scholarly journals Fresh Snowfall Microbiology and Chemistry are Driven by Geography in Storm-Tracked Events

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Honeyman A. S. ◽  
Day M.L. ◽  
Spear J.R.
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Front Range ◽  
Microbial World ◽  
Eastern Front ◽  
Ecological Changes ◽  
Culture Independent ◽  
Geochemical Analyses

AbstractSnowfall is a global phenomenon highly integrated with hydrology and ecology. Forays into studying bioaerosols and their dependence on aeolian movement are largely constrained to either precipitation-independent analyses orin-silicomodels. Though snowpack and glacial microbiological studies have been conducted, little is known about the biological component of meteoric snow. Through culture-independent phylogenetic and geochemical analyses, we show that the geographical location at which snow precipitates determines snowfall’s geochemical and microbiological composition. Storm-tracking, furthermore, can be used as a valuable environmental indicator to trace down what factors are influencing bioaerosols. We estimate annual deposits of up to ~10 kg of bacterial / archaeal biomass per hectare along our study area of the eastern Front Range in Colorado. The dominant kinds of microbiota captured in an analysis of seven snow events at two different locations, one urban, one rural, across the winter of 2016/2017 included phylaProteobacteria,Bacteroidetes,FirmicutesandAcidobacteria, though a multitude of different kinds of organisms were found in both. Taxonomically,Bacteroideteswere more abundant in Golden (urban plain) snow whileProteobacteriawere more common in Sunshine (rural mountain) samples. Chemically, Golden snowfall was positively correlated with some metals and anions. The work also hints at better informing the ‘everything is everywhere’ hypotheses of the microbial world and that atmospheric transport of microbiota is not only common, but is capable of disseminating vast amounts of microbiota of different physiologies and genetics that then affect ecosystems globally. Snowfall, we conclude, is a significant repository of microbiological material with strong implications for both ecosystem genetic flux and general bio-aerosol theory.ImportanceSnowfall is commonplace to the temperate and polar regions of the world. As an interface between the atmosphere, hydrosphere and earth, snow is responsible for high annual deposits of moisture globally, and, can serve as a ‘water bank’ in the form of both permanent snow fields and glaciers. Essential to general ecosystem function, snow can also be considered a transporter of aerosolized material. Given the magnitude of microbiota deposited by snowfall, which we report, it is likely that biological material within snowfall, with its geochemical underpinning— and the associated genetic banks—have significant downstream ecological effects.Understanding what is contained in snowfall becomes especially urgent in a warming climate where high-impact meteorological and ecological changes are imminent and likely. With climate-induced changes to snowfall patterns, surface ecosystems are likely to be impacted by ensuing changes in microbiota deposition. Thus, the ecosystem function of soils, rock and surface waters are also likely to be impacted; these changes, in turn, greatly influence agriculture, weathering and infrastructure.

scholarly journals Regional fresh snowfall microbiology and chemistry are driven by geography in storm-tracked events, Colorado, USA

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander S. Honeyman ◽  
Maria L. Day ◽  
John R. Spear
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Front Range ◽  
Microbial World ◽  
Eastern Front ◽  
Storm Tracking ◽  
Culture Independent ◽  
Geochemical Analyses ◽  
In Silico Models ◽  
Biological Component

Snowfall is a global phenomenon highly integrated with hydrology and ecology. Forays into studying bioaerosols and their dependence on aeolian movement are largely constrained to either precipitation-independent analyses or in silico models. Though snowpack and glacial microbiological studies have been conducted, little is known about the biological component of meteoric snow. Through culture-independent phylogenetic and geochemical analyses, we show that the geographical location at which snow precipitates determines snowfall’s geochemical and microbiological composition. Storm-tracking, furthermore, can be used as a valuable environmental indicator to trace down what factors are influencing bioaerosols. We estimate annual aeolian snowfall deposits of up to ∼10 kg of bacterial/archaeal biomass per hectare along our study area of the eastern Front Range in Colorado. The dominant kinds of microbiota captured in an analysis of seven snow events at two different locations, one urban, one rural, across the winter of 2016/2017 included phylaProteobacteria,Bacteroidetes,Firmicutes, andAcidobacteria, though a multitude of different kinds of organisms were found in both. Taxonomically,Bacteroideteswere more abundant in Golden (urban plain) snow whileProteobacteriawere more common in Sunshine (rural mountain) samples. Chemically, Golden snowfall was positively correlated with some metals and anions. The work also hints at better informing the “everything is everywhere” hypotheses of the microbial world and that atmospheric transport of microbiota is not only common, but is capable of disseminating vast amounts of microbiota of different physiologies and genetics that then affect ecosystems globally. Snowfall, we conclude, is a significant repository of microbiological material with strong implications for both ecosystem genetic flux and general bio-aerosol theory.

