Preliminary results of measurements of atmospheric turbulence over the sea

We perform the experimental verification of the applicability of the theory of similarity to the wave boundary layer and the assessment of wave-induced perturbations of the air flow depending on various conditions of stratification of the atmosphere and the state of the sea. The measurements were carried out from a stationary platform located in the coastal part of the Black Sea. The experimental procedure is based on the simultaneous measurements of the profile and fluctuations of the wind speed at 5–6 levels in the 1.3–21-m layer, the elevations of the sea surface, the directions of waves and winds, and the mean gradients of temperature and humidity of air. The structure of the boundary layer in the region of measurements depends on the direction of the wind. For weak and moderate onshore winds (< 9 m/sec), the approximate balance is preserved between the production and dissipation of turbulent energy in the cases of unstable and neutral stratification. On the average, the estimates of friction velocity according to the profiles are higher than the dissipative estimates by 10% mainly due to the deficiency of dissipation near the surface. For the offshore wind, the structure of the boundary layer abruptly changes and is determined not by the local parameters but by strong turbulent eddies formed over the dry land. The intensity of low-frequency turbulent fluctuations and the gradient of wind velocity near the surface in the coastal zone are 1.5–2 times higher than for the open sea. __________ Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 3, pp. 42–61, May–June, 2007.     

Simulation of wind-induced oscillations of the Azov-Sea level

The prognostic fields of the surface winds and atmospheric pressure obtained according to the data of the Skiron prognostic system are used to study the surge phenomena in the Azov Sea by using a three-dimensional nonlinear model. The accumulated numerical results are compared with the data of direct measurements of the sea level at the coastal stations. The degree of sensitivity of the computed levels of surges to the value of the coefficient of surface friction is evaluated. Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 6, pp. 53–65, November–December, 2008.     

Simulation of surge phenomena and transformation of the admixture field in the Sea of Azov in the presence of stationary currents

Using a three-dimensional nonlinear mathematical model, we study the processes of transfer and diffusion of contaminants in the Sea of Azov in the presence of stationary currents. Changes in the sea level, surge phenomena, and the direction and velocity of stationary currents caused by winds with different maximum velocities are analyzed. We estimate the region of applicability of the linear approximation and the choice of the value of integration steps over space and time coordinates. It is shown that the growth of the maximum wind velocity increases the contaminated domains and the time of complete dispersion of the admixture. Solutions obtained in the linear approximation differ slightly from those obtained by using the nonlinear model for wind velocities up to 5 m/sec. Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 4, pp. 52–68, July–August, 2008.     

210Pb-derived sediment accumulation rates in the southwestern East Sea (Sea of Japan)

 Recent sediment accumulation rates are 18–230 mg cm^-2 yr^-1 (0.02–0.2 cm yr^-1) based on excess ²¹⁰Pb activity profiles in the southwestern part of the East Sea (Sea of Japan). Assuming no mixing beneath surface mixed layers, ²¹⁰Pb-derived sediment accumulation rates are 18–32 mg cm^-2 yr^-1 in the northern part of the Yamato Ridge and the Ulleung Basin, 29–136 mg cm^-2 yr^-1 in the Korea Plateau, and 230 mg cm^-2 yr^-1 in the southern shelf. These values generally agree with long-term sedimentation rates estimated from dated ash layers. Received: 6 October 1995 / Revision received: 31 May 1996     

Spectra of the Black-Sea tsunamis

We perform the analysis of the time spectra of four tsunamis generated in the Black Sea by the earthquakes of 26.07.1927, 11.09.1927, 26.12.1939, and 12.07.1966. For the analysis of the spectra, we used digitized marigrams obtained for 12 points of the Black-Sea coast. The obtained spectra are, as a rule, multimode and have 1–4 spectral maxima. One maximum corresponds to the periods typical of tsunami waves and the other maxima correspond to the oscillations of the sea level with lower frequencies. It seems likely that the events of tsunami are accompanied by low-frequency oscillations of the level caused by the atmospheric forcing, seiches, or other factors. In numerous cases, the oscillations from the predominant energy range lie outside the characteristic range of periods of the tsunami waves. __________ Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 5, pp. 21–30, September–October, 2007.     

