Studying characteristics of a fine layered structure of the lower troposphere on the basis of acoustic pulse sounding

Results of acoustic sounding of the lower troposphere with the aid of detonation generators of acoustic pulses are given. This sounding method is based on a partial reflection of acoustic pulses with shock fronts from vertical wind-velocity and temperature gradients continuously varying with height in the troposphere and on the penetration of reflected signals into the region of acoustic shadow. Experiments on tropospheric sounding were carried out on the ground of the Barva Innovation Scientific and Technical Center (Talin, Armenia) in September 2015. In these experiments, an antihail acoustic system was first used as a generator of acoustic pulses. Experimental results have been compared with data obtained earlier in similar experiments carried out in the vicinity of Zvenigorod with the use of a special detonation generator of acoustic pulses. Due to the high resolution (in height) of the sounding method, which reaches 1 m in the stably stratified lower troposphere within a height range of 250–600 m, the vertical profiles of layered effective sound speed inhomogeneities with vertical scales from a few to a few tens of meters have been retrieved. The influence of these fluctuations on the form and amplitude of acoustic signals at a long distance from their pulsed source has been studied.     

An acoustic method for the remote measurement of seagrass metrics

Seagrass meadows are ecosystems of great ecological and economical value and their monitoring is an important task within coastal environmental management. In this paper, an acoustic mapping technique is presented using a profiling sonar. The method has been applied to three different sites with meadows of Zostera marina, Zostera noltii and Posidonia oceanica respectively, with the aim to test the method’s applicability.     

Mapping sediment acoustic impedance using remote sensing acoustic techniques in a shallow-water carbonate environment

 Real-time trackline plots of surficial sediment acoustic impedance delineate several sedimentary facies off Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas. The sea floor within a 6×6 km surveyed area consists of carbonate muds (silts), sands and shell, rock, and live corals. The 4-kHz acoustic data supports this finding by providing a pictographic representation of the distribution and structure of several sediment facies types. Plotting the gridded acoustic data with commercial mapping software (Surfer) provides a three-dimensional (3D) perspective of the bottom topography with a color contour map of surficial sediment impedance (upper 0.4 m) draped over the 3D surface.     

Current changes of the lower troposphere temperature in the Moscow region

Modern climatic changes for 1991–2013 in the lower 4-km layer of the atmosphere in the Moscow region are discussed based on long-term measurements using radiosondes in Dolgoprudny near Moscow and sensors installed on a high mast in Obninsk and on a television tower in Ostankino in Moscow. It is shown that at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century the mean-annual air temperature at all heights from 2 to 4000 m increased by an average of 0.1°C per year. In recent years, the warming has slowed. Over the last two decades, long-term changes were multidirectional, depending on the season: warming in May–December, cooling in January–February, and no statistically significant changes in March and April. The probable reason for the temperature decrease in the middle of the cold period is changes in the large-scale atmospheric circulation during recent years (the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation in early 2010s). In recent years, the Moscow region climate continentality has increased because of warming in summer and cooling in winter, despite the secular decreasing trend, which was noted before. Mean daily and annual warming rates in Dolgoprudny were higher than in Obninsk. The probable reason is the northward construction expansion and the strengthening of the Moscow heat island. The highest annual temperature amplitude is recorded at heights of 200–300 m.     

Soil-sized eolian dusts from the lower troposphere of the eastern Mediterranean Sea

