Sediment dynamics in the Black Sea: numerical modelling and remote sensing observations

Here, we address the sediment dynamics in the Black Sea based on analysis of remote sensing data from the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer and numerical simulations with Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean model. Boundary conditions consist of realistic meteorological forcing, including significant wave height generated by wave prediction model. A number of sensitivity runs was analysed with the aim to find the most suitable parameters governing sediment fluxes. The comparison between numerical simulations and remote sensing data gives credibility to the quality of simulations. The combined effect of wind waves and currents in the bed layer controls the sediment resuspension that appears to be the major basin-wide source of sediment. Sensitivity experiments included or excluded different forcing terms, e.g. sediment flux from rivers enable to determine the spatial extensions of different point sources. It is concluded that wind-wave forcing is manifested in the sediment dynamics through episodic high energy events contributing to the increase of horizontal sediment fluxes over the northwestern shelf. Both satellite images and numerical model simulations demonstrated that the penetration of suspended sediment into the basin interior was governed by the dynamics of coastal and open-ocean eddies. While fine sediment at sea surface could cross the continental slope propagating into the open ocean, coarser fractions follow the bottom and their penetration into the open ocean is limited. The conclusion is thus that the deposition patterns correlate with the specific shape of Black Sea topography, and the largest depositions are observed in the area of continental slope.     

Variability in Solomon Sea circulation derived from altimeter sea level data

The Solomon Sea is a key region in the Pacific Ocean where equatorial and subtropical circulations are connected. The region exhibits the highest levels in sea level variability in the entire south tropical Pacific Ocean. Altimeter data was utilized to explore sea level and western boundary currents in this poorly understood portion of the ocean. Since the geography of the region is extremely intricate, with numerous islands and complex bathymetry, specifically reprocessed along-track data in addition to standard gridded data were utilized in this study. Sea level anomalies (SLA) in the Solomon Sea principally evolve at seasonal and interannual time scales. The annual cycle is phased by Rossby waves arriving in the Solomon Strait, whereas the interannual signature corresponds to the basin-scale ENSO mode. The highest SLA variability are concentrated in the eastern Solomon Sea, particularly at the mouth of the Solomon Strait, where they are associated with a high eddy kinetic energy signal that was particularly active during the phase transition during the 1997–1998 ENSO event. Track data appear especially helpful for documenting the fine structure of surface coastal currents. The annual variability of the boundary currents that emerged from altimetry compared quite well with the variability seen at the thermocline level, as based on numerical simulations. At interannual time scales, western boundary current transport anomalies counterbalance changes in western equatorial Pacific warm water volume, confirming the phasing of South Pacific western boundary currents to ENSO. Altimetry appears to be a valuable source of information for variability in low latitude western boundary currents and their associated transport in the South Pacific.     

The atmospheric mean energetic level and external forcing

Summary The atmospheric mean energetic level and corresponding flow pattern are studied theoretically in terms of the prescribed divergence of the horizontal wind vector. The divergence field may reflect the diabatic effect due to particles of extraterrestrial origin.     

Dynamics of the Oder river plume in the Southern Baltic Sea: satellite data and numerical modelling

The Oder river discharge into the Pomeranian Bight of the Baltic Sea was investigated in a combined study using satellite data, numerical modelling and shipborne measurements. The aim was to understand the dynamical processes forming the freshwater distribution patterns during the prevailing winds. From an analysis of typical distribution patterns of the river discharge in relation to the main wind directions and in comparison to seasonal wind statistics, the two main transport directions were determined. The prevailing westerly winds produce an onshore transport and a downwind coastal jet which transports the river water along the Polish coast, in certain cases over a distance of 300 km to the Gdansk Bay. During a period of stable westerly winds in June 1994, the calculated time scale for a water transport over 250 km corresponded to the observed time of 12 d. In spring, the period of maximum river runoff, easterly winds dominate and transport occurs along the German coast into the Arkona Sea. The river water is guided by upwelling processes in front of the Polish coast. During occasional north-easterly winds stable plumes form in front of the Swine river mouth; this occurred in May 1991 for several days. The numerical model showed that the stability of the plume is caused by an interaction between the alignment of the coast, the large-scale circulation in the north, the buoyancy of the freshwater and the Coriolis effect. The underlying anticyclonic eddy is indicated by warm rings in a high resolution Landsat Thematic Mapper scene. From the different datasets the range of the spatial and temporal scales of a stable plume were determined. The volume varied between 0.14 and 0.9 km³, and the suspended matter and chlorophyll load between 1120 and 7200 t and 2.8 and 18 t, respectively. These values are important for ecological budget calculations in turnover process studies.     

