Space and time variations in the fine structure of the upper atmosphere according to acoustic sounding data

The results of studying variations in the fine layered structure of the upper atmosphere (heights of 20–140 km) according to data obtained from acoustic sounding within the range of infrasonic waves are given. The sources of infrasounds were surface explosions equivalent to 10 kg to 70 t of TNT. These explosions were set off in different seasons in different regions of Russia. Experimental data obtained in 1981–2011 have been analyzed. It has been found that the fine structure in the form of vertically distributed layered formations occurs in the upper atmosphere in all seasons. Moreover, the vertical distribution of both air-temperature and wind-velocity inhomogeneities in the upper atmosphere may be invariable over a time interval of no less than several hours. It has also been found that, throughout the entire atmospheric thickness from the stratopause to the lower thermosphere heights (up to 140 km), the instantaneous height distribution of layered air-temperature and wind-velocity inhomogeneities may remain almost unchanged during a time interval of no less than 20 min.     

On Experience in using the remote acoustic method of partial reflections in studies of the lower troposphere

Using the phenomenon of the partial reflection of acoustic waves from anisotropic wind-velocity and temperature inhomogeneities in the lower troposphere is justified in determining the structure of these inhomogeneities. The data (obtained with the method of bistatic acoustic sounding) on signals reflected from stratified inhomogeneities in the lower 600-m layer of the troposphere are given. A detonation-type pulsed acoustic source was used. The methods of isolating a small (in amplitude) reflected signal against the background of noise and determining the reflecting-layer height and the partial-reflection coefficient from the measured parameters (time delay and amplitude) of a reflected signal are presented. The method of estimating the vertical gradients of the effective sound speed and the squared acoustic refractive index from the partial-reflection coefficient previously calculated is described on the basis of an Epstein transition-layer model. The indicated parameters are experimentally estimated for concrete cases of recording reflected signals. A comparison of our estimates with independent analogous data simultaneously obtained for the same parameters with monitoring instruments (a sodar and a temperature profiler) has yielded satisfactory results.     

Simulating the influence of an atmospheric fine inhomogeneous structure on long-range propagation of pulsed acoustic signals

The results of simulating the influence of an atmospheric fine structure on the characteristics of acoustic signals propagating throughout the atmosphere for long distances from their sources are presented. A numerical model of an atmospheric fine inhomogeneous structure within the height range z = 20…120 km is proposed to perform calculations. This model and its numerical parameters are based on the current notions of the formation of an atmospheric fine structure due to internal gravity waves. The numerical calculations were performed using the parabolic-equation method. A spatial structure of the acoustic field and the structure of an acoustic signal at long distances from a pulsed source were calculated. It is shown that the presence of an atmospheric fine structure results in a scattering of acoustic signals and their recording in the geometric shadow region. The results of calculations of signal forms are in a satisfactory agreement with data on signals recorded in the geometric shadow region which is formed at a distance of about 300 km from an experimental explosion.     

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.     

Studying the mesoscale structure of inhomogeneities within the high-latitude stratosphere during the evolution of the circumpolar vortex on the basis of aircraft measurements

Mesoscale inhomogeneities in the fields of wind, temperature, and ozone concentrations have been studied on the basis of aircraft measurements performed within the international EUPLEX and RECONCILE projects in the northern polar region in the presence of the circumpolar vortex. Data have been obtained on the structure of turbulence inside and outside the circumpolar vortex. The zones of enhanced turbulence have been studied. The spectrum of coherence between ozone and wind velocity are found to have high values.     

The propagation of an acoustic pulse in a near-ground atmospheric waveguide

A wave theory of propagation of an acoustic pulse in a moving stratified atmospheric layer above the ground with a finite impedance of an underlying ground surface is developed. The shapes of acoustic signals in a near-ground atmospheric waveguide, which are formed due to temperature inversion and a vertical shear of the wind velocity, are calculated based on this theory. These signals are compared with those measured during the experiments where vertical profiles of the wind velocity and temperature in an atmospheric boundary layer have been continuously controlled using a sodar, a temperature profile meter, and acoustic anemometers or thermometers mounted on a 56-meter-high mast. The joint action of a near-ground acoustic waveguide, the impedance of the underlying surface, and a vertical layered structure of the boundary atmospheric layer on a signal shape far from the acoustic source are studied.     