Soil-sized eolian dusts have been collected by a mesh technique from the lower troposphere of the eastern Mediterranean. The overall average dust-loading in this region is 14 μg m^?3 of air, which is among the highest recorded for maritime soil-sized dusts.There are two distinct dust populations in the eastern Mediterranean; these have been termed the “northeastern Mediterranean assemblage” and the “southeastern Mediterranean assemblage”.The dusts of the “northeastern assemblage” originate in the soils of southern Europe. The average dust-loading of this assemblage is 12 μg m^?3 of air, and illite is the principal clay mineral with secondary amounts of kaolinite and the smectites. These dusts make only a secondary contribution to the land-derived material in the underlying deep-sea sediments.The dusts of the “southeastern assemblage” have their origin in the desert belts of North Africa and the Middle East. Their average dust-loading is 17 μg m^?3 of air, and kaolinite is their dominant clay mineral. Dusts of the “southeastern assemblage” make an important contribution to the land-derived fractions of some eastern Mediterranean deep-sea sediments.In addition to eolian dusts, river-transported material from the island of Cyprus has also been investigated. The effects of this “Cyprus assemblage” on sedimentation in the eastern Mediterranean is confined to the immediate vicinity of the island itself.     

An energy-controlling boundary condition for partial wave reflections in the mild slope equation

An energy-controlling technique to actively manage the reflective property of waves from solid boundary is presented. As linear waves propagate through an energy-controlling area, a reduction in wave heights occurs due to energy dissipation, which can be placed under direct control through the imaginary part of the wavenumber and phase velocity. Based on this relationship, the present study investigates a new method to control reflected waves with desired heights in the mild slope equation model. The method is validated through numerical tests for various reflection coefficients and the results confirm the promising use of energy-controlling boundary condition for partial wave reflections.     

Analysis of optimal conditions for recording signals when studying the atmospheric boundary layer with the acoustic method of partial reflection

Equations for the coefficient of partial reflection K from stratified inhomogeneities in the atmospheric boundary layer have been derived on the basis of the Epstein transition and symmetrical layer models as functions of three dimensionless parameters, i.e., the relative layer altitude, its relative thickness, and the relative variations in the effective sound speed in a layer. The equations have been obtained for the relative layer altitude at which the total internal reflection appears; the behavior of the function K is studied at close altitudes. Significant weakening of the dependence of coefficient K on the relative layer thickness in these conditions is shown, which makes it possible to record partially reflected signals in a wide range of wave-lengths or frequencies of the sounding signal. In other cases, the coefficient of partial reflection K strongly depends on the layer thickness. According to experimental data on variations in the amplitude of received acoustic signals with an increase in the source-detector distance, a technique for the parameterization of the additional impedance attenuation of sound that propagates over the earth’s surface has been developed, and these parameters have been experimentally estimated for different stratification conditions and sounding signal frequencies. Many records of background acoustic noises typical for one or another measurement sites have been distinguished and classified, a technique for estimating the minimum signal amplitude distinguishable against noises has been developed, and the corresponding estimates have been made. Based on these data and the specifications of three different industrial acoustic sources, the parameter limits provided by these sources have been estimated for the method of partial reflection.     

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 .     

A method for estimating the physical and acoustic properties of the sea bed using chirp sonar data

This paper proposes a method, based on the Biot model, for estimating the physical and acoustic properties of surficial ocean sediments from normal incidence reflection data acquired by a chirp sonar. The inversion method estimates sediment porosity from reflection coefficient measurements and, using the estimated porosity and the measured change in fast wave attenuation with frequency, estimates the permeability of the top sediment layer. The spectral ratio of echoes from the interface at the base of the upper sediment layer and from the sediment-water interface provides a measure of the change in attenuation with frequency. Given the porosity and permeability estimates, the Kozeny-Carman equation provides the mean grain size and the inversion method yields the acoustic properties of top sediment layer. The inversion technique is tested using chirp sonar data collected at the 1999 Sediment Acoustics Experiment (SAX-99) site. Remote estimates of porosity, grain size, and permeability agree with direct measurements of those properties.     

On experience in using the method of morphological data analysis in atmospheric acoustics

A methodical system has been developed to solve the problem of isolating informative signals against the background of noise which is based on a morphological analysis. It is shown that the morphological method of analyzing infrasonic signals is an effective instrument to isolate infrasonic signals, to analyze the features of their forms, and to estimate their relative delays. The advantage that the morphological method has over the correlation method in analyzing short signal fragments recorded by infrasonic microphones spaced at distances that significantly exceed the signal wavelengths is shown.     