The First German Occupation in the Bryansk Region in 1918

Istoriya ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11 (109)) ◽  
pp. 0
Author(s):  
Leonty Lannik
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Location ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Demarcation Line ◽  
German Occupation ◽  
Eastern Front ◽  
Railway Infrastructure ◽  
Red Army ◽  
History Of ◽  
Soviet Russia ◽  
The Great War

Military actions on the Eastern front of the Great War were restarted on February 18th, 1918, but were not finished with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signment. By middle ofMay, the zone of the First German occupation was expanded also to a number of territories recognized by the Central Powers as belonging to Soviet Russia. After a series of battles in April some areas of the modern Bryansk region were set under the German occupation for the next few months. This period in the history of the region has clearly received insufficient attention from researchers. The favourable geographical location and the access to an important railway infrastructure caused that the Bryansk Region had a crucial importance for German attempts to stabilize the occupation regime in Ukraine. Steady and often illegal flows of migration and smuggling have begun to develop. Extremely important for the occupiers were also different raw resources and food supply. That led to increased exploitation by German troops and hence the growth of the insurgency. Despite the extremely difficult military situation of Soviet Russia in summer 1918 and the risk of untimely provocation on the demarcation line, activities by the troops of the Western curtain of the Red Army near the Bryansk increased gradually. By the mid-autumn of 1918, the Bryansk Region had acquired the significance of a springboard for future military operations for all parties claiming control of both Belarus and Ukraine. In the specific military-political situation after the Compiegne armistice, control of the region's railways played a key role both in the Red Army's offensive in Ukraine in the winter of 1918—1919 and in the relatively successful evacuation of the German occupation forces from army group “Kiev” and the 10th army.

scholarly journals Detecting changes in Arctic methane emissions: limitations of the inter-polar difference of atmospheric mole fractions

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 17895-17907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar B. Dimdore-Miles ◽  
Paul I. Palmer ◽  
Lori P. Bruhwiler
Keyword(s):  
Mole Fraction ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Random Noise ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Annual Growth Rate ◽  
Continuous Version ◽  
The Antarctic

Abstract. We consider the utility of the annual inter-polar difference (IPD) as a metric for changes in Arctic emissions of methane (CH4). The IPD has been previously defined as the difference between weighted annual means of CH4 mole fraction data collected at stations from the two polar regions (defined as latitudes poleward of 53∘ N and 53∘ S, respectively). This subtraction approach (IPD) implicitly assumes that extra-polar CH4 emissions arrive within the same calendar year at both poles. We show using a continuous version of the IPD that the metric includes not only changes in Arctic emissions but also terms that represent atmospheric transport of air masses from lower latitudes to the polar regions. We show the importance of these atmospheric transport terms in understanding the IPD using idealized numerical experiments with the TM5 global 3-D atmospheric chemistry transport model that is run from 1980 to 2010. A northern mid-latitude pulse in January 1990, which increases prior emission distributions, arrives at the Arctic with a higher mole fraction and ≃12 months earlier than at the Antarctic. The perturbation at the poles subsequently decays with an e-folding lifetime of ≃4 years. A similarly timed pulse emitted from the tropics arrives with a higher value at the Antarctic ≃11 months earlier than at the Arctic. This perturbation decays with an e-folding lifetime of ≃7 years. These simulations demonstrate that the assumption of symmetric transport of extra-polar emissions to the poles is not realistic, resulting in considerable IPD variations due to variations in emissions and atmospheric transport. We assess how well the annual IPD can detect a constant annual growth rate of Arctic emissions for three scenarios, 0.5 %, 1 %, and 2 %, superimposed on signals from lower latitudes, including random noise. We find that it can take up to 16 years to detect the smallest prescribed trend in Arctic emissions at the 95 % confidence level. Scenarios with higher, but likely unrealistic, growth in Arctic emissions are detected in less than a decade. We argue that a more reliable measurement-driven approach would require data collected from all latitudes, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a global monitoring network to observe decadal changes in atmospheric greenhouse gases.