Numerical modeling of the influence of land–sea temperature contrasts on the atmospheric circulation in the Black-Sea region

The formation of the fields of surface winds over the Black Sea occurs under the action of numerous physical factors. One of the most important factors is the monsoon mechanism connected with the seasonal variations of buoyancy contrasts over the sea and surrounding land. To separate the effects caused by this mechanism, we performed and described the numerical experiments aimed at the evaluation of the sensitivity of the regional model of atmospheric circulation to the variations of land–sea temperature contrasts. It is shown that the influence of these effects is restricted to the lower part of the atmosphere. The presented estimates of the climatic fields of disturbances enable us to describe the monsoon mechanism specifying the seasonal variability of the field of vorticity of the wind velocities and, as a consequence, the seasonal variability of the large-scale circulation of waters in the Black Sea.     

Coral extension rates in the NW Indian Ocean II: reconstruction of 20th century Indian monsoon strength and rainfall over India

To date, coral proxy studies have proved largely unsuccessful in reconstructing temporal variability of the Indian monsoon system in the NW Indian Ocean. In a recent publication in this journal, Storz and Gischler demonstrated that extension rates in corals can be used to fill this gap. Those authors found a link between decadal and interannual variations of the SW monsoon current velocities and Porites lutea extension rates in the lagoon of Rasdhoo Atoll (4°N/73°W) in the central Maldives for the period 1917–2007. This sister paper shows that this extension-rate record can be used to reconstruct decadal variations of summer monsoon rainfall over peninsular India and adjacent areas. The amount of monsoon rainfall and current velocities during summer are both affected by the strength of the Indian monsoon system. Assessments of coral extension rates and the mean May–September All India Monsoon Rainfall index, a measure of monsoon strength over the Indian subcontinent, revealed a significant spectral coherence within periods of 18–19 and 6–7 years. Almost 92% of variance is shared between both time series in the former band, and 85% in the latter. A correlation between the 5-year running mean extension rate and rainfall records from the Western Ghats (grid of 73–76°E/13–15°N) is significant especially for 1958–2006 (r = −0.82, p < 0.05). These findings imply that coral growth characteristics can serve as a new marine archive to reconstruct past variations of the Indian monsoon system on interannual to decadal timescales.     

The dependence of precipitation on wind direction over the Kuroshio front in the winter East China Sea

This study investigates atmospheric responses to the directions of surface wind over the Kuroshio front in the East China Sea, using wintertime satellite-derived data sets. Composite maps of sea surface temperature, wind speed, precipitation, turbulent heat flux, surface wind divergence, and the curl of wind vectors above the atmospheric boundary layer are depicted based on the classification of intense northeasterly (along the front) and northwesterly (across the front) winds over the East China Sea. When northeasterly winds prevail, considerable precipitation occurs on the offshore side of the Kuroshio front, in contrast to periods when northwesterly winds prevail. First, the northeasterly winds strengthen above the front because of the downward transfer of momentum from the fast-moving air at higher levels and/or an adjustment of sea level pressure over the oceanic front, although the process by which the influence of the Kuroshio penetrates beyond the marine atmospheric boundary layer remains unclear. Second, a cyclonic vortex forms above the marine atmospheric boundary layer (at 850-hPa height) on the offshore side of the front, and thereafter, surface wind convergence via Ekman suction (hence, enhanced precipitation) occurs over the East China Sea shelf breaks. The northeasterly winds blow over the East China Sea when the Aleutian Low retreats to the east and when high sea level pressure covers the northern Sea of Japan.     

