Geostrophic adjustment and frontogenesis in stratified two-component media

A nonlinear problem of geostrophic adjustment in an ideal rotating two-component fluid in the field of gravity is studied analytically. The stratification of the fluid’s density is composed of its temperature stratification and stratification of the concentration of an admixture (in particular, these are salt seawater and moist air). Stationary states, which are reached after the adjustment process is terminated, are found with the use of Lagrange conservation laws. If the amplitudes of smooth initial disturbances are sufficiently large, discontinuity surfaces can appear in the course of evolution. Allowance for a two-component character of the medium makes qualitative properties of such surfaces especially varied. For example, a jump may be strongly marked in the field of one substance alone. It is shown that, if the initial ageostrophic property is related to temperature and/or admixture-concentration disturbances, the evolution of the fields of these substances can differ qualitatively from classical solutions to adjustment problems. For example, in the course of adjustment, the initial heat pulse can lead to the formation of a stationary temperature disturbance with a larger amplitude and/or the opposite sign. During the evolution of a smoothed temperature “step,” nonmonotonic distributions of temperature whose amplitudes are much greater than the amplitude of the initial step may appear. Some of such effects can manifest themselves even in a linear approximation.     

Geostrophic adjustment near the coast

Geostrophic adjustment of a two-layer fluid near a straight coast is investigated for an initial pressure disturbance which has no closed geostrophic contours by using a reduced gravity (divergent barotropic) model. Propagation of a volume of water along the coast due to the internal Kelvin wave allows a non-zero solution for the final geostrophic state. Energy partitions among geostrophic motion, the internal Kelvin wave and internal Poincaré waves are obtained and compared with the result of the classical problem of geostrophic adjustment without the coast. It is found that energy partition to the geostrophic motion (EPG) with the coast is always smaller than that without the coast (EPG ), while the scale of the initial disturbance is the same. The difference betweenEPG andEPG is smaller than the energy partition to the internal Kelvin waves (EPK) and approachesEPK as the scale of the initial disturbance increases.     

On the quasi-geostrophic dynamics of a stratified two-component medium: The ocean

The quasi-geostrophic dynamics of a stratified two-component medium (salty sea water) are described by formulating a closed system of equations containing the temperature and salinity among the sought field variables. The corresponding system consists of the conservation laws of two Lagrange invariants, namely, the quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity and some “thermodynamic” invariant playing the role of a passive tracer. The temperature and salinity fields determined from the values of these invariants are separated into the density and density-compensated parts. In this case, the density part participates immediately in the dynamics, while the density-compensated part is simply transferred by the geostrophic velocity filed with no contribution to the density field. The system thus formulated is used to describe a number of specific features in the dynamics of thermohaline disturbances in zonal geostrophic flows. These features include the sharp-ening of the spatial gradients of the density-compensated distributions in shear currents and breaking of the initial temperature disturbance into two (density and density-compensated) wave packets propagating with different velocities.     

On the problem of calculating transport and admixture diffusion in an arbitrary area

A boundary-value problem is considered for the equation of transport and admixture diffusion in curvilinear coordinates conformed to the area's outline. The problem is solved numerically in a canonical domain and the initial area is reflected onto it. The method is applied to the computation of the passive admixture concentration field in the Neva inlet.Translated by Mikhail M. Trufanov.     

On several mechanisms of the formation of the compensated thermohaline inhomogeneities in the ocean

The process of the geostrophic adjustment in the stably stratified two-component medium is studied in the framework of a linear approximation. We demonstrate that, at the final stage of that process, a stationary trace is generated by the distribution of the temperature and salinity, whose horizontal inhomogeneities mutually compensate in the field of the density. The compensation level for the stationary thermohaline distributions forming during the geostrophic adjustment is estimated. The origination mechanism of compensated thermohaline inhomogeneities in hydrodynamically stable shear flows is examined. We show that, in such flows, the disturbances of the fields of buoyancy (density), pressure, and velocity damp with time, whereas the compensated disturbances of the fields of the temperature and salinity are carried off by the flow without damping. Based on the explicit solutions of the dynamic equations, it is shown that the evolution of the compensated distribution of the temperature and salinity in the shear flows usually results in the sharpening of the spatial gradients. This feature may be, among others, related to one of the factors of the origination of the fine structure of the ocean: the small-scale thermohaline inhomogeneities, which exist against the background of the smooth vertical distribution of the density.     