Hydrodynamic modelling of mesoscale eddies in the Black Sea

A three dimensional structure of mesoscale circulation in the Black Sea is simulated using the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Coastal Ocean Modelling System. A number of sensitivity tests reveal the response of the model to changes in the horizontal resolution, time steps, and diffusion coefficients. Three numerical grids are examined with x-fine (3.2 km), fine (6.7 km) and coarse (25 km) resolution. It is found that the coarse grid significantly overestimates the energy of the currents and is not adequate even for the study of basin-scale circulation. The x-fine grid, on the other hand, does not give significant advantages compared to the fine grid, and the latter is used for the bulk of simulations. The most adequate parameters are chosen from the sensitivity study and used to model both the basin-scale circulation and day-to-day variability of mesoscale currents for the months of May and June of 2000. The model is forced with actual wind data every 6 h and monthly climatic data for evaporation, precipitation, heat fluxes and river run-off. The results of the fine grid model are compared favourably against the satellite imagery. The model adequately reproduces the general circulation and many mesoscale features including cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies, jets and filaments in different parts of the Black Sea. The model gives a realistic geographical distribution and parameters of mesoscale currents, such as size, shape and evolution of the eddies.     

On the circulation in the East Frisian Wadden Sea: numerical modeling and data analysis

 In this paper we use a combination of numerical modeling and data analysis to gain a better understanding of the major characteristics of the circulation in the East Frisian Wadden Sea. In particular, we concentrate on the asymmetry of the tidal wave and its modulation in the coastal area, which results in a complex pattern of responses to the sea-level forcing from the North Sea. The numerical simulations are based on the 3-D primitive equation General Estuarine Transport Model (GETM) with a horizontal resolution of 200 m and terrain-following vertical coordinates. The model is forced at its open boundaries with sea-level data from an operational model for the German Bight (German Hydrographic Office). The validation data for our model simulations include time series of tidal gauge data and surface currents measured at a pile in the back-barrier basin of the Island Langeoog, as well as several ADCP transects in the Accumer Ee tidal inlet. Circulation and turbulence characteristics are investigated for typical situations driven by spring and neap tides, and the analysis is focused on dominating temporal and spatial patterns. By investigating the response of five back-barrier basins with rather different morphologies to external forcing, an attempt is made to elucidate the dominating physical balances controlling the circulation in the individual sub-basins. It is demonstrated that the friction at the seabed tends to slow down the tidal signal in the shallow water. This leads to the establishment of flood dominance in the shallow sea north of the barrier islands. South of the islands, where the water volume of the channels at low tide is smaller than the tidal prism, the asymmetry of the tidal signal is shifted towards ebb dominance, a feature which is particularly pronounced at spring tide. At the northern open boundary, the tidal wave propagating from west to east generates a sea-level difference of ∼1 m along the boundary, and thereby triggers vigorous alongshore currents. The frictional control in the model is located in the inlets, as well as along the northern boundary. The correlation between velocity and turbulent kinetic energy tends to the establishment of a net southward transport, giving theoretical support to the observed accumulation of sediments on the intertidal flats. Weak turbulence along the northern shores of the barrier islands and the small magnitude of the residual currents there promote accumulation of suspended matter in these areas, although wave action will generally counteract this effect. Received: 29 May 2002 / Accepted: 26 September 2002 Responsible Editor: Jean-Marie Beckers Acknowledgements We are indebted to S. Dick for providing the data from the operational model of BSH and to B. Flemming for the useful discussions. The topography data and Fig. 1 have been prepared in cooperation with F. Meyer. Figure 2 has been prepared by G. Brink-Spalink. We also thank for the comments from an anonymous reviewer which helped to improve our paper.     