Mesoscale structure of the fields of vertical velocity and vorticity of winds over the Black Sea

On the basis of a simple stationary linear model and a contemporary nonlinear model, we study the mesoscale characteristics of the fields of vertical velocity and vorticity of winds over the Black Sea. It is shown that, in the idealized case (without taking into account the coastal features), the temperature contrast between the land and the sea in both models leads to the formation of circulation cells in the coastal zone. However, the mountainous features prove to be the main factor affecting the process of circulation for the actual synoptic situations. We present the map of monthly average vorticity of the surface winds constructed according to the nonlinear mesoscale model with a resolution of 30 km for January 1996–2001. __________ Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 1, pp. 52–61, January–February, 2005.     

Particulate organic carbon (POC) in surface sediments of the Baltic Sea

In this study, particulate organic carbon (POC) contents and their distribution pattern in surficial sediments of the Baltic Sea are presented for 1,471 sampling stations. POC contents range from approx. 0.1% in shallow sandy areas up to 16% in deep muddy basins (e.g. Gotland Basin). Some novel relationships were identified between sediment mass physical properties (dry bulk density (DBD), grain size) and POC levels. Notably, the highest POC concentrations (about 10–17 mg cm^–3) occur in sandy mud to mud (60–100% mud content) with intermediate POC contents of about 3–7% and DBDs of 0.1–0.4 g cm^–3. Areas with this range in values seem to represent the optimum conditions for POC accumulation in the Baltic Sea. The maximum POC contents (8–16%) are found in fluid mud of the central Baltic Sea characterized by extremely low DBDs (<0.1 g cm^–3) and moderate POC concentrations (4–7 mg cm^–3). Furthermore, sediment mass accumulation rates (MAR), based on ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs measurements and available for 303 sites of the Baltic Sea, were used for assessing the spatial distribution of POC burial rates. Overall, these vary between 14 and 35 g m^–2 year^–1 in the mud depositional areas and, in total, at least 3.5 (±2.9) Mt POC are buried annually. Distribution patterns of POC contents and burial rates are not identical for the central Baltic Sea because of the low MAR in this area. The presented data characterize Baltic Sea sediments as an important sink for organic carbon. Regional differences in organic carbon deposition can be explained by the origin and transport pathways of POC, as well as the environmental conditions prevailing at the seafloor (morphology, currents, redox conditions). These findings can serve to improve budget calculations and modelling of the carbon cycle in this large brackish-water marginal sea.     

Coral extension rates in the NW Indian Ocean I: reconstruction of 20th century SST variability and monsoon current strength

To date, only a few coral proxy studies have investigated coral growth as an indicator of climate variability. This study presents the first extension-rate record (Porites lutea) from the Maldives (NW Indian Ocean), inferred from skeletal δ¹⁸O chronology for the lagoon of Rasdhoo Atoll (4°N/73°W) in the central area of the Maldives, influenced by the Indian monsoon. The record spans 90 years over the period 1917–2007. The mean annual extension over this period was 9.9 mm/year, and an increase of annual extension rates until 1990 by 3 mm/year can be explained by a rise of 0.7°C in sea surface temperature (SST) in this region. After 1990, the extension rates do no continue increasing, possibly due to ecological stress caused by progressive ocean warming and acidification. The correlation between annual extension rates and SSTs is thus significant and strong in the lower part of the record until 1955 (r = +0.69, p < 0.0001), but weaker thereafter (r = +0.44, p < 0.001). The extension rates yield a distinct interannual variability of 3–4 years, caused by interannual SST fluctuations driven by the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation. A variability of 8–9 years is likely driven by SST variations endemic to the Indian Ocean. Spectral peaks between 18–19 years and 6–7 years cannot be explained by SST fluctuations, but by variations in the strength of the SW monsoon currents. It is suggested that during phases of stronger monsoon activity, the coral sacrificed coral extension in favor of a denser, more robust skeleton. The geomorphology of the atoll may strengthen the potential of this new coral archive to track climate variability.     