Biotechnological perspectives of microorganisms isolated from the Polar Regions

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Viktoria Shcherbakova ◽  
Olga Troshina
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Liquid Water ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Biotechnological Applications ◽  
Cold Adapted ◽  
Culture Independent ◽  
Biotechnological Processes ◽  
Improved Methods ◽  
Culture Dependent

Polar permanently frozen grounds cover more than 20% of the earth's surface, and about 60% of the Russian territories are permafrost. In the permafrost environments, the combination of low temperature and poor availability of liquid water make these habitats extremely inhospitable for life. To date, both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods have shown that permafrost is a habitat for microorganisms of all three domains: Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya. An overview of applying psychrophilic and psychrotolerant bacteria and archaea isolated from Arctic and Antarctic permafrost ecosystems in biotechnological processes of wastewater treatment, production of cold-adapted enzymes, etc. is discussed here. The study of existing collections of microorganisms isolated from permanently cold habitats, improved methods of sampling and enrichment will increase the potential biotechnological applications of permafrost bacteria and archaea producing unique biomolecules.

scholarly journals Regional pollution potentials of megacities and other major population centers

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (14) ◽  
pp. 3969-3987 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Lawrence ◽  
T. M. Butler ◽  
J. Steinkamp ◽  
B. R. Gurjar ◽  
J. Lelieveld
Keyword(s):  
Long Range ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Deep Convection ◽  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
High Latitudes ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Regional Pollution

Abstract. Megacities and other major population centers represent large, concentrated sources of anthropogenic pollutants to the atmosphere, with consequences for both local air quality and for regional and global atmospheric chemistry. The tradeoffs between the regional buildup of pollutants near their sources versus long-range export depend on meteorological characteristics which vary as a function of geographical location and season. Both horizontal and vertical transport contribute to pollutant export, and the overall degree of export is strongly governed by the lifetimes of pollutants. We provide a first quantification of these tradeoffs and the main factors influencing them in terms of "regional pollution potentials", metrics based on simulations of representative tracers using the 3-D global model MATCH (Model of Atmospheric Transport and Chemistry). The tracers have three different lifetimes (1, 10, and 100 days) and are emitted from 36 continental large point sources. Several key features of the export characteristics emerge. For instance, long-range near-surface pollutant export is generally strongest in the middle and high latitudes, especially for source locations in Eurasia, for which 17–34% of a tracer with a 10-day lifetime is exported beyond 1000 km and still remains below 1 km altitude. On the other hand, pollutant export to the upper troposphere is greatest in the tropics, due to transport by deep convection, and for six source locations, more than 50% of the total mass of the 10-day lifetime tracer is found above 5 km altitude. Furthermore, not only are there order of magnitude interregional differences, such as between low and high latitudes, but also often substantial intraregional differences, which we discuss in light of the regional meteorological characteristics. We also contrast the roles of horizontal dilution and vertical mixing in reducing the pollution buildup in the regions including and surrounding the sources. For some regions such as Eurasia, dilution due to long-range horizontal transport governs the local and regional pollution buildup; however, on a global basis, differences in vertical mixing are dominant in determining the pollution buildup both around and further downwind of the source locations.

scholarly journals Ice nucleation by fungal spores from the classes <i>Agaricomycetes</i>, <i>Ustilaginomycetes</i>, and <i>Eurotiomycetes</i>, and the effect on the atmospheric transport of these spores