A priori estimates of mixing and circulation in the hard-to-reach water body of Lake Vostok

Lake Vostok in Eastern Antarctica is covered by a ∼4000 m thick ice sheet that glides over the sub-glacial water body on a time scale of ∼20 000 years. As a basis for “pre-expedition” planning, a priori estimates are made for water temperature, heat flux and currents. Whereas vertical temperature gradients are predicted to be extremely small due to geothermally driven convective turbulence, horizontal temperature gradients are expected to be present due to the horizontal gradient of the pressure-dependent freezing point at the base of the sloped ice ceiling. Except at the lake’s deepest location, where a thin stratified layer may develop, the vertical in situ temperature profile will be near the adiabatic lapse rate. Based on internal heat fluxes associated with observed melting and re-freezing at the base of the ice sheet we calculate internal currents by assuming geostrophic balance. Vertical and horizontal motions are both expected to lie in the range of fractions of mm/s. Ice plasticity (hydrostatic adjustment) and water–ice heat exchanges are predicted to flatten the ice-cover quickly to a remarkably smooth terrain while the ice moves over the lake. These results corroborate well with the recent finding that only the upper part of accreted lake water, retrieved from the Vostok ice-core, contains particles. Our predictions are discussed with respect to uncertainties and the experimental challenges to be met.     

Projections of ocean climate for northwestern Pacific Ocean

The long-term adjustment processes of atmosphere and ocean in response to gradually increased atmospheric CO2 concentration have been analyzed in 70 and 140a integrations with NCAR fully-coupled climate system model (CSM). In these experiments the CO2 concentration has been increased to double and quadruples the initial concentration, respectively. After 70a, at the time of CO2 doubling, the model predicts surface air temperature rises by 1.2 and 1.5K for the globe and the northwestern Pacific Ocean, respectively. The behavior of the quadrupling run is similar: each global and regional mean surface air temperatures increase by 2.8 and 3.0K at the time of CO2 quadrupling. From the experiments, surface air temperature changes in the northwestern Pacific Ocean will be more distinctive compared with the global average, mainly due to exceptionally large warming and sea level change near the entrance of the Kuroshio extension.     

Linear dynamics of Eady waves in the presence of horizontal shear

The problem of the instability of the flow of a stratified rotating fluid with constant vertical and horizontal shears is investigated within the framework of a quasi-geostrophic approximation. It is shown that the horizontal shear, when taken into account, leads to a qualitative change in the dynamics of Eady waves, i.e., wave solutions with zero potential vorticity. The main salient feature is related to the effect of the temporary exponential growth of the unstable waves, i.e., the growth effect in a finite time interval. This effect is manifested by an alternation of the stages of a smooth oscillating behavior (in time) with an exponential (explosive) growth of finite duration. A kinematic interpretation of the effect of the temporary exponential growth is suggested which is associated with the passage of a time-dependent wave disturbance vector across the domain of the exponential instability existing in the absence of horizontal shear. Along with the dynamics of individual Eady waves, the generation process of these waves—caused by an initial disturbance defined by one spatial Fourier harmonic—is also investigated. It is shown that this process is accompanied by the formation of nonmodal waves, with time-varying horizontal and vertical wavenumbers and nonzero potential vorticity. The interaction of the nonmodal wave with the background flow leads to an algebraic growth of the Eady wave at the initial cyclogenesis stage.     

Methane in the East China Sea water

Methane in the East China Sea water was determined four times at a fixed vertical section along PN line consisting of 11–14 stations, in February 1993, October 1993, June 1994 and August 1994. The mean concentration of methane in the surface water was not significantly higher than that in the open ocean. The methane concentration below the pycnocline increased during the stratified period in summer to autumn and reached to 15 nmoles/l at most in October. The concentration of methane was fairly well correlated with AOU in the layer below the pycnocline in the stratified season. This means that methane in the bottom water has only a single source, which is expected to be anoxic sediments near the coast, and that the oxidation rate of methane in the water is extremely slow in the oxic water. The high methane observed in October completely disappeared in February, indicating that the methane was escaped to the atmosphere or transported to the pelagic ocean by the Kuroshio current. The East China Sea, therefore, is not a large direct and stationary source for the atmospheric methane, but may have some role as a source by supplying it sporadically to the atmosphere in early winter or indirectly from the surface of the pelagic ocean.     

夏季北黄海水体浊度分布特征的初步研究

应用2007月7月国家908专项北黄海区块水体调查获取的浊度资料,与同步获得的悬浮物质量浓度进行拟合分析,结果表明,中底层水的相关系数在0.94以上,表层相关度较差.根据调查海域浊度的水平大面分布及选取的6个典型断面的垂直分布,初步阐述了夏季北黄海水体浊度的分布特征——近岸高和底层高,山东半岛北部沿岸、成山角海域和老铁山水道以及庄河河口附近海域为高浊度区.夏季北黄海冷水团对水体浊度分布具有控制性影响:调查海域水体垂向层结稳定,北黄海冷水团海域中下层表现为高盐、低温、高密特征,水体浊度小,且浊度锋面的分布与温度较为相近.同时,夏季北黄海冷水团对悬浮物的分布起到了屏障作用——在山东半岛北部沿岸和辽东半岛南部沿岸阻止了近岸悬浮物的经向输送,而在山东半岛东部沿岸则阻止了近岸悬浮物的纬向输送.     