长江口水域悬沙含量时空变化卫星遥感定量研究方法探讨

悬沙含量是反映细颗粒物质在水层中的输运和再悬浮过程的重要指标,对沉积环境和沉积过程的研究有着非常重要的作用,是联系动力作用和地貌演变的纽带[1].细颗粒物质是营养盐、有机物和重金属输送的载体,因此研究细颗粒物质的运移对河口和海洋环境及生态的影响有着重要的意义[2].由于河口地区同时受到河流径流和潮流的影响,径流的水沙输运、潮流和波浪等的动力都对悬浮泥沙含量有影响.河口地区悬沙含量既可以指示沉积物来源、输运量的变化,又可以显示沉积动力作用的变化,这两种影响因素的时间尺度不同,但它们会共同影响悬沙含量的大小和分布.在我国长江等大河每年的水沙输运量十分巨大.     

Regional space monitoring of nitrogen dioxide in the troposphere

Satellite instruments for the routine global monitoring of NO₂ in the atmosphere—the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) on the ERS-2 satellite, the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY) on the ENVISAT satellite, the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on the AURA satellite, and the GOME-2 on the MetOp satellite—are briefly described. It is shown that the error of measuring the NO₂ total column amount (∼10% for the background conditions in the troposphere) substantially increases in regions subject to anthropogenic pollution. Examples of practically using multiyear satellite measurements for the regional monitoring of NO₂ in the troposphere are presented, including mapping the tropospheric NO₂ in Russia, identifying the weekly and annual cycles in tropospheric NO₂ variations for megalopolises (St. Petersburg, Moscow, Paris), and estimating the long-term linear trend in 1995–2007.     

Experience of remote monitoring in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea in the optical spectrum band

The methodology of regional remote monitoring of the ocean on the basis of complex largescale studies carried out by the Marine Hydrophysical Institute of the Ukrainian SSR Academy of Sciences in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea in 1987–1988 is considered. The collection of controlled parameters, ground facilities, methods of collecting and processing of satellite and subsatellite data, and features in the compilation of composition maps of the sea surface radiation temperature are discussed.Translated by Mikahil M. Trufanov.     

Detection of acoustic class boundaries in soft sediment systems using the seafloor acoustic discrimination system QTC VIEW

Transition zones (or ‘ecotones’) are ecologically important spatial elements of subtidal landscapes that represent a mixture of different habitat elements. We provide a method for identifying such areas in broad-scale surveys of the seafloor using the acoustic discrimination system QTC VIEW. QTC VIEW is an acoustic processing system that assigns sonar ping stacks to clusters of like points, to identify different habitats on the seafloor. Paired QTC VIEW transects (20 m spacing) were run at intervals of 200 m, at two separate sampling locations, to assess the consistency of clustering of individual ping stacks into acoustic classes. Very consistent spatial patterns of class change were found between transect pairs, suggesting high stability in the classification process. QTC VIEW assigns confidence values to each individual record; running averages calculated using a moving window along transects showed drops in confidence values associated with areas of transition in habitat class assignment, but this was not always consistent. The Berger–Parker index, a class dominance statistic, provided a more consistent transition indicator. Class transition ranged from abrupt to gradual, along with areas where a mixture of acoustic classes occurred. However, acoustically detected transition zones did not consistently respond to visual observations of the sea floor.     