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 8611-8630 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. I. Haga ◽  
S. M. Burrows ◽  
R. Iannone ◽  
M. J. Wheeler ◽  
R. H. Mason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transport Model ◽  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Ice Nucleation ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Cumulative Number ◽  
Mushroom Species ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Ice Nuclei ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. We studied the ice nucleation properties of 12 different species of fungal spores chosen from three classes: Agaricomycetes, Ustilaginomycetes, and Eurotiomycetes. Agaricomycetes include many types of mushroom species and are widely distributed over the globe. Ustilaginomycetes are agricultural pathogens and have caused widespread damage to crops. Eurotiomycetes are found on all types of decaying material and include important human allergens. We focused on these classes because they are thought to be abundant in the atmosphere and because there is very little information on the ice nucleation ability of these classes of spores in the literature. All of the fungal spores investigated contained some fraction of spores that serve as ice nuclei at temperatures warmer than homogeneous freezing. The cumulative number of ice nuclei per spore was 0.001 at temperatures between −19 °C and −29 °C, 0.01 between −25.5 °C and −31 °C, and 0.1 between −26 °C and −31.5 °C. On average, the order of ice nucleating ability for these spores is Ustilaginomycetes > Agaricomycetes ≃ Eurotiomycetes. The freezing data also suggests that, at temperatures ranging from −20 °C to −25 °C, all of the fungal spores studied here are less efficient ice nuclei compared to Asian mineral dust on a per surface area basis. We used our new freezing results together with data in the literature to compare the freezing temperatures of spores from the phyla Basidiomycota and Ascomycota, which together make up 98% of known fungal species found on Earth. The data show that within both phyla (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota), there is a wide range of freezing properties, and also that the variation within a phylum is greater than the variation between the average freezing properties of the phyla. Using a global chemistry–climate transport model, we investigated whether ice nucleation on the studied spores, followed by precipitation, can influence the transport and global distributions of these spores in the atmosphere. Simulations suggest that inclusion of ice nucleation scavenging of these fungal spores in mixed-phase clouds can decrease the annual mean concentrations of fungal spores in near-surface air over the oceans and polar regions, and decrease annual mean concentrations in the upper troposphere.

scholarly journals Oil Well Fordacos – Nigeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.36) ◽  
pp. 1002
Author(s):  
Serge-B. Adiko ◽  
Ruslan. A. Kemalov
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Niger Delta ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Oil Well ◽  
Oil Composition ◽  
Stratigraphic Sequence ◽  
Marine Areas ◽  
Geochemical Analyses ◽  
Lower Coastal Plain ◽  
Delta Sediments

 In this article we will touch upon one of the most important oil region in Africa, the Niger Delta, it is located in southern Nigeria, with an area of about 292,407.m2 Niger Delta knows how geological feature, offer huge reserves of hydrocarbons. The stratigraphic sequence of the Niger Delta consists of three broad lithostratigraphically. Units and its geochemical analyses of rocks have shown that clays from the lower coastal plain, marine Delta sediments (prodelta) and completely marine areas can be enriched with both terrestrial plant material and non-structural organic matter. That is an indicator of wealth.Forcados (forcados) in the Niger Delta province and follow plays a crucial role in the Nigerian economy and the world oil exchange. Forkados field, its physical and geographical location, Characteristics, molar and mass content of oil composition   

scholarly journals Pathways of PFOA to the Arctic: variabilities and contributions of oceanic currents and atmospheric transport and chemistry sources

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 11577-11614 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Stemmler ◽  
G. Lammel
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
General Circulation Models ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Boreal Winter ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Spatially Resolved ◽  
Primary Emissions

Abstract. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and other perfluorinated compounds are industrial chemicals in use since decades which resist degradation in the environment and seem to accumulate in polar regions. Transport of PFOA was modeled using a spatially resolved global multicompartment model including fully coupled three-dimensional ocean and atmosphere general circulation models, and two-dimensional top soil, vegetation surfaces, and sea ice compartments. In addition to primary emissions, the formation of PFOA in the atmosphere from degradation of 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol was included as a PFOA source. Oceanic transport, delivered 14.8±5.0 (8–23) t a−1 to the Arctic, strongly influenced by changes in water transport, which determined its interannual variability. This pathway constituted the dominant source of PFOA to the Arctic. Formation of PFOA in the atmosphere lead to episodic transport events (timescale of days) into the Arctic with small spatial extent. Deposition in the polar region was found to be dominated by wet deposition over land, and shows maxima in boreal winter. The total atmospheric deposition of PFOA in the Arctic in the 1990s was ≈1 t a−1, much higher than previously estimated, and is dominated by primary emissions rather than secondarily formed.

scholarly journals Mercury cycling in the Arctic - does enhanced deposition flux mean net-input?

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralf Ebinghaus
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Transport ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Deposition Flux ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Mercury Deposition ◽  
Mercury Cycling ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Physico Chemical

Environmental context. Mercury has unique physico-chemical characteristics that include long-range atmospheric transport, transformation into highly toxic methylmercury species, and the bioaccumulation of these compounds, especially in the marine environment. This has motivated intense international research on mercury as a pollutant of global concern. With respect to Polar regions, scientific interest and research activities were even accelerated after the discovery of the so-called atmospheric mercury depletion events (AMDEs), which are supposed to lead to enhanced mercury deposition flux into these pristine environments in the ecologically very sensitive period in polar spring.

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