Evaluation of spatial distribution of turbulent mixing in the central Pacific

A long-term mean turbulent mixing in the depth range of 200–1000 m produced by breaking of internal waves across the middle and low latitudes (40°S–40°N) of the Pacific between 160°W and 140°W is examined by applying fine-scale parameterization depending on strain variance to 8-year (2005–2012) Argo float data. Results show that elevated turbulent dissipation rate (ε) is related to significant topographic regions, along the equator, and on the northern side of 20°N spanning to 24°N throughout the depth range. Two patterns of latitudinal variations of ε and the corresponding diffusivity (K_ρ) for different depth ranges are confirmed: One is for 200–450 m with significant larger ε and K_ρ, and the maximum values are obtained between 4°N and 6°N, where eddy kinetic energy also reaches its maximum; The other is for 350–1000 m with smaller ε and K_ρ, and the maximum values are obtained near the equator, and between 18°S and 12°S in the southern hemisphere, 20°N and 22°N in the northern hemisphere. Most elevated turbulent dissipation in the depth range of 350–1000 m relates to rough bottom roughness (correlation coefficient?=?0.63), excluding the equatorial area. In the temporal mean field, energy flux from surface wind stress to inertial motions is not significant enough to account for the relatively intensified turbulent mixing in the upper layer.     

A note on a critical wind speed for air–sea boundary processes

Wind and wind-generated waves were measured in a wind-wave tank. A clear transition was found in the relation between the wind speed U ₁₀ and the wind friction velocity u _* near u _* = 0.2 m/s, where U ₁₀ is the wind speed at 10 m height extrapolated from the measured wind profile in a logarithmic layer, and u _* = 0.2 m/s corresponds roughly to U ₁₀ = 8 m/s in the present measurement. Quite a similar transition was found in the relation between the spectral density of high frequency wind waves and u _*. These results suggest the existence of the critical wind speed for air–sea boundary processes, which was proposed by Munk (J Marine Res 6:203–218, 1947) more than half a century ago. His original idea of the critical wind speed was based on the discontinuities in such phenomena as white caps, wind stress, and evaporation, which commonly appear at a wind speed near 7 m/s. On the basis of the results of our present study and those of earlier studies, we discuss the phenomena which are relevant to the critical wind speed for the air–sea boundary processes. The conclusion is that the critical wind speed exists and it is attributed to the start of wave breaking rather than the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, but the air–sea boundary processes are not discontinuous at a particular wind speed; because of the stochastic nature of breaking waves, the changes occur over a range of wind speeds. Detailed discussions are presented on the dynamical processes associated with the critical wind speed such as wind-induced change of sea surface roughness and high frequency wave spectrum. Future studies are required, however, to clarify the dynamical processes quantitatively. In particular, there is a need to further examine the gradual change of breaking patterns of wind waves with the increase of wind speed, and the associated change of the structure of the wind over wind waves, such as separation of the airflow at the crest of wind waves, the turbulent stress, and wave-induced stress. Studies on the dynamical structure of the high frequency wave spectrum are also needed.     

Experimental Study on Crescent Waves Diffracted by A Circular Cylinder

Crescent waves often observed on the sea surface are unusual wave pattern induced by the instability of Stokes wave. The paper presents the experimental results of the wave field around a circular cylinder generated by the diffraction of crescent wave in order to examine the difference of diffracted crescent waves from the commonly-used diffracted Stokes waves. The results show that with the existence of the cylinder, the crescent wave pattern can still get fully developed, and with the presence of this type of wave pattern, the symmetry breaking of the wave amplitude distribution occurs and there are extra wave components at the frequencies of 0.5ω₀, 1.5ω₀ and 2.5ω₀ (ω₀ is the frequency of Stokes waves) appearing in the wave amplitude spectrum.     

