Analysis of the interannual variability of annual daily extreme water levels in the St Lawrence River and Lake Ontario from 1918 to 2010

We compared the interannual variability of annual daily maximum and minimum extreme water levels in Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River (Sorel station) from 1918 to 2010, using several statistical tests. The interannual variability of annual daily maximum extreme water levels in Lake Ontario is characterized by a positive long‐term trend showing two shifts in mean (1929–1930 and 1942–1943) and a single shift in variance (in 1958–1959). In contrast, for the St Lawrence River, this interannual variability is characterized by a negative long‐term trend with a single shift in mean, which occurred in 1955–1956. As for annual daily minimum extreme water levels, their interannual variability shows no significant long‐term change in trend. However, for Lake Ontario, the interannual variability of these water levels shows two shifts in mean, which are synchronous with those for maximum water levels, and a single shift in variance, which occurred in 1965–1966. These changes in trend and stationarity (mean and variance) are thought to be due to factors both climatic (the Great Drought of the 1930s) and human (digging of the Seaway and construction of several dams and locks during the 1950s). Despite this change in means and variance, the four series are clearly described by the generalized extreme value distribution. Finally, annual daily maximum and minimum extreme water levels in the St Lawrence and Lake Ontario are negatively correlated with Atlantic multidecadal oscillation over the period from 1918 to 2010. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Correction to: Predicting surf zone injuries along the Delaware coast using a Bayesian network

Natural Hazards - The article was published with errors.     

Towards a Digital Earth: using archetypes to enable knowledge interoperability within geo-observational sensor systems design

Earth System Science (ESS) observational data are often inadequately semantically enriched by geo-observational information systems to capture the true meaning of the associated data sets. Data models underpinning these information systems are often too rigid in their data representation to allow for the ever-changing and evolving nature of ESS domain concepts. This impoverished approach to observational data representation reduces the ability of multi-disciplinary practitioners to share information in a computable way. Object oriented techniques that are typically employed to model data in a complex domain (with evolving domain concepts) can unnecessarily exclude domain specialists from the design process, invariably leading to a mismatch between the needs of the domain specialists, and how the concepts are modelled. In many cases, an over simplification of the domain concept is captured by the computer scientist. This paper proposes that two-level modelling methodologies developed by health informaticians to tackle problems of domain specific use-case knowledge modelling can be re-used within ESS informatics. A translational approach to enable a two-level modelling process within geo-observational sensor systems design is described. We show how the Open Geospatial Consortium’s (OGC) Observations & Measurements (O&M) standard can act as a pragmatic solution for a stable reference-model (necessary for two-level modelling), and upon which more volatile domain specific concepts can be defined and managed using archetypes. A rudimentary use-case is presented, followed by a worked example showing the implementation methodology and considerations leading to an O&M based, two-level modelling design approach, to realise semantically rich and interoperable Earth System Science based geo-observational sensor systems.     

Heat transfer and thermal boundary layers in high amplitude annulus waves

Abstract

The heat transfer by a rotating, differentially-heated annulus of fluid is measured throughout the high amplitude wave regime. Only Δr_w T was varied (although v(T₁₅ ).K(T₁₅ ) varied by 46%), and it is found that Nu = C₁(λ)Ra^? away from the symmetry and low amplitude to wave transition curves and this is independent of ω. (λ is the wavelength.) On the wave side of these transition curves a region exists in which Nu (symmetry) λ Nu λ C₁(λ)Ra^?. The local heat transfer rate also varies strongly with wave phase.

Using a selection of measured internal thermal fields in the steady, high amplitude wave regime, the side-wall thermal boundary layer structure is examined. It is found that Nu, = C₂·Gr₂ ^A2; both C ₂ and A ₂ are independent of ω and λ to first order. For the time mean profiles, A ₂ ≈ 0.25; in the high heat transfer portion of the wave A ₂ < ¼ and in the low heat transfer portion of the wave A ₂ > ?. These relations hold over most of the vertical extent of the side walls. The deviations of the boundary layers from the above behavior which occur on the remainder of the walls is illustrated. The average thicknesses of the wall boundary layers ∞ Ra^?¼ except in that phase of the wave in which the wall to mid-gap temperature difference is the largest.     

A numerical model of the internal tide in knight inlet,British Columbia

Abstract

A two‐dimensional, hydrostatic numerical model of the tides in Knight Inlet is compared with observations of velocity and density obtained from three cyclesonde moorings. The observations from a fourth cyclesonde mooring were used to provide boundary data at the open end of the model. The time period in the fjord that the model simulates was a period of high, freshwater runoff, so that the fjord had a distinct, surface layer. The use of high, vertical resolution was avoided by attaching a homogeneous, fresh, surface layer to the top of the model. The density equation was linearized about a mean, fixed density field, and the mixing of density was not allowed.

The model reproduces the semidiurnal (M₂, S₂ and N₂) and diurnal (K₁ and O₁) velocity and density signals in the inlet. The shallow‐water constituents (M₄ and MK₃) are reproduced even though the density equation has been linearized. The fortnightly constituent (MSf) is poorly simulated. When the advection terms in the momentum equation are set to zero, the basic features of the semidiurnal and diurnal constituents are still reproduced, but the shallow‐water constituents are poorly simulated.

The energy flux along the inlet of the M₂ internal tide is insensitive to the advective terms in the momentum equation. The total rate of dissipation of M₂ energy is similar to the energy flux in the M₂ internal tide near the sill, which implies that, according to the model, most of the energy removed from the barotropic tide is fed into the internal tide. The majority of the energy in the M₂ internal tide is dissipated close to the sill of the inlet, but enough of the energy makes its way to the head of the inlet to reflect and set up a recognizable standing wave pattern.