The reflection of regular and irregular waves by a partially perforated caisson breakwater on a step bed

This study examines the reflection of regular and irregular waves from a partially perforated caisson breakwater located on a step bed. The step bed is treated as an idealized rubble mound foundation. Based on the linear potential theory, an analytical solution is developed to calculate the reflection coefficient of the structure subjected to regular waves. The matched eigenfunction expansion method is used for the solution. The regular wave method is also extended to irregular waves using a linear transfer function. The calculated results obtained for limiting cases are exactly the same as corresponding results given by the previous researchers. The present predictions also agree well with experimental data in the published literatures. Numerical experiments are conducted to examine the variations of the reflection coefficient versus its main effect factors, and some interesting results are presented.     

Height variability from the MIROC – IPCC model for the 20th century compared to that of the TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter

Planetary waves are key to large-scale dynamical adjustment in the global ocean as they transfer energy from the east to the west side of oceanic basins; they connect the forcing in the ocean interior with the variability at its boundaries; and they change the local heat content, thus coupling oceanic, atmospheric, and biological processes. Planetary waves, mostly of the first baroclinic mode, are observed as distinctive patterns in global time series of sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) and heat storage. The goal of this study is to compare and validate large-scale SSHA signals from coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate (MIROC) with TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite altimeter observations. The last decade of the models’ time series is selected for comparison with the altimeter data. The wave patterns are separated from the meso- and large-scale SSHA signals by digital filters calibrated to select the same spectral bands in both model and altimeter data. The band-wise comparison allows for an assessment of the model skill to simulate the dynamical components of the observed wave field. Comparisons regarding both the seasonal cycle and the Rossby wave field differ significantly among basins. When carried within the same basin, differences can occur between equal latitudes in opposite hemispheres. Furthermore, at some latitudes the MIROC reproduces biannual, annual and semiannual planetary waves with phase speeds and average amplitudes similar to those observed by the altimeter, but with significant differences in phase.     

Impacts of Kelvin wave forcing in the Peru Humboldt Current system: Scenarios of spatial reorganizations from physics to fishers

Because climate change challenges the sustainability of important fish populations and the fisheries they support, we need to understand how large scale climatic forcing affects the functioning of marine ecosystems. In the Humboldt Current system (HCS), a main driver of climatic variability is coastally-trapped Kelvin waves (KWs), themselves originating as oceanic equatorial KWs. Here we (i) describe the spatial reorganizations of living organisms in the Humboldt coastal system as affected by oceanic KWs forcing, (ii) quantify the strength of the interactions between the physical and biological component dynamics of the system, (iii) formulate hypotheses on the processes which drive the redistributions of the organisms, and (iv) build scenarios of space occupation in the HCS under varying KW forcing. To address these questions we explore, through bivariate lagged correlations and multivariate statistics, the relationships between time series of oceanic KW amplitude (TAO mooring data and model-resolved baroclinic modes) and coastal Peruvian oceanographic data (SST, coastal upwelled waters extent), anchoveta spatial distribution (mean distance to the coast, spatial concentration of the biomass, mean depth of the schools), and fishing fleet statistics (trip duration, searching duration, number of fishing sets and catch per trip, features of the foraging trajectory as observed by satellite vessel monitoring system). Data sets span all or part of January 1983 to September 2006. The results show that the effects of oceanic KW forcing are significant in all the components of the coastal ecosystem, from oceanography to the behaviour of the top predators – fishers. This result provides evidence for a bottom-up transfer of the behaviours and spatial stucturing through the ecosystem. We propose that contrasting scenarios develop during the passage of upwelling versus downwelling KWs. From a predictive point of view, we show that KW amplitudes observed in the mid-Pacific can be used to forecast which system state will dominate the HCS over the next 2–6 months. Such predictions should be integrated in the Peruvian adaptive fishery management.     

Wave Forces Acting on Vertical Walls

Regular and irregular wave forces acting on vertical walls are studied by a previously developed numerical model. The computed wave forces are compared with the available experimental data to verify the numerical model, and satisfactory agreements are obtained. The variation of wave forces with incident angles and the shape of simultaneous pressure distribution are investigated, and the comparisons between numerical results and Goda＇ s predictions are also carried out. It is concluded that the maximum wave forces acting on the unit length of vertical wall is often induced by the obliquely incident waves instead of normally incident waves, while Goda＇ s formula may be inapplicable for oblique wave incidence. The shape of simultaneous pressure distribution is not significantly influenced by incident angles, and it can be favorably predicted by Goda＇ s formula. When regular wave heights are taken as the same as irregular wave height H1%, the irregular wave forces Ph. 1% are slightly larger than regular wave forces in most cases.     

