. For sea level rise, a substantial long-term commitment may be impossible to avoid.     

基于系统动力学的雏菊世界模型气候控制敏感性分析

Lovelock于20世纪70年代提出了著名的盖娅假说,认为地球是一个由生物和非生物环境组成的“超级有机体”,有能力调节自身的气候和化学组成,使之适合于生物的生存.盖娅假说遭到了生物学家,尤其是新达尔文主义者的强烈批评,认为它是目的论;随后,Lovelock通过雏菊世界模型论证了该假说.模型中的黑雏菊和白雏菊通过反射较少或较多的太阳光来调节地球的温度.基于雏菊世界模型,通过假设不同的初始条件——不同初始面积分配和不同的太阳光反射率组合,运用系统动力学对雏菊世界的温度调节能力进行了敏感性分析.结果证明,既使初始条件有差异,雏菊世界仍能够通过自我调节机制调节系统稳定时的星球温度,达到最适合生物生存的温度.雏菊世界模型对于初始面积分配、光照反射率组合条件不敏感.最后,雏菊世界模型的优点在于系统分析思想和以及对地球系统的简化,但是随着人类活动对地球系统影响的日益显著,建议模型应包含更多的环境、生物变量以及反馈关系和人类活动因素,将盖娅系统融入到自然-人类耦合的大系统中.