On the parametric rolling of ships using a numerical simulation method

This paper has shown a numerical motion simulation method which can be employed to study on parametric rolling of ships in a seaway. The method takes account of the main nonlinear terms in the rolling equation which stabilize parametric rolling, including the nonlinear shape of the righting arm curve, nonlinear damping and cross coupling among all 6 degrees of freedom. For the heave, pitch, sway and yaw motions, the method uses response amplitude operators determined by means of the strip method, whereas the roll and surge motions of the ship are simulated, using nonlinear motion equations coupled with the other 4 degrees of freedom. For computing righting arms in seaways, Grim's effective wave concept is used. Using these transfer functions of effective wave together with the heave and pitch transfer functions, the mean ship immersion, its trim and the effective regular wave height are computed for every time step during the simulation. The righting arm is interpolated from tables, computed before starting the simulation, depending on these three quantities and the heel angle. The nonlinear damping moment and the effect of bilge keels are also taken into account. The numerical simulation tool has shown to be able to model the basic mechanism of parametric rolling motions. Some main characteristics of parametric rolling of ships in a seaway can be good reproduced by means of the method. Comprehensive parametric analyses on parametric rolling amplitude in regular waves have been carried out, with that the complicated parametric rolling phenomena can be understood better.     

A method for remote detection of oil spills using laser-excited Raman backscattering and backscattered fluorescence

A laser method for the remote detection of oil present as a pollutant in the sea water using Raman backscattering and backscattered fluorescence is discussed. The scattering spectra of oils obtained by using a laser Raman spectrometer that employs a CW Ar laser are described. The backscattering spectra of oils obtained by a laser radar technique in the laboratory and the field are also described. Furthermore, theoretical performance of a laser radar with a CW laser or a pulsed laser for the detection of Raman backscattering of kerosene is discussed.     

Operational prediction of acoustic properties in the ocean using multi-model statistics

Super-ensemble (SE) multi-model forecasts optimize local combination of individual models which is superior to individual models because they allow for local correction and bias removal. Multi-model statistics are applied to optimize the forecast skills from ocean models with different resolution or configuration, run operationally during the MREA04 field experiment off the West coast of Portugal. The method, based on a training/forecast cycle uses linear regression optimization. The performance and the limitations of the different super-ensemble combinations and the individual models are discussed. The SE method is shown to reduce errors in sound velocity significantly for 24 h forecasts.     

Nanoaerosol formation in the troposphere under the action of cosmic radiation

The level of cosmic radiation has been shown to affect the rate of nanoparticle formation from gas emissions of natural and anthropogenic origins. The acceleration of particle formation processes is mainly caused by the increased concentration of atmospheric ions, which serve as condensation nuclei and thus strongly change the rate of aerosol charging processes. This paper provides a brief overview of the main processes leading to the formation of nanoparticles in the atmosphere. These processes include nucleation, condensational growth, charged particle growth, charging of aerosol particles, and recombination. Particular emphasis has been placed on the role of particle sizes in charging processes. Also, we discuss the influence of aerosol sinks on the rate of aerosol formation.     

分子鉴定方法研究大亚湾水体弧菌种类变化

借助分子鉴定方法监测大亚湾水体中弧菌Vibrio种类季节性动态的变化规律.通过增菌培养、菌株分离,在224份海水中共分离出弧菌368株,并用分子生物学辅助生化鉴定方法鉴定弧菌菌株.结果表明,在大亚湾海域水体中鉴定的弧菌种类有溶藻弧菌Vibrio alginolyticus、副溶血弧菌V.parahaemolyticus、哈氏弧菌V.harveyi和创伤弧菌V.vuinificus,没有检测到霍乱弧菌V.cholerae、拟态弧菌V.mimicus、河流弧菌V.fluvialis和霍利斯弧菌V.hollisae.溶藻弧菌和副溶血弧菌为优势菌群,分别占弧菌总数的27.99%和21.74%.     

含沙水体水深遥感方法的研究

遥感测深技术是海岸、河口及其他水体水深测量的一种新方法,应用前景广阔。在海洋的近岸、河口处水体相对浑浊,利用可见光技术测深的精度依赖于建立合适的水深反演模型和考虑水体悬浮物质的影响。选择合适的水深反演因子和比较多种线性、非线性水深反演模型,通过对水体悬浮泥沙光谱特性的研究,建立了适于河口、近岸浅水浑浊水体并考虑悬沙浓度影响的水深反演模型。通过检验,由该模型反演的平均相对误差小于15%,在7~14 m的水深段反演效果更好,其平均相对误差小于8.5%。