Generation mechanism of an alongshore bar on a sandy beach slope

A model explaining the mechanism of alongshore bar formation from the point of view of the sediment balance in the surf zone is considered. A cloud of suspended matter that appears during wave breaking is transported shoreward and simultaneously sediments forming a vertical material flux directed to the bottom (S). Simultaneously, an undertow generates a horizontal offshore flux of suspended matter q _x . Under these conditions, the sediment balance is determined by the equality of the flux -S and the gradient dq _x /dx. The bottom profile satisfying the balance equation is a bar profile with the crest at the point of the flux maximum -S. The model predicts a concave profile of the seaside slope and a concave-convex profile of the slope in the trough. A conclusion is reached on the basis of the calibration and verification of the model based on the field data that the suggested mechanism manifests itself differently in the outer and inner zones of the coastal zone. In the inner zone, the horizontal size of the bar is determined by the length of short wind waves, while, in the outer one, it is determined by the length of the infragravity waves related to the groups of short waves. It is shown that the model can be applied to estimate the parameters of the largest bar in the inner part of the coastal zone.     

Determining the influence of wind-wave breaking on the dissipation of the turbulent kinetic energy in the upper ocean and on the dependence of the turbulent kinetic energy on the stage of wind-wave development

New experimental data that make it possible to explain and predict the observed variability of turbulent-energy dissipation in the upper ocean are discussed. For this purpose, the dependence of the energy dissipation rate of breaking wind waves on their propagation velocity (see [1]) is used. The turbulent-energy dissipation values obtained earlier in [2, 3] by a direct method are compared to the results of radar measurements of individual breaking events presented in [1]. On the basis of this comparison, a strong dependence of the turbulent-energy dissipation value on the stage of wind-wave development, which is characterized by the ratio U _a /c _p (U _a is the wind speed and c _p is the phase speed of the peak of the wind-wave spectrum) is confirmed. This dependence was found earlier purely empirically. Moreover, it is shown that the theoretically obtained dependence (c _p /U _a )⁴, does not contradict the available empirical data. The results of this study opens possibilities for scientifically substantiated calculations of greenhouse-gas exchange (specifically, CO₂ exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere).     

Features of the atmospheric boundary layer block for three versions of the WAM wind wave model

The estimated characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer, obtained by the simulation of wind wave fields using three versions of the WAM numerical model are compared with the well-known empirical dependences of drag coefficient C _d on wind speed U ₁₀ and wave age A, as well as with the dependence of dimensionless roughness height z _n on inverse wave age u*/с р. Calculations carried out for several years in the areas of the Pacific and Indian oceans, based on the ERA-interim and CFSR wind reanalyses have shown good agreement between the model and empirical dependences C _d (U ₁₀) and C _d (A). The range of estimated variability for z _n (u*/с _р ) has been found to be significantly less than empirical. It has been also found that estimated values of wind speed U _10W (t) are overestimated from 5 to 10% in all versions of WAM models compared with the input wind reanalysis U _10R (t) at the moments of appearance maximum values of wind U _10R (t). The reasons for the established features of the WAM model and their dependence on the model version are discussed.     

Studying the sea surface slopes using an array of wave gauge sensors

The deviations of the marine surface slope spectra (measured using an array of wave gauge sensors) from the theoretical estimates obtained using the linear spectral model of the wave field are analyzed. It has been indicated that the average measured full slope spectra (the sum of the slope component spectra in the orthogonal directions) is higher than the theoretical estimates by 6% at frequencies from the surface wave spectral peak (f _m ) to 4.5 f _m . The difference between the measured and theoretical estimates of the full slope spectrum rapidly increases at frequencies of f < f _m . At f _m ≈ 0.75 f _m , the average measured full slope spectrum is higher than the theoretical estimate by a factor of more than 5.     