Collinear and cross-over adjustment of Geosat ERM and Seasat altimeter data in the Mediterranean Sea

The computation of mean sea surface heights from a set of collinear Geosat ERM altimeter data tracks was carried out in a collinear adjustment, where 1 cy/rev cosine and sine coefficients for each track are estimated, so the differences between the collinear tracks are minimized. Then bias/tilt cross-over adjustments of stacked Geosat and Seasat altimetry were carried out. The problems with the free surface in the cross-over adjusted altimetric surface were treated using the absolute sea surface heights relative to the geoid model OSU89B. In a combined adjustment of the two altimeter data sets using cross-over and height informations simultaneously a RMS of the cross-overs of 0.080 m and a RMS of the sea surface heights relative to OSU89B of 0.611 m were obtained.     

Fine sediment delivery and transfer in lowland catchments: modelling suspended sediment concentrations in response to hydrological forcing

Fine sediment delivery to and storage in stream channel reaches can disrupt aquatic habitats, impact river hydromorphology, and transfer adsorbed nutrients and pollutants from catchment slopes to the fluvial system. This paper presents a modelling tool for simulating the time‐dependent response of the fine sediment system in catchments, using an integrated approach that incorporates both land phase and in‐stream processes of sediment generation, storage and transfer. The performance of the model is demonstrated by applying it to simulate in‐stream suspended sediment concentrations in two lowland catchments in southern England, the Enborne and the Lambourn, which exhibit contrasting hydrological and sediment responses due to differences in substrate permeability. The sediment model performs well in the Enborne catchment, where direct runoff events are frequent and peak suspended sediment concentrations can exceed 600 mg l^?1. The general trends in the in‐stream concentrations in the Lambourn catchment are also reproduced by the model, although the observed concentrations are low (rarely exceeding 50 mg l^?1) and the background variability in the concentrations is not fully characterized by the model. Direct runoff events are rare in this highly permeable catchment, resulting in a weak coupling between the sediment delivery system and the catchment hydrology. The generic performance of the model is also assessed using a generalized sensitivity analysis based on the parameter bounds identified in the catchment applications. Results indicate that the hydrological parameters contributing to the sediment response include those controlling (1) the partitioning of runoff between surface and soil zone flows and (2) the fractional loss of direct runoff volume prior to channel delivery. The principal sediment processes controlling model behaviour in the simulations are the transport capacity of direct runoff and the in‐stream generation, storage and release of the fine sediment fraction. The in‐stream processes appear to be important in maintaining the suspended sediment concentrations during low flows in the River Enborne and throughout much of the year in the River Lambourn. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Visualization of aquifer response to periodic forcing

Many studies of periodic forcing and response in aquifers have focused on describing the induced fluctuations in hydraulic head, without much consideration of the time-dependent flows. Visualization techniques presented in this paper can be applied to obtain a more physically intuitive impression of groundwater motion in aquifers that undergo periodic fluctuations of hydraulic head. The concepts of velocity ellipse and displacement ellipse are introduced as methods for visualizing oscillatory flows associated with individual forcing modes. Cyclical trajectories illustrate the potential complexity of flow paths that can arise due to superposition of modal responses. The full periodic motion that results due to superposition of the mean flow and modal flows is visualized using streaklines. An animated time series of streaklines provides an intuitive impression of the flow and affords insight into apparent dispersion phenomenon that can arise due to periodic fluctuations in both the strength and direction of groundwater flow. Electronic animations are available from the authors.     