Hypoxia in a pristine stratified estuary (Krka, Adriatic Sea)

The occurrence of hypoxia in October 1988 in the Krka estuary is described, with special reference to the Prokljan Lake. Hypoxia develops near the bottom in autumn in response to the temperature maximum that appears this time of the year. The decomposition rate of naturally present organic matter increases, creating higher biological oxygen demand. As the water column is stratified by salinity and temperature, mixing of seawater near the bottom with oxygen-supersaturated water which resides closer to the surface is very slow. When an extensive marine phytoplankton bloom appears below the halocline in the Prokljan Lake, then, because of the sinking and degradation of phytoplankton near the bottom, the dissolved oxygen concentration decreases further. The hypoxia becomes so severe that it causes massive mortality of benthic macrofauna. The decomposition of the macrofauna further decreases the dissolved oxygen concentration. The hypoxia may persist until an increase in the freshwater inflow occurs, which forces the arrival of colder marine water near the bottom via a compensating flow. In the absence of autumn rains, the hypoxia may be recorded throughout winter.     

分层水体对表层辐照度比影响的蒙特卡罗分析

众多海洋观测数据表明,在真光层深度范围内,海水固有光学特性和光学有效组分的剖面分层分布是广泛存在的,而很多遥感反演模型的建立基于均一分布假设,尤其是在经验模型的建立中,往往只利用某一深度或各深度平均的光学有效组分浓度与水体光谱的统计关系。文章通过模拟平静水面水下光的辐射传输,分别研究了叶绿素、无机悬浮物浓度垂直分布结构对水下辐照度比的影响,并对比了两类分层水体权重函数等效浓度计算式及相应水下辐照度比,结果表明,对于分层水体,透射深度和层化强度是影响等效浓度值计算误差的主要因素,透射越深,表层层化越强,水体层化对水下辐照度比的影响就越大,但其计算误差也越大。Gondon等效浓度计算结果比较接近实际值,而Zaneveld计算式则高估了分层水体的等效浓度值。     

Evolution of Interface Soliton over Topography

Several ray-type 1D and 2D KdV equations for two-layer stratified ocean with topographic effect are derived in detail in the present study.A simplified version of these equations,ray type 1D KdV equation,is used to calculate numerically the disintegration of initial interface soliton from the deep sea to the continental shelf.At the same time,a laboratory experiment is carried out in a 2D stratified flow and internal wave tank to examine the numerical results.A comparison of the numerical results with the experimental results shows that they are in good agreement.The numerical results also show that the ray-type KdV equation has high accuracy in describing the evolution of initial interface waves in shelf/slope regions.Form these results,it can be concluded that the fission process is a dominant generating mechanism of interface soliton packets on the continental shelf.     

太平洋不同海水层结条件下的内波波致声场起伏研究

基于Argo资料对太平洋海域海水层结进行分类区划,利用内波动力学方法对内波致声起伏进行数值求解,对不同层结状况下的内波致声起伏进行模拟试验。结果表明:垂直方向海水层结的不均匀和跃层的存在,使海洋内波斜压模态受到了歪曲变形。层结峰的个数和深度与声速起伏存在很好的对应关系。有内波的声传播特征总体上与没有内波时的相似。不同层结情况下,声场对内波扰动的响应不一致。     

End wall effects in experiments on water intrusion along the interface between two homogeneous layers

End wall effect puts an inherent limitation on tank experiments, especially when the problems in a stratified fluid are dealt with. During experiments involving horizontal intrusion along the interface between two homogeneous layers, a curious phenomenon was found, i.e., the tip of the intruding water wedge continues to extend for a short time after supply is stopped, but then it begins to retreat in the cases of relatively high Reynolds numbers. The cause of this retreat of the wedge was investigated and was shown to be attributable to the initial disturbance generated near the mouth of the feeder at the start of water supply which propagates along the interface layer and reflects at the end of the tank as a bulge of the interface layer. The retreat of the intruding wedge would not occur in a sufficiently long tank, and so the cause of the retreat can be considered as one kind of end wall effect in a tank.     