Seasonal Variations and Transformations of Climatic Currents with Depth on the Basis of Assimilation of New Climatic Data on Temperature and Salinity in a Model of the Black Sea

The seasonal climatic circulation of the sea reconstructed on the basis of assimilation of new arrays of many-year average hydrological data in a model is analyzed. Five layers are discovered in the structure of climatic currents in the sea in depth: the surface Ekman layer (∼ 10 m), a layer with small vertical gradients of the kinetic energy (∼ 10–60 m), a layer with relatively high vertical gradients of the kinetic energy (∼ 60–150 m), a layer with gradual decrease in the kinetic energy and intensification (from 250–350 m) of the east cyclonic gyre and Batumi anticyclonic eddy (∼ 150–1000 m), and an abyssal layer characterized by an almost barotropic velocity (∼ 1000–2000 m). The specific features of the seasonal evolution of currents at these depths are investigated. It is shown that the key role in the formation of deep-water circulation of the sea is played by the south east flow, east cyclonic gyre, and Batumi anticyclonic eddy. __________ Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 6, pp. 28–45, November–December, 2005.     

Field measurements of the vertical shears for a drift current

We describe the procedure of field experiments aimed at measuring the vertical profiles of the vectors of a drift current with the help of quasi-Lagrangian drifters. We present the data on the vertical shears of the current at depths of 0.5–5 m obtained under the conditions of neutral stratification in the upper 5-m layer of the sea in the presence of weak and moderate winds. The correspondence of the obtained data to the concept according to which the subsurface layer of the sea is regarded as a near-wall turbulent layer with Ekman current located below is analyzed. A conclusion is made that the results of measurements correspond, on the average, to the classical concepts demonstrating both the region of logarithmic sublayer and its transition into the Ekman spiral. __________ Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 1, pp. 32–44, January–February, 2007.     

Impacts of sea spray on the boundary layer structure of Typhoon Imbudo

High winds in a typhoon over the ocean can produce substantial amounts of spray in the lower part of the atmospheric boundary layer, which can modify the transfer of momentum, heat, and moisture across the air-sea interface. However, the consequent effects on the boundary layer structure and the evolution of the typhoon are largely unknown. The focus of this paper is on the role of sea spray on the storm intensity and the structure of the atmospheric boundary layer. The case study is Typhoon Imbudo in July 2003. The results show that sea spray tends to intensify storms by increasing the sea surface heat fluxes. Moreover, the effects of sea spray are mainly felt in boundary layer. Spray evaporation causes the atmospheric boundary layer to experience cooling and moistening. Sea spray can cause significant effects on the structure of boundary layer. The boundary-layer height over the eyewall area east to the center of Typhoon Imbudo was increased with a maximum up to about 550 m due to sea spray, which is closely related with the enhancements of the heat fluxes, upward motions, and horizontal winds in this region due to sea spray.     

Long-term variations of the location of the upper boundary of the hydrogen-sulphide zone in the Black Sea

We analyze the dependence of climatic variations of the location of the upper boundary of the hydrogen-sulphide zone in the Black Sea on the variations of the sea level and various types of atmospheric circulation (according to A.A. Girs). It is discovered that the level of correlation between the indicated parameters is high and that the corresponding plots are in good qualitative agreement. The accumulated results enable us to make an assumption that there exists an 80–100-yr cycle of variation of all analyzed parameters and that the long-term variations of the location of the upper boundary of the hydrogen-sulphide zone can be regarded as a manifestation of global climatic variations. Translated by Peter V. Malyshev and Dmitry V. Malyshev     

Seasonal variability of the sea surface height in the East China Sea along the China coast: A model study

The phase of the sea surface height annual variation in the East China Sea along China’s continental coast is delayed from that in the open ocean area, most probably because of seasonal strong monsoon winds. To elucidate this mechanism, we conducted an idealized model experiment using a rectangular shallow ocean with a sloped seafloor forced by southward blowing winds. We obtain a locally confined high SSH near the western boundary found in the East China Sea. The delay of the phase of the sea surface height (SSH) along the China coast can be interpreted as follows. The SSH of the East China Sea is high over large areas in September and low in March due to the expansion/contraction of seawater, which is attributable to the sea surface heat flux. However, near the continental boundary SSH becomes high in January and low in July under the influence of a monsoon winds. The phase delay along the continental boundary should appear by superposing these two time series with a phase difference near the boundary.     