Submesoscale tidal eddies in the wake of coral islands and reefs: satellite data and numerical modelling

Interaction of tidal flow with a complex topography and bathymetry including headlands, islands, coral reefs and shoals create a rich submesoscale field of tidal jets, vortices, unsteady wakes, lee eddies and free shear layers, all of which impact marine ecology. A unique and detailed view of the submesoscale variability in a part of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, Australia, that includes a number of small islands was obtained by using a “stereo” pair of 2-m-resolution visible-band images that were acquired just 54 s apart by the WorldView-3 satellite. Near-surface current and vorticity were extracted at a 50-m-resolution from those data using a cross-correlation technique and an optical-flow method, each yielding a similar result. The satellite-derived data are used to test the ability of the second-generation Louvain-la-Neuve ice-ocean model (SLIM), an unstructured-mesh, finite element model for geophysical and environmental flows, to reproduce the details of the currents in the region. The model succeeds in simulating the large-scale (> 1 km) current patterns, such as the main current and the width and magnitude of the jets developing in the gaps between the islands. Moreover, the order of magnitude of the vorticity and the occurrence of some vortices downstream of the islands are correctly reproduced. The smaller scales (< 500 m) are resolved by the model, although various discrepancies with the data are observed. The smallest scales (< 50 m) are unresolved by both the model- and image-derived velocity fields. This study shows that high-resolution models are able to a significant degree to simulate accurately the currents close to a rugged coast. Very-high-resolution satellite oceanography stereo images offer a new way to obtain snapshots of currents near a complex topography that has reefs, islands and shoals, and is a potential resource that could be more widely used to assess the predictive ability of coastal circulation models.     

Tidal response to sea level rise and bathymetric changes in the German Wadden Sea

Ocean Dynamics - Tidally dominated coasts are directly affected not only by projected rise in mean sea level, but also by changes in tidal dynamics due to sea level rise and bathymetric changes. By...     

Hydrodynamics in the Gulf of Aigues-Mortes,NW Mediterranean Sea: In situ and modelling data

The Gulf of Aigues-Mortes (NW Mediterranean Sea) is a midshelf zone whose scale is an intermediate between the nearshore scale (0–10 m depth) and the coastal scale (including the whole continental shelf). Its hydrodynamics is investigated for the first time. ADCP, CTD and thermosalinograph data were collected during three short cruises (HYGAM; March 6–7, 20–21, April 5–6, 2005). They were scheduled approximately every 15 days to sample the gulf circulation under different weather conditions. Moreover, the cruise data were used to validate the Symphonie model, a 3D primitive equations circulation model. The circulation features displayed by in situ data were well reproduced by Symphonie. A downscaling modelling approach was implemented, the largest scale being obtained by the replay of the MFSTEP regional model of the North-Western Mediterranean Sea.     

Ra in the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara

Water column distributions of²²⁶Ra were determined at stations in the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea as part of the 1988 Joint U.S.—Turkish Black Sea Expedition. Black Sea surface water²²⁶Ra concentrations were a factor of three to four lower than measurements made 20 years earlier. The most likely cause is increased removal of²²⁶Ra and Ba [35] due to increased surface biological activity; a secondary effect is decreased fluvial discharge and related dimunition of inputs by desorption from fluvial suspended sediments. The amount of²²⁶Ra missing from the surface waters of the Black Sea over this period is accounted for in the high-porosity surficial “fluff” sediment layer.

Throughout the Black Sea, depth profiles of²²⁶Ra exhibited pronounced maxima of approximately 25 dpm/100 L at aboutσ_θ = 16.2–16.3, in the vicinity of a bacterial maximum, but slightly shallower than the total dissolved Mn and Fe maxima (σ_θ = 16.4–16.5) reported by Lewis and Landing [38]. While the²²⁶Ra maximum may, in part, be linked to the cycling of Mn and Fe oxyhydroxides near theO₂H₂S interface, its distribution appears to be more plausibly explained as a result of the microbial breakdown of particulate organic matter and the subsequent release and partial dissolution of associated barite in this region.