Using the acoustic-pulse conservation law in estimating the energy of surface acoustic sources by remote sounding

The atmospheric effect on the characteristics of infrasonic signals from explosions has been studied. New methods have been proposed to remotely estimate the energy of explosions using the data of infrasonic wave registration. One method is based on the law of conservation of acoustic pulse I, which is equal to the product of the wave profile area S/2 of the studied infrasonic signal and the distance to the source E_I [kt] = 1.38 × 10^–10 (I [kg/s])^1.482. The second method is based on the relationship between the explosion energy and the dominant period T of the recorded signal, EТ [kt] =1.02 × (Т [s]²/σ)^3/2, where σ is a dimensionless distance used for determining the degree of manifestation of nonlinear effects in the propagation of sound along ray trajectories. When compared to the conventional E_W (Whitaker’s) relation, the advantage of the EI relation is that it can be used for pulsed sources located at an arbitrary height over the land surface and having an arbitrary form of the initial-pulse profile and for any type of infrasonic arrivals. A distinctive feature of the expression for E_Т is that the atmospheric effect on the characteristics of recorded infrasonic signals is explicitly taken into account. These methods have been tested using infrasonic data recorded at a distance of 322 km from the sources (30 explosions caused by a fire that occurred at the Pugachevo armory in Udmurtia on June 2, 2011). For the same explosion, empirical relations have been found between energy values obtained by different methods: E_I = 1.107 × E _W , E _Т = 2.201 × E _I .     

Phylogenetic relationship between symbionts of tubeworm <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lamellibrachia satsuma</Emphasis> and the sediment microbial community in Kagoshima Bay

Vestimentiferan tubeworms acquire their symbionts through horizontal transmission from the surrounding environment. In the present study, we constructed a 16S rRNA gene clone library to investigate the phylogenetic relationship between diverse microbes in the sediment and symbiotic bacteria in the trophosome of the tubeworm, Lamellibrachia satsuma, from Kagoshima Bay, Japan. Two symbiotic bacterial phylotypes belonging to the classes γ- and ε-Proteobacteria were found from this tubeworm trophosome. They were very closely related to the symbionts of several other marine invertebrates. The most predominant bacteria in the sediment were ε-Proteobacteria. A broad diversity of bacteria belonged to non-proteobacterial phyla such as Planctomycetes, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi was observed. The presence of sulfur oxidizers (i.e., ε-Proteobacteria and γ-Proteobacteria) and sulfur reducers (i.e., δ-Proteobacteria) may play a significant role in the sulfur cycle in these habitats and provide multiple sources of nutrition to the cold-seep communities. Closely related clones of ε-Proteobacteria symbiont in the species level and of γ-Proteobacteria symbiont in the genus level were found in the surrounding sediment. The similarity of symbiont clones of L. satsuma with other symbionts and free-living bacteria suggests the possibility of opportunistic symbiosis in ε-Proteobacteria and the co-evolution of γ-Proteobacteria having occurred after symbiosis with the tubeworms.     

Simulating the Propagation of Infrasonic Waves and Estimating the Energy of the Chelyabinsk Meteoroid Explosion Observed on February 15, 2013

Results obtained from simulating the propagation of infrasonic waves from the Chelyabinsk meteoroid explosion observed on February 15, 2013, are given. The pseudodifferential parabolic equation (PDPE) method has been used for calculations. Data on infrasonic waves recorded at the IS31 station (Aktyubinsk, Kazakhstan), located 542.7 km from the likely location of the explosion, have been analyzed. Six infrasonic arrivals (isolated clearly defined pulse signals) were recorded. It is shown that the first “fast” arrival (F) corresponds to the propagation of infrasound in a surface acoustic waveguide. The rest of the arrivals (T1–T5) are thermospheric. The agreement between the results of calculations based on the PDPE method and experimental data is satisfactory. The energy E of the explosion has been estimated using two methods. One of these methods is based on the law of conservation of the acoustic pulse I, which is a product of the wave profile area S/2 of the signal under analysis and the distance to its source E _I [kt] = 1.38 × 10^–10 (I [kg/s])^1.482. The other method is based on the relation between the energy of explosion and the dominant period T of recorded signal E _T [kt] = 1.02 × (T [s]²/σ)^3/2, where σ is the dimensionless distance determining the degree of nonlinear effects during the propagation of sound along ray trajectories. According to the data, the explosion energy E _I,T ranges from 1.87 to 32 kt TNT.     