Determination of the distribution density of specular points on the sea surface: Formulation of the inverse problem

With reference to the model of a random Gaussian homogeneous cylindrical (one-dimensional) sea surface z = ζ(x), the inverse problem is formulated in the form of the integral Fredholm equation of the first kind to determine the distribution density of the number of specular points on the sea surface. The kernel of the equation is determined in terms of the Fourier transform of the distribution density of radii of surface curvature at the points of specular reflection. The equation derived by the author earlier for the distribution density and written for the dimensionless radius of curvature contains no parameters, a result that is indicative of the universal character of this distribution for an arbitrary Gaussian surface. The validity of the original formulas obtained in this paper was verified by simulations.     

The Influence of Winds and Tides in the Formation of Circulation Layers in a Bay, a Case Study: Concepción Bay, Chile

Horizontal water velocities were measured using three current meters moored at the levels of 5, 18, and 30 m depth in the oriental side of Concepción Bay (36°40′S; 73°02′W), an almost rectangular, shallow bay off central Chile, connected with the open sea through two mouths.The large momentum transfer from the wind to the water causes variations of the internal volume of the bay generating circulation layers having almost anti-parallel directions. Northerly winds carry superficial water into the bay, causing a compensating flow leaving the bay near its bottom. Winds from the SW, on the other hand, cause an outgoing circulation layer in the surface and a circulation layer entering into the bay near the bottom. During wind calm periods, longer than 12 h, the two layers disappear, leaving a current system comprising only one circulation layer. The response time necessary for the generation or dissipation of these layers, which fluctuates between 1 and 7 h, depends on the initial conditions of the bay and on the intensity, direction and persistence of the wind.     

Generation of seiches by moving baric formations

We consider a plane problem of generation of barotropic seiches in the case of motion of a region of disturbances of atmospheric pressure over a bounded basin. The nonlinear system of equations of long waves with regard for the quadratic dependence of bottom friction is solved by the finite-difference method. The calculations are carried out for three basins of variable depth corresponding to rectangular sections of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. It is shown that the passage of the baric anomaly over the basin is accompanied by the generation of the lowest seiches. The oscillations of fluid are especially intense in the shallow-water zones of the basins. Seiches exhibit a trend to intensification as the velocity of motion of the atmospheric disturbance increases. The dependence on the width of the baric anomaly is not monotonic. In the shelf zone, the amplitude of oscillations of the level can be several times higher that the pure hydrostatic response of the sea surface. In the analyzed basins, the influence of nonlinearity on the seiches is weak. __________ Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 6, pp. 3–15, November–December, 2007.     

The radiative and thermal effects of smoke aerosol over the region of Moscow during the summer fires of 2010

The shortwave radiative forcings of smoke aerosol in the cloudless atmosphere during the summer fires of 2010 in European Russia were quantitatively estimated for the land surface and the atmospheric upper boundary from measurement data obtained at the Zvenigorod Scientific Station of the Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics (OIAP ZSS), Russian Academy of Sciences. Variations in the temperature of the surface air layer due to the smoke-induced attenuation of incoming solar radiation were estimated. The most intensive smoke generation in the atmosphere was observed on August 7–9, 2010, when the maximum aerosol optical thickness amounted to more than 4.0 at a wavelength of 550 nm. In this case, the albedo of single aerosol scattering amounted to ∼0.95–0.96 and the asymmetry factor amounted to ∼0.69–0.70. The maximum shortwave radiative forcing of aerosol amounted to about −360 W/m² for the land surface and almost −150 W/m² for the atmospheric upper boundary. During the period of intensive smoke generation, the cooling of the atmospheric surface layer over daylight hours (12 h) amounted, on average, to ∼6°C. The power character of the dependence of the shortwave radiative forcing of aerosol for the land surface on aerosol optical thickness up to its values exceeding 4.0, which was revealed earlier on the basis of data on aerosol optical thickness (up to 1.5) obtained at the OIAP ZSS during the summer forest and peatbog fires of 2002 in the region of Moscow, was supported.