A simple steady-state two-☐ model has been used to obtain a semiquantitative understanding of the behavior of²²⁶Ra in the Black Sea. By incorporating reasonable estimates for the input and removal of²²⁶Ra in the Black Sea, an excellent agreement between predicted and observed (1988)²²⁶Ra concentrations was achieved. The model suggests that the dominant variables controlling the distribution of²²⁶Ra in the Black Sea are riverine input and cycling with Ba.     

Spatio-temporal characteristics of aerosol distribution over Tibetan Plateau and numerical simulation of radiative forcing and climate response

In this paper we have analyzed aerosol distribution over the Tibetan Plateau by using the global monthly mean satellite data of Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II). The results are as follows: (1) Stratospheric aerosol optical depth can oscillate in the four seasons. It means that the aerosol optical depth is the thickest in winter and a little thinner in spring and the thinnest in summer and then a little thicker in autumn. We have found that the oscillation is caused by the oscillation of tropopause in different seasons. (2) Stratospheric aerosol comes mainly from sprays of volcano. After eruption of Mount Pinatubo aerosol optical depth in stratosphere over the Tibetan Plateau increases 10 times compared with before. (3) The characteristic of aerosol vertical distribution over the Tibetan Plateau is that there is an extremely high value at the altitude of 70 hPa. The most interesting thing is that the extremely high value can oscillate between 50 hPa and 100 hPa. We have verified that the oscillation is a unique characteristic over the Tibetan Plateau by comparing it with South China and North China. Then the radiative forcing and regional climate response over the Tibetan Plateau of aerosol are investigated. We have discovered such things as followed by: (1) The radiative forcing is positive because the parameterized aerosol optical depth is less than 0.14 which is the optical depth of the uniform background boundary aerosol layer. It is 0–3 W/m² in January and 0–4 W/m² in April and less than 3 W/m² in July and 3–6 W/m² in October. (2) Ground temperature rises 0.1–0.2 K in October which is the biggest increasing magnitude, and 0.01–0.02 in July which is the smallest one. It rises about 0.05-0.01 K in January and April. (3) Air temperature near the earth’s surface and the one at the altitude of 500 hPa rise too, but the increasing magnitude is less than the former one.

     

Structure of the crust in the Black Sea and adjoining regions from surface wave data

Group velocities of Rayleigh and Love waves along the paths across the Black Sea and partly Asia Minor and the Balkan Peninsula are used to estimate lateral variations of the crustal structure in the region. As a first step, lateral variations of group velocities for periods in the range 10–20 s are determined using a 2D tomography method. Since the paths are oriented predominantly in NE–SW or N–S direction, the resolution is estimated as a function of azimuth. The local dispersion curves are actually averaged over the extended areas stretched in the predominant direction of the paths. The size of the averaging area in the direction of the best resolution is approximately 200 km. As a second step, the local averaged dispersion curves are inverted to vertical sections of S-wave velocities. Since the dispersion curves in the 10–20 s period range are mostly affected by the upper crustal structure, the velocities are estimated to a depth of approximately 25 km. Velocity sections along 43° N latitude are determined separately from Rayleigh and Love wave data. It is shown that the crust under the sea contains a low-velocity sedimentary layer of 2–3 km thickness, localized in the eastern and western deeps, as found earlier from DSS data. Beneath the sedimentary layer, two layers are present with velocity values lying between those of granite and consolidated sediments. Velocities in these layers are slightly lower in the deeps, and the boundaries of the layers are lowered. S-wave velocities obtained from Love wave data are found to be larger than those from Rayleigh wave data, the difference being most pronounced in the basaltic layer. If this difference is attributed to anisotropy, the anisotropy coefficient = (SH - SV)/Smean is reasonable (2–3%) in the upper layers, and exceeds 9% in the basaltic layer.     