北冰洋80°～85°N浮冰区对流层大气的垂直结构

利用2008年夏季中国第3次北冰洋考察所获取的GPS探空资料对北冰洋(79°～85.5°N,144°～170°W)浮冰区对流层大气的垂直结构进行了研究.结果表明:北冰洋浮冰区对流层中部大气的平均温度递减率为6.47℃/km;对流层顶高度为8.0～10.7 km,平均为9.3 km,对流层顶温度为-59.4～-43.5℃...     

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 .     

Effect of the flow conditions on the metrological characteristics of a contact acoustic current meter

We discuss the results of metrological testing of a four-base acoustic current meter performed in a hydrodynamic basin, consider methodological problems encountered in the process of measurements and data processing, and present the experimental dependences of the systematic and random components of the measurement errors on the velocity and direction of the flow. Translated by Peter V. Malyshev and Dmitry V. Malyshev     

Experimental study of the fine structure of the wind field near a rough surface

The air-flow velocity field near the water surface is studied in the zone of wind-wave intensification. Caused by a periodic separation of eddies, a nonzero time-averaged value of the wind velocity in the near-water streamline is detected at the leading slope of the wave. The distribution of pressure along the wave with allowance for the vertical velocity shear and disturbances produced by eddies and a periodic deceleration of the viscous layer was calculated with the aid of the Cauchy-Lagrange integral. This procedure made it possible to calculate the growth rate of the wave amplitude, whose value was found to be close to its experimental value at the initial stage of acceleration.     

海洋混合层结构对表面声道中声传播特性的影响分析

利用WOA05气候态数据集和北黄海调查数据,应用BELLHOP高斯束射线模型分析了我国近海及西太平洋典型海区的混合层结构对表面声道中声传播特性的影响,结果表明:我国近海的混合层结构有显著的区域性和季节性变化;深海中主要表现为混合层深度变化,这种变化直接影响表面声道的空间分布,声波在混合层中的表面声道中传播与在混合层外的影区中传播产生的能量场差异较大;浅海中混合层深度与声速梯度的空间变化都很明显,声速梯度的增大和混合层的加深都能使更多声线以反转的形式传播,使表面声道声场增强。两组海上实验数据表明,在真实海洋中混合层可在短时间内出现生消变化或在局部海域出现非均匀分布。在浅海温跃层环境下,海-气边界特定的物理过程能够使混合层发生间歇性的变化,当表面声道出现时近表层声场明显增强。     

波浪作用下细颗粒泥沙悬移特性的试验研究

通过9组室内水槽试验,系统分析了不同周期和波高波浪作用下粉砂质细砂的悬移特性。试验结果表明,在波浪作用下,细颗粒泥沙在水体中悬浮产生明显的三层混浊结构：近底高浓度混浊层、中部混浊层和上部低浓度混浊层。其混浊度的大小与波浪动力条件相关,波浪周期的延长和波高的增加都会使近底层悬沙浓度显著增大,悬沙浓度的波动性在近底层表现得最为突出和复杂;波浪动力条件的改变对上层水体的悬沙浓度基本不产生影响。当波浪作用停止,悬沙开始静水沉降时,近底层水体含沙浓度的变化与波浪要素的比值相关,当波浪要素的比值大于临界值时,底层含沙浓度在一定时间段内反而增加,出现浓度返起现象。     

潜体绕流及远场声特性分析

首先采用SST（shear-stress transport）k-ω两方程湍流模型求解了潜体三维非定常粘性流场,然后基于Lighthill声类比理论,对潜体流噪声的远场特性进行了数值分析,并探讨了攻角的影响。研究结果显示,基于所研究的潜体外形,潜体在舷侧及深度等正横方向上的声辐射显著高于潜体在艏、艉等轴向上的声辐射,攻角的存在使声辐射增大。     

温度对海底沉积物声学特性影响实验研究

温度的变化是影响海底沉积物声学特性非常重要的因素之一。文章采用同轴差距衰减测量法,在不同温度下对海底沉积物声学特性进行测量,实验得出南海海底沉积物随着温度的升高具有以下声学特性:1)沉积物声速变化比较缓慢,上下波动点较明显,但总体趋势接近线性下降;2)衰减幅值随着温度升高一直下降,偶尔有些波动的异常点,声衰减幅值呈现线性下降的趋势;3)声衰减系数变化呈现抛物线趋势,具有强非线性。对于此类沉积物声速特殊情况,还有待从理论和实验方面更深入地研究解释其成因。     

Synoptic variability of the acoustic characteristics in tropical Atlantic waters

Synoptic variability of the sound speed and parameters of the SOFAR channel in the tropical Atlantic are considered. The synoptic component of the temporal and spatial dispersions of sound speed is singled out. The synoptic processes are shown to essentially affect the vertical hydroacoustic structure on a 1-month scale. It has been found that synoptic variations in the sound speed field penetrate as far as the SOFAR channel axis and deform it considerably.Translated by V. Puchkin.     

