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In this paper, we demonstrate a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) based system for simultaneously delivering ultrastable optical frequency reference, 10 GHz microwave frequency reference, and one pulse per second (1 PPS) time signal via a 50 km fiber network. For each signal, a unique noise cancellation technique is used to maintain the precision of them. After being compensated, the transfer frequency instability in terms of overlapping Allan deviation (OADEV) for the optical frequency achieves 2E-17/s and scales down to 2E-20/10000 s, which for the 10 GHz microwave reference approaches 4E-15/s and decreases to 1.4E-17/10000 s, and the time uncertainty of the 1 PPS time signal along the system is 2.08 ps. In this scheme, specific channels of WDM are respectively occupied for different signals to avoid the possible crosstalk interference effect between the transmitted reference signals. To estimate the performance of the above scheme, independent of these signals is also demonstrated in this 50 km link, the results are similar to that in the case of simultaneous delivery. This work shows that the WDM-based system is a promising method for building a nationwide time and frequency fiber transfer system with a communication optical network., 11 pages,4 figures,1 table

Variations of East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) during the last millennium could help enlighten the monsoonal response to future global warming. Here we present a precisely dated and highly resolved stalagmite δ18O record from the Yongxing Cave, central China. Our new record, combined with a previously published one from the same cave, indicates that the EASM has changed dramatically in association with the global temperature rising. In particular, our record shows that the EASM has intensified during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and the Current Warm Period (CWP) but weakened during the Little Ice Age (LIA). We find that the EASM intensity is similar during the MCA and CWP periods in both northern and central China, but relatively stronger during the CWP in southern China. This discrepancy indicates a complicated regional response of the EASM to the anthropogenic forcing. The intensified and weakened EASM during the MCA and LIA matches well with the warm and cold phases of Northern Hemisphere surface air temperature, respectively. This EASM pattern also corresponds well with the rainfall over the tropical Indo-Pacific warm pool. Surprisingly, our record shows a strong association with the North Atlantic climate as well. The intensified (weakened) EASM correlates well with positive (negative) phases of North Atlantic Oscillation. In addition, our record links well with the strong (weak) Atlantic meridional overturning circulation during the MCA (LIA) period. All above-mentioned correlations indicate that the EASM tightly couples with oceanic processes in the tropical Pacific and North Atlantic oceans during the MCA and LIA.

Variations of precipitation, aka the Meiyu rain, in East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) domain during the last millennium could help enlighten the hydrological response to future global warming. Here we present a precisely dated and highly resolved stalagmite δ18O record from the Yongxing Cave, central China. Our new record, combined with a previously published one from the same cave, indicates that the Meiyu rain has changed dramatically in association with the global temperature change. In particular, our record shows that the Meiyu rain has been weakened during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA), but intensified during the Little Ice Age (LIA). During the Current Warm Period (CWP), our record indicates a similar weakening of the Meiyu rain. Furthermore, during the MCA and CWP, our records show that the atmospheric precipitation is similarly wet in northern China and similarly dry in central China, but relatively wet during the CWP in southern China. This spatial discrepancy indicates a complicated localized response of the regional precipitation to the anthropogenic forcing. The weakened (intensified) Meiyu rain during the MCA (LIA) matches well with the warm (cold) phases of Northern Hemisphere surface air temperature. This Meiyu rain pattern also corresponds well with the climatic conditions over the Tropical Indo-Pacific warm pool. On the other hand, our record shows a strong association with the North Atlantic climate as well. The reduced (increased) Meiyu rain correlates well with positive (negative) phases of North Atlantic Oscillation. In addition, our record links well with the strong (weak) Atlantic meridional overturning circulation during the MCA (LIA) period. All above-mentioned localized correspondences and remote teleconnections on decadal to centennial timescales indicate that the Meiyu rain is coupled closely with oceanic processes in the Tropical Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans during the MCA and LIA.

The taxonomic status of Primula ranunculoides and other members of section Ranunuculoides is reappraised here based on data from morphological, reproductive and molecular characters. Multivariate analysis of morphological characters indicates that P. ranunculoides is a coherent species that can be distinguished from its sectional congeners P. cicutariifolia and P. merrilliana by the characters of simple kidney-shaped outer leaves and the unique clonal reproductive ability by which apices of the scape differentiate into bulblets at the late phases of flowering. Recognition of P. ranunculoides at the specific level is also supported by palynological characters, breeding system, cross pollination results and molecular phylogenetic analysis of nrDNA internal transcribed spacer sequences. A taxonomic revision of section Ranunuculoides is presented and a possible mechanism of speciation discussed. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 169, 338–349.

To achieve high-precision fiber-optic time transfer, the method of two-way transmission is usually used. Therefore in this paper we propose to develop a high-precision long-haul fiber-optic time transfer between multi stations by simultaneously transferring the 1 pluse per second signal, time code signal and 10 MHz frequency signal over single fiber with the same wavelength, and adopting the time division multi address (TDMA) as well as the purification and regeneration method at individual station. In this proposal, the equipment at each remote station has its own address, and the equipment at the local station can establish the periodic two-way time transfer with any remote station by using the TDMA method, therefore each remote station is synchronized with the local station. To avoid the superimposed effect of optical noises during propagation in fiber, the optical-electro-optical relay amplifiers are utilized. In the meantime the propagation delay of the fiber link is compensated for at each remote station. With the self-developed engineering prototypes, the experimental verifications are subsequently conducted both in laboratory and real field. In the laboratory, the experimental setup is built by cascading 11 rolls of 50 km-long fiber coils, and locating three monitoring devices at different fiber distances of 50, 300, and 550 km from the local station. The stabilities of the time transfer at these three points are achieved to be 16.7, 16.8, and 18.4 ps in standard deviation, and the time deviations are 1.78, 2.09, and 2.92 ps at an averaging time of 1000 s respectively. In the real field test, a field fiber link of 871.6 km in length is utilized, along which 11 self-developed time-frequency transceivers are set at the cascaded fiber-optic stations. Since only the 11th remote station is co-located at the local station, the performance and the time transfer between the 11th remote station and the local station are measured accurately. The time transfer is experimentally demonstrated with the time standard deviation of 29.8 ps and the time deviations of 3.85 ps/1000 s. The timing uncertainty on the field fiber link is also checked and gives a value of 25.4 ps. To further improve the long-term stability of time transfer, the more accurate thermal control of the lasers used in the system should be adopted to reduce the optical wavelength drift. By compressing the bandwidth of the phase locked loop module in each remote device, the short-term stability of time synchronization can also be better. This proposal can also be extended to the fiber networks with star-shaped and chain-shaped connections. Therefore time synchronization in even larger areas and more stations can be realized.