Internal inlet for wave generation and absorption treatment

A new method of implementing, in two-dimensional (2-D) Navier–Stokes equations, a numerical internal wave generation in the finite volume formulation is developed. To our knowledge, the originality of this model is on the specification of an internal inlet velocity defined as a source line for the generation of linear and non-linear waves. The use of a single cell to represent the source line and its transformation to an internal boundary condition proved to be an interesting alternative to the common procedure of adding a mass source term to the continuity equation within a multi-cell rectangular region. Given the reduction of the source domain to a one-dimensional region, this simple new type of source introduced less perturbation than the 2-D source type. This model was successfully implemented in the PHOENICS code (Parabolic Hyperbolic Or Elliptic Numerical Integration Code Series). In addition, the volume of fluid (VOF) fraction was used to describe the free surface displacements. A friction force term was added to the momentum transport equation in the vertical direction, in order to enhance wave damping, within relatively limited number of cells representing the sponge layers at the open boundaries. For monochromatic wave, propagating on constant water depth, numerical and analytical results showed good agreements for free surface profiles and vertical distribution of velocity components. For solitary wave simulation, the wave shape and velocity were preserved; while, small discrepancy in the tailing edge of the free surface profiles was observed. The suitability of this new numerical wave generation model for a two source lines extension was investigated and proven to be innovative. The comparisons between numerical, analytical and experimental results showed that the height of the merging waves was correctly reproduced and that the reflected waves do not interact with the source lines.     

Solar p modes of high degree l: coupling by differential rotation

Accurate measurements of solar p-mode frequencies and frequency splittings at high degree l require an adequate theoretical knowledge of the effects of mode coupling, induced by the variation with latitude of the angular velocity of the solar internal rotation. Earlier results for expansion coefficients of composite solutions (coupling coefficients) are due to Woodard. In this paper, the analysis is extended to allow for the dependence of the differential rotation on depth, and the result is expressed in terms of measurable quantities (the rotational splitting coefficients), which makes it convenient for diagnostic purposes. The analysis is based on the approach of quasi-degenerate perturbation theory, and is extended further to address possible effects of mode coupling in the observational line profiles. It is shown, using approximations applicable at high degree l , that the expected line profiles of composite modes in the observational power spectra are not distorted by mode coupling.     

New evidence for strong nonthermal effects in Tycho’s supernova remnant

For the case of Tycho’s supernova remnant (SNR) we present the relation between the blast wave and contact discontinuity radii calculated within the nonlinear kinetic theory of cosmic ray (CR) acceleration in SNRs. It is demonstrated that these radii are confirmed by recently published Chandra measurements which show that the observed contact discontinuity radius is so close to the shock radius that it can only be explained by efficient CR acceleration which in turn makes the medium more compressible. Together with the recently determined new value E _sn=1.2×10⁵¹ erg of the SN explosion energy this also confirms our previous conclusion that a TeV γ-ray flux of (2–5)×10⁻¹³ erg/(cm² s) is to be expected from Tycho’s SNR. Chandra measurements and the HEGRA upper limit of the TeV γ-ray flux together limit the source distance d to 3.3≤d≤4 kpc.     

First and second baroclinic mode responses of the tropical Indian Ocean to interannual equatorial wind anomalies

The combined and individual responses of the first and second baroclinic mode dynamics of the tropical Indian Ocean to the well-known Indian Ocean Dipole mode (IOD) wind anomalies are investigated. The IOD forced first baroclinic Rossby waves arrive at the western boundary in three months, while the reflected component from the eastern boundary with opposite phase arrives in five to six months, both carry input energy to the west. The inclusion of the second baroclinic mode slows down the wave propagation by mode coupling and stretches the energy spectrum to a relatively longer time scale. The total energy exists in the equatorial wave guide for at least five months from the forcing, as much as 10% of that of the atmospheric input, which mainly dissipates at the western boundary. The individual responses of the ocean to IOD interannual wind anomaly show that the significant modes of oceanic anomalies are confined to a wave guide of 10° on either side of the equator.