南极西北威德尔海上层海洋湍流混合研究

Turbulent mixing in the upper ocean(30-200 m) of the northwestern Weddell Sea is investigated based on profiles of temperature,salinity and microstructure data obtained during February 2014.Vertical thermohaline structures are distinct due to geographic features and sea ice distribution,resulting in that turbulent dissipation rates(ε) and turbulent diffusivity(K) are vertically and spatially non-uniform.On the shelf north of Antarctic Peninsula and Philip Ridge,with a relatively homogeneous vertical structure of temperature and salinity through the entire water column in the upper 200 m,both ε and K show significantly enhanced values in the order of O(10~(-7))-O(10~(-6)) W/kg and O(10~(-3))-O(10~(-2)) m~2/s respectively,about two or three orders of magnitude higher than those in the open ocean.Mixing intensities tend to be mild due to strong stratification in the Powell Basin and South Orkney Plateau,where s decreases with depth from O(10~(-8)) to O(10~(-9)) W/kg,while K changes vertically in an inverse direction relative to s from O(10~(-6)) to O(10~(-5)) m~2/s.In the marginal ice zone,K is vertically stable with the order of10~(-4) m~2/s although both intense dissipation and strong stratification occur at depth of 50-100 m below a cold freshened mixed layer.Though previous studies indentify wind work and tides as the primary energy sources for turbulent mixing in coastal regions,our results indicate weak relationship between K and wind stress or tidal kinetic energy.Instead,intensified mixing occurs with large bottom roughness,demonstrating that only when internal waves generated by wind and tide impinge on steep topography can the energy dissipate to support mixing.In addition,geostrophic current flowing out of the Weddell Sea through the gap west of Philip Passage is another energy source contributing to the local intense mixing.     

斜向波浪作用下双层水平板式防波堤波浪荷载试验研究

In this study, systematic physical model tests were performed to investigate the wave forces on the twin-plate breakwater under irregular waves. Based on the experimental results, the effects of the relative plate width B/L,wave height Hs/D and incident angle θ0 on the wave forces were analyzed and discussed. The results showed that:(1) The envelopes of the total wave pressure were generally symmetrical along the direction of plate width under the incident angles(θ0) being 0°, 15°, 30°, 45° and 60°. In particular, the envelopes of wave pressure atθ0=30° were larger than all other cases.(2) The synchronous pressure distribution of the breakwater under oblique wave action was more complicated comparing to the normal incident waves.(3) Based on data analysis, an empirical formula was obtained to estimate the total vertical force of the twin-plate breakwater.This empirical formula can be a good reference for the design basis of engineering applications under specified wave conditions.     

Wave Activity and Its Changes in the Troposphere and Stratosphere of the Northern Hemisphere in Winters of 1979–2016

An analysis of spectra of wave disturbances with zonal wave numbers 1 ≤ k ≤ 10 is carried out using winter (November to March) ERA-Interim reanalysis geopotential data in the troposphere and stratosphere for 1979–2016. Contributions of eastward-traveling (E), westward-traveling (W), and stationary (S) waves are estimated. The intensification of wave activity is observed in the tropical troposphere and stratosphere and in the upper stratosphere of the entire Northern Hemisphere. The intensification of wave activity in the tropics and subtropics is noted for waves of all types (E, W, and S), while in the middle and higher latitudes it is related mainly to stationary and eastward waves. Near the subtropical tropopause, the energy of stationary waves has increased in recent decades. In addition, in the tropical and subtropical troposphere and in the subtropical lower stratosphere, the energy of the eastward-traveling waves in El Niño years may be one and a half times or twice the energy in La Niña years. The spectrally weighted zonal wave numbers for waves of all types (E, W, and S) are the largest in the upper subtropical troposphere. The spectrally weighted zonal wave number for W and S waves is correlated with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation index and varies by 15% in 1979–2016 (on an interdecadal time scale). The spectrally weighted wave period is larger in the stratosphere than in the troposphere. It is maximal in the middle extratropical stratosphere. The spectrally weighted wave periods correlate with the activity of sudden stratospheric warmings. The sign of this correlation depends on the latitude, atmospheric layer, and zonal wave number.     