南黄海春季水温分布特征的分析

利用美国海军的空间分辩率为10′×10′月平均的GDEM三维水温资料,研究了南黄海春季水温的分布特征及其演变过程。分析结果较清晰地显示了春季南黄海的水温分布如何从冬季的垂直均匀型过渡到夏季的层化结构。分析还表明:春季南黄海水温的水平和垂直结构皆比冬季更为复杂,并出现若干个较特殊的水文现象,例如,在34°40′~36°20′N的南黄海西侧出现了“青岛冷水团”,而在35°30′~37°20′N的南黄海东侧,初次发现存在着一个类似性质的冷水团,称其为“仁川外海冷水团”。此外,在冷水团的邻近海域还存在着中层冷水。     

COSMIC掩星资料同化对台风“天兔”预报影响的试验

台风数值预报的关键之一在于给定准确的模式初始场。本文使用气象、电离层和气候星座观测系统(COSMIC)的卫星资料,通过资料同化技术改善数值天气预报模式的初始场,进而评估数据同化技术对台风(或热带气旋)预报的改善效果。使用我国自主研发的数值天气预报模式,对1319号台风“天兔”进行模拟试验,对温度场、湿度场、涡度散度场及假相当位温场进行诊断分析。试验结果表明,与同化常规探空资料相比,COSMIC资料的同化可减小模式预报台风路径误差,台风附近降水落区更为集中。研究评估了掩星资料同化对模式的改进作用,并能为台风预报技术和防灾减灾提供参考。     

Turbulent mixing in stably stratified flows of the environment: The current state of the problem (Review)

Specific features of the turbulent transfer of the momentum and heat in stably stratified geophysical flows, as well as possibilities for including them into RANS turbulence models, are analyzed. The momentum (but not heat) transfer by internal gravity waves under conditions of strong stability is, for example, one such feature. Laboratory data and measurements in the atmosphere fix a clear dropping trend of the inverse turbulent Prandtl number with an increasing gradient Richardson number, which must be reproduced by turbulence models. Ignoring this feature can cause a false diffusion of heat under conditions of strong stability and lead, in particular, to noticeable errors in calculations of the temperature in the atmospheric boundary layer. Therefore, models of turbulent transfer must include the effect of the action of buoyancy and internal gravity waves on turbulent flows of the momentum. Such a strategy of modeling the stratified turbulence is presented in the review by a concrete RANS model and original results obtained during the modeling of stratified flows in the environment. Semiempirical turbulence models used for calculations of complex turbulent flows in deep stratified bodies of water are also analyzed. This part of the review is based on the data of investigations within the framework of the large international scientific Comparative Analysis and Rationalization of Second-Moment Turbulence Models (CARTUM) project and other publications of leading specialists. The most economical and effective approach associated with modified two-parameter turbulence models is a real alternative to classical variants of these models. A class of test problems and laboratory and full-scale experiments used by the participants of the CARTUM project for the approbation of numerical models are considered.     

Impacts of marine aquaculture at large spatial scales: evidences from N and P catchment loading and phytoplankton biomass

While several studies point at off-shore aquaculture as a possible source of impacts on the local marine environment, very few have analysed its effects at large scales such as at the bay, gulf or basin levels. Similar analyses are hampered by the multiple sources of disturbance that may concomitantly affect a given area. The present paper addresses these issues taking the Gulf of Castellammare (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) as an example. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) loads were calculated for the period 1970-2007, and compared to chlorophyll-a concentration as measured inside and outside the Gulf over the same period. Results indicate that N and P catchment loading has constantly decreased because of improved environmental management. Nevertheless, nutrient concentration in the Gulf has steadily increased since the establishment of aquaculture facilities in 1999. Chlorophyll-a concentration followed this trend, showing a marked increase from 2001 onwards. In the same period, chlorophyll-a concentrations measured inside and outside the Gulf have significantly diverged. As all the other possible causes can be ruled out, aquaculture remains the sole explanation for the observed situation. This paper demonstrates for the first time ever that off-shore aquaculture may affect the marine ecosystem well beyond the local scale and provides an additional element of concern to be kept into consideration when allocating oceans' space for new fish-farming activities.     

Wave boundary layers near the surface and bottom in a stratified fluid

The paper examines so-called wave boundary layers arising in a bounded stratified fluid for large times. Each the layer is a narrow domain in the vicinity of the fluid surface and/or bottom characterized by sharp, growing with increasing time, vertical gradients of the buoyancy and horizontal velocity. The layers arise as a result of free linear wave evolution of the initial fields if the initial buoyancy at the boundaries depends on the horizontal coordinates. An asymptotic solution for the boundary layer for large times is presented, and it is shown that this solution describes exact fields fairly well even for moderate times.