High-resolution atmospheric forcing for regional oceanic model: the Iroise Sea

This study was aimed at modeling, as realistically as possible, the dynamics and thermodynamics of the Iroise Sea by using the Model for Applications at Regional Scale (MARS), a regional ocean 3D model. The horizontal resolution of the configuration in use is 2 km with 30 vertical levels. The 3D model of the Iroise Sea is embedded in a larger model providing open boundary conditions. As regards the atmospheric forcing, the originality of this study is to force the regional ocean model with the high-resolution (6 km) regional meteorological model, Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF). In addition, as the air surface temperature is highly sensitive to the sea surface temperature (SST), this regional meteorological model is improved by taking into account a regional climatologic SST to compute meteorological parameters. By allowing a better coherence between the SST and the temperature of the atmospheric boundary layer while giving a more realistic representation of heat fluxes exchanged at the air/sea interface, this forcing constitutes a noticeable improvement of the Iroise Sea modeling. The different sensitivity tests discussed here pinpoint the importance of entering, in WRF, SST data of sufficiently high quality before the computation of meteorological forcing when the aim is a study of dynamics and thermodynamics far away from the coast. On the other hand, when the target is the reproduction of coastal small-scale features in Iroise Sea modeling, the resolution of the meteorological forcing and the quality of SST are both paramount. The simulation of reference was carried out throughout the Summer and Autumn of year 2005 to allow comparisons with a campaign of surface current measurements by high-frequency radars conducted at the same period.     

A numerical method for estimation of impulse response and its application to laboratory data

Following Burg's algorithm, we develop a new mathematical method of estimating the impulse response of a linear system. Since no data-invariant time window is used in this method, the estimated impulse response gives us reliable information on both the amplitude and the phase spectra of the system.The method is applied to laboratory data to investigate the dynamical response of rock specimens. The experimental results show that the waveform distortion with travel distance may well be described by a standard viscoelastic solid model. However, they also show that there is an additional factor of attenuation which is independent of the frequency and therefore not accompanied by any velocity dispersion.     

The seismic response to overpressure: a modelling study based on laboratory, well and seismic data

We investigate the seismic detectability of an overpressured reservoir in the North Sea by computing synthetic seismograms for different pore-pressure conditions. The modelling procedure requires the construction of a geological model from seismic, well and laboratory data. Seismic inversion and AVO techniques are used to obtain the P-wave velocity with higher reliability than conventional velocity analysis. From laboratory experiments, we obtain the wave velocities of the reservoir units versus confining and pore pressures. Laboratory experiments yield an estimate of the relationship between wave velocities and effective pressure under in situ conditions. These measurements provide the basis for calibrating the pressure model. Overpressures are caused by different mechanisms. We do not consider processes such as gas generation and diagenesis, which imply changes in phase composition, but focus on the effects of pure pore-pressure variations. The results indicate that changes in pore pressure can be detected with seismic methods under circumstances such as those of moderately deep North Sea reservoirs.     

On the seismic performance of straight integral abutment bridges: From advanced numerical modelling to a practice-oriented analysis method

The seismic performance of integral abutment bridges (IABs) is affected by the interaction with the surrounding soil, and specifically by the development of interaction forces in the embankment-abutment and soil-piles systems. In principle, these effects could be evaluated by means of highly demanding numerical computations that, however, can be carried out only for detailed studies of specific cases. By contrast, a low-demanding analysis method is needed for a design-oriented assessment of the longitudinal seismic performance of IABs. To this purpose, the present paper describes a design technique in which the frequency- and amplitude-dependency of the soil-structure interaction is modelled in a simplified manner. Specifically, the method consists of a time-domain analysis of a simplified soil-bridge model, in which soil-structure interaction is simulated by means of distributed nonlinear springs connecting a free-field ground response analysis model to the structural system. The results of this simplified method are validated against the results of advanced numerical analyses, considering different seismic scenarios. In its present state of development, the proposed simplified nonlinear model can be used for an efficient evaluation of the longitudinal response of straight IABs and can constitute a starting point for a prospective generalisation to three-dimensional response.