Retrospective analysis of seismic regime features before the Taiwan earthquakes of 1999 and 2002

The features of the seismic regime before the strongest earthquakes of Taiwan in the late 20th (Chi-Chi on September 21, 1999, M_w = 7.6) and the early 21st century (March 31, 2002, M_w = 7.4) are analyzed. Based on 1990–1999 and 1994–2002 data, respectively, retrospective analysis of three seismic regime parameters are studied: the total annual number of earthquakes N_Σ in the range of M_L = 2.5–5.5 and M_w = 3.0–7.0; the total annual quantity of released seismic energy ΣE, J; and angular coefficient b of earthquake recurrence graphs. Two explicit subperiods are revealed in the course of the seismic regime: quiescence in 1990–1996 before the Chi-Chi earthquake and in 1994–1997 before the March 2002 earthquake; in 1997–1999 and 1998–2002, respectively, seismic activation is observed. Due to the predominance of weak earthquakes during the Chi-Chi earthquake preparation, factor b appeared relatively higher (–1.16 on average); in contrast, before the March 2002 earthquake, due to the occurrence of foreshocks with M_w = 6.8–7.0, the factor b values appeared relatively lower (–0.55 and–0.74 for the quiescence and activation subperiods, respectively). Despite the fundamental difference in the seismotectonic situation between the domains where two mainshocks occurred and significantly difference energy ranges of the initial seismic events, the analysis results are similar for both earthquakes. In both cases, the mainshock occurred at the peak of released energy, which can be considered a coincidence. Solid verification of this positive tendency requires the accumulation of seismological statistics.     

Estimating the parameters of pulsed sources from data on acoustic waves recorded in the atmosphere

The possibility of estimating the parameters of surface pulsed sources from data on acoustic waves recorded in the atmosphere is studied. Experimental values are given for peak pressure P ₊ of recorded acoustic signals, wave-profile area S ₊ in their positive phase, and length t ₊ of this phase, and the approximations of these parameters are obtained within wide ranges of source energy 10^–3 < E < 10¹⁰ kg TNT and scaled distances 1 < R/E ^1/3 < 4 × 10⁴ m/kg^1/3. Conventional methods of estimating the acoustic energy E according to data obtained from acoustic measurements in the atmosphere are analyzed, and ways to improve their accuracy are proposed. The influence of the type of explosions on the parameters P ₊, S ₊, and t ₊ of acoustic signals at long distances R/E ^1/3 > 500 m/kg^1/3 from explosions is shown.     

Effect of the nonlinear interaction of tidal harmonics on their spatial structure as applied to the system of the white and Barents Seas

Using the three-dimensional nonlinear finite-element thermohydrodynamic model QUODDY-4, we obtain two solutions giving an idea of the role of the nonlinear interaction of tidal harmonics in the formation of their spatial structure. The first solution is induced by the total tide (M ₂ + S ₂ + K ₁ + O ₁) at the open boundary and by the total static tide inside the area under consideration; then, the solution obtained is subject to harmonic analysis. The second solution is obtained by specifying such tidal sea level elevations at the open boundary that meet individual tidal harmonics. These two solutions are compared. It is shown that the differences between the solutions for the S ₂, K ₁, and O ₁ waves can be significant, especially near the open boundary between the White and Barents seas. This conclusion remains valid also for the maximum velocities (major semiaxes of the ellipses) of the barotropic (depth-average) tidal current as well as for the average (over the tidal cycle) densities of the total tidal energy and components of the tidal-energy budget. The emergence of this feature indicates that there are resonance modes with frequencies that differ from those of the S ₂, K ₁, and O ₁ harmonics to a lesser extent than the M ₂ harmonic frequency. The same conclusion can be made by comparing the values of the amplification factor, which is defined as the ratio between the actual and static tides, for the system of the Barents and White seas as a whole and for Mezen Bay in the White Sea and Czech Bay in the Barents Sea, taken separately.     

