Antarctica: The Most Interactive Ice-Air-Ocean Environment (Arctic Regioni and Antarctica Issues and Research)

Antarctica is a magnificent display of interaction between air and the various phases of water in a pristine environment. This interaction has led to the formation of many unique features over the Antarctic continent. Antarctica is now emerging as an important key in the understanding of global and environmental concerns. Its unique features have provided scientists with special opportunities to investigate the origin of the continents, pollution at the global level, ozone hole healing and changes in the global climate. However, lack of scientific data remains a major problem for researchers in many areas of Antarctic science. This book fills the gaps in the process of understanding Antarctic science. ANTARCTICA: THE MOST INTERACTIVE ICE-AIR-OCEAN ENVIRONMENT......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 7 FOREWORD......Page 9 PREFACE......Page 11 ABOUT THE EDITORS......Page 13 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 19 ABSTRACT......Page 21 INTRODUCTION......Page 22 WHAT IS ALL HIDDEN IN ANTARCTICA?......Page 23 THE FASCINATING CONTINENT......Page 24 IDEAL PLACE FOR SCIENTIFIC INVENTIONS......Page 26 LIFE IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENT......Page 31 REFERENCES......Page 32 ABSTRACT......Page 33 1. INTRODUCTION......Page 34 2. INTERACTION BETWEEN THE MAIN ANTARCTIC CONTINENT AND THE SOUTHERN OCEAN......Page 35 3. SODAR MEASUREMENTS......Page 38 4. BASIC PLANETARY BOUNDARY LAYER STRUCTURES......Page 39 4.1 Surface Based Inversion (Stable Atmospheric Structure)......Page 40 4.2. Thermal Convection......Page 42 4.3. Elevated Layers / Inversions......Page 43 5. NORMAL ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA......Page 44 6.1. Prolonged Persistence of Thermal Convection......Page 46 6.2. The Rising Layer......Page 48 REFERENCES......Page 51 ABSTRACT......Page 59 1. INTRODUCTION......Page 60 2. MATERIAL AND METHODS......Page 61 2.3. Sampling Techniques......Page 64 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION......Page 65 3.1. Structure and Function of the SO Ecosystem......Page 67 3.2. Biotic (Living Matter)......Page 68 3.2.1. Producers......Page 69 3.2.2. Consumers......Page 70 3.3. Food Chain and Food Web......Page 78 3.4.1. Frequency Distribution......Page 79 3.4.2. Plant Biomass (Standing Crop)......Page 82 3.5.2. pH, Dissolved Oxygen and Conductivity......Page 83 3.5.6. Enzyme Activity (Dehydrogenase Activity)......Page 86 3.6.1. Temperature......Page 87 3.6.2. Atmospheric Pressure......Page 89 3.6.3. Wind Velocity and Direction......Page 90 3.6.5. Solar Radiation (Direct and Diffused)......Page 91 3.6.6. UV-B Radiation......Page 92 3.6.7. Snow......Page 93 3.6.8. Energy Balance and Water Relations, Dew Formation, Fog and Hoarfrost......Page 95 3.6.9. Thermal Convection......Page 98 4. CONCLUSION......Page 99 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 101 REFERENCES......Page 102 ABSTRACT......Page 109 INTRODUCTION......Page 110 OZONE DEPLETION AND ULTRAVIOLET RADIATIONS......Page 111 ANTARCTIC FLORA AND THEIR PIGMENTS......Page 115 LICHENS......Page 116 BRYOPHYTES......Page 117 ALGAE......Page 118 Ultraviolet Radiations and Adaptations in Plants......Page 119 REFERENCES......Page 121 1. INTRODUCTION......Page 127 2. DISTRIBUTION OF ANTARCTIC FLORA......Page 128 3. OZONE LOSS IN SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE......Page 130 4. EFFECTS OF UV-B RADIATIONS ON PLANTS......Page 131 5.1. UV Absorbing Compounds......Page 133 6. PROTECTION FROM UV-B INDUCED DNA DAMAGE IN THE DESICCATED STATE......Page 135 7. DNA DAMAGE BY UV-B RADIATIONS AND REPAIR MECHANISM......Page 136 7.2. Photo Reactivation......Page 138 REFERENCES......Page 141 INTRODUCTION......Page 151 ANTARCTIC BRYOPHYTES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION......Page 153 Brachytheciaceae......Page 154 Ditrichaceae......Page 155 Hypnaceae......Page 156 Pottiaceae......Page 157 ANTARCTIC AQUATIC MOSSES......Page 158 SURVIVAL OF MOSSES AND LIMITING FACTORS......Page 159 1. Survival of Mosses under UV-B Radiations......Page 160 3. Antarctic Mosses under Changing Water Availability......Page 161 REFERENCES......Page 163 INTRODUCTION......Page 169 MATERIALS AND METHODS......Page 170 Distribution Pattern of Antarctic Lichens......Page 176 Lichen Flora of Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica......Page 177 Affinities of Indian Lichen Flora with Lichens of SO and Antarctica......Page 178 REFERENCES......Page 180 ABSTRACT......Page 183 INTRODUCTION......Page 184 Lichen Habitat and Species Selection......Page 185 Water Potential (Ψ) Measurement and Pressure Volume (PV) Curve......Page 187 RESULTS......Page 188 DISCUSSION......Page 189 REFERENCES......Page 191 ABSTRACT......Page 193 INTRODUCTION......Page 194 IMF VARIATIONS AS A DETERMINING FACTOR FOR THE CLOUDINESS ABOVE VOSTOK......Page 196 A DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION ABOVE ANTARCTICA......Page 198 SUDDEN WARMINGS IN THE CENTRAL ANTARCTIC AND THEIR RELATION TO THE DISTURBED SOLAR WIND......Page 200 Impact of the Disturbed Solar Wind on Atmospheric Pressure......Page 204 ANOMALOUS WINDS AT THE ANTARCTIC STATIONS AND THEIR RELATION TO THE IMF BZ......Page 207 SOI AND ITS RELATION TO ANOMALOUS WIND SYSTEM IN ANTARCTICA......Page 209 MECHANISMS SUGGESTED TO EXPLAIN THE SOLAR WIND INFLUENCE ON THE ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES......Page 213 CONCLUSION......Page 214 REFERENCES......Page 215 1. INTRODUCTION......Page 219 2. SITE AND INSTRUMENTATION......Page 221 3. THE CLIMATOLOGICAL SETTING......Page 223 4.1. Wind Speed......Page 225 4.2. Temperature......Page 226 5. ANALYSIS OF RADIATIVE BUDGET......Page 231 6. BOUNDARY LAYER STRUCTURE DURING THE YEAR......Page 235 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 237 REFERENCES......Page 238 ABSTRACT......Page 241 INTRODUCTION......Page 242 Important Observable Facts......Page 243 Some Mathematical Derivations......Page 244 ALTERNATIVE CONCEPT......Page 245 BASELESS COUNTER ARGUMENTS......Page 246 CONCLUSION AND ENTROPY RELATED FUNCTIONS......Page 247 REFERENCES......Page 251 ABSTRACT......Page 253 AURORA......Page 254 Satellite-Based Measurement......Page 256 REAL TIME KINEMATIC POSITIONING......Page 257 Kalman Filter......Page 258 GPS POSITIONAL SOLUTION IN ACTIVE AURORA......Page 261 GPS POSITIONAL SOLUTION IN QUIET AURORA......Page 262 STATISTICAL STUDY OF POSITIONAL ERROR......Page 266 REFERENCES......Page 267 INDEX......Page 269