声跃层结构变化对深海汇聚区声传播的影响

根据射线理论建立了线性声速结构条件下的声跃层强度与深海汇聚区关系模型,用最小位移角讨论了海洋环境变化（如声跃层强度变化、声跃层位置变化及季节性跃层生消等）与汇聚区距离和宽度变化的相关性.结果表明,声跃层的结构变化对汇聚区特征影响很大.声跃层强度增大使汇聚区向远离声源的方向变化,跃层强度每增加0.01 s-1对应的汇聚区位移增大约为3.5～5.0 km.声跃层位置变化对汇聚区的影响小于声跃层强度,与两层结构的声速剖面相比,上行结构使汇聚区向靠近声源的方向变化,声跃层上升200 m对应的汇聚区位移减小约为1.0～1.5 km,声跃层越浅,汇聚区距离越近;下行结构使汇聚区向远离声源的方向变化,混合层加深200 m对应的汇聚区位移增大约为1.0～1.5 km,混合层越深,汇聚区距离越远.季节性跃层的生消使近表层有负梯度、零梯度和正梯度的变化.负梯度结构的变化规律与两层结构条件下的声跃层强度变化类似,但对汇聚区的影响程度相对较小;正梯度结构使汇聚区在近表层出现表面声道,梯度值的增强将使汇聚区向靠近声源的方向变化.     

High-frequency acoustic backscattering characteristics for acoustic detection of the red tide species Akashiwo sanguinea and Alexandrium affine

Harmful algal blooms (HABs), caused by the overgrowth of certain phytoplankton species, have negative effects on marine environments and coastal fisheries. In addition to cell-counting methods using phytoplankton nets, a hydroacoustic technique based on acoustic backscattering has been proposed for the detection of phytoplankton blooms. However, little is known of the acoustic properties of HAB species. In this study, as essential data to support this technique, we measured the acoustic properties of two HAB species, Akashiwo sanguinea and Alexandrium affine, which occur in the South Sea off the coast of Korea. Due to the small size of the target, we used ultrasound for the measurements. Experiments were conducted under laboratory and field conditions. In the laboratory experiment, the acoustic signal received from each species was directly proportional to the cell abundance. We derived a relationship between the cell abundance and acoustic signal received for each species. The measured signals were compared to predictions of a fluid sphere scattering model. When A. sanguinea blooms appeared at an abundance greater than 3 500 cells/mL, the acoustic signals varied with cell abundance, showing a good correlation. These results confirm that acoustic measurements can be used to detect HAB species.     

聚焦波作用下平面网衣结构的水动力特性研究

由于沿海区域的限制以及愈加严重的环境污染,渔业养殖正从近海走向深远海。深远海海域的海况更加恶劣,给养殖装备的设计与性能评估带来新的挑战。为解决该问题,对极端波浪与养殖装备网衣结构的相互作用开展研究。基于waves2Foam建立数值波浪水池,极端波浪模拟采用基于NewWave理论的聚焦波模型,网衣结构模拟采用多孔介质模型,并通过与Morison模型计算的网衣受力等效分析,获得多孔介质模拟网衣结构阻力系数的直接估计方法。然后将多孔介质模型嵌入waves2Foam中,开展聚焦波与网衣结构相互作用的数值模拟,同时开展水槽试验,验证数值模拟的准确性。基于数值模拟结果,系统地分析了不同网衣密实度及不同波浪参数下网衣结构的升阻力特性以及网衣结构对波浪场的扰动规律。研究表明：聚焦波波峰幅值和网衣密实度对网衣结构的升阻力影响较大,且升力峰值出现在阻力为0的时刻;网衣结构对聚焦波的时空演化特性有影响,改变了聚焦波波形。