Features of the spatial distribution of phytoplankton in Nhatrang Bay of the South China Sea during the rainy season

The species composition, phytoplankton abundance, and relative yield of the variable fluorescence (F _v /F _m ) were determined in the mesotrophic Nhatrang Bay in October–November of 2004. The species diversity (250 taxonomic units) and heterogeneity of the phytoplankton structure were high. With respect to the number of species and their abundance, diatoms prevailed. In selected parts of the bay, dinoflagellates dominated. The mean biomass in the water column under 1 m² (B _t ) varied from 2.3 to 64.4 mg C/m³ being 31.0 mg C/m³ on average. The values of B _t were the lowest at the stations nearest to the river mouth. Seaward, B _t increased. The values of B _t increased with depth at some stations and decreased at others. In the surface sea layers, the biomass was lower than that in the underlying waters. The values of F _v /F _m ranged from 0.10 to 0.64 (at a mean value of 0.49). The lowest values of F _v /F _m were observed in the area close to the seaport. Over the greater part of the bay, the values of F _v /F _m were higher than 0.47. Such values are indicative of the relatively high potential photosynthetic activity of the phytoplankton. The abundance and species diversity were higher than those in the dry season (March–April).     

南海北部亚热带滨珊瑚对低温的耐受能力

Marginal scleractinian corals growing at their latitudinal limits should be quite sensitive to variations in winter sea surface temperatures(SSTs). An extreme cold event occurring in early 2008 offered a unique opportunity to examine the effect of cold-water anomalies on Porites lutea corals and their physiological tolerance and acclimation in the subtropical northern South China Sea(NSCS). Besides in-situ observation, a subsequent aquarium-based experiment was designed for reproducing the chilling process and a 50-year-long Sr/Ca ratio profile from two P. lutea skeletal slabs was analyzed for reconstructed the historical annual minimum SSTs which ceased Porites calcification. The 2008 low-temperature anomaly caused the minimum daily mean SSTs dropped below 13°C in the Daya Bay. The stress symptoms displayed by local P. lutea colonies included polyp retraction, reduced coloration and pale, but none showed tissue sloughing. The ability of P. lutea to survive implied its tolerance of extreme low temperatures. Here we suggest a model on the tolerance of high-latitude Porites under low-temperature stresses, which is when SSTs drop below 18°C, Porites corals contract their tentacles(losing heterotrophic capability), then cease calcification(reducing energy consumption), and meanwhile maintain relatively high levels of zooxanthellae density(sustaining host's life via photosynthetic capacity of symbiotic zooxanthellae). This study revealed remarkable acclimatization of P. lutea corals to low temperature extremes. This acclimatization is beneficial for Porites corals in the NSCS to expand their living ranges towards the higher-latitude areas and have the potential to be the incipient reef former.     

Effects of temperature on growth,photophysiology, Rubisco gene expression in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prorocentrum donghaiense</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Karenia mikimotoi</Emphasis>

To explore the effects of temperature changes on dinoflagellate bloom succession in the coastal waters of the East China Sea, changes in the growth, photophysiology, and Rubisco gene expression of Prorocentrum donghaiense and Karenia mikimotoi, two harmful algal species, were investigated at different temperatures (16 to 28°C). The maximal specific growth rate and the maximal mRNA expression of Rubisco gene in P. donghaiense and K. mikimotoi occurred at 20 and 24°C, respectively. The photosynthetic activity of P. donghaiense was generally stable, but K. mikimotoi photosynthesis increased when temperatures rose from 16 to 28°C. The effective photochemical efficiency (F _q ^′ /F _m ^′ ) and the maximal relative electron transfer rate (rETR_max) of K. mikimotoi increased significantly with increasing temperature, and the lowest and highest values occurred at 16 and 28°C, respectively. It seems that P. donghaiense has higher photosynthetic capacity than K. mikimotoi due to its higher F _q ^′ /F _m ^′ , rETR_max, and photosynthetic efficiency (α). However, K. mikimotoi has a higher growth rate than P. donghaiense. These results suggest that the photosynthetic activity and genetic responses of dinoflagellates are species-dependent. It is likely that temperature changes affect species composition during blooms, leading to the observed patterns of bloom succession.