The state‐of‐the‐art in marine navigation

Tide gauges distributed all over the world provide valuable information for monitoring mean sea level changes. The statistical models used in estimating sea level change from the tide gauge data assume implicitly that the random model components are stationary in variance. We show that for a large number of global tide gauge data this is not the case for the seasonal part using a variate-differencing algorithm. This finding is important for assessing the reliability of the present estimates of mean sea level changes because nonstationarity of the data may have marked impact on the sea level rate estimates, especially, for the data from short records.     

State‐of‐the‐art sea level and meteorological monitoring systems in the intra‐Americas sea

State‐of‐the‐art technology is presently being used for the acquisition of water level and meteorological data in the Intra‐Americas Sea to support the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) network of sea‐level monitoring stations. GLOSS stations provide data for the investigation of regional relative sea level change in areas of complex tectonic motion, national geodetic vertical datums, near real‐time data for input to climatic diagnostic numerical models, calibration of satellite altimeter and scatterometer data, and the evaluation of the feasibility of producing synoptic mean sea level charts for the prediction of climatic trends, long‐range weather forecasts, and ocean processes.     

Fish populations of the Avon‐Heathcote Estuary

Breeding seasons and sizes at first maturity for nine species of fish in the Avon‐Heathcote Estuary, Christchurch, New Zealand, were: sand flounder, Rhombosolea plebeia, mid‐winter to spring at 200 mm+; yellow‐bellied flounder, Rhombosolea leporina, winter and spring at 260 mm+; common sole, Peltorhamphus novaeieelandiae, did not breed in the estuary but reached first maturity at 220 mm +; yellow‐eyed mullet, Aldrichetta forsteri, spawned twice a year, winter and summer, at 220 mm +; kahawai, Arripis trutta, bred outside the estuary at 520–540 mm +; spotty, Pseudolabrus celidotus, spring to autumn at 200 mm for males and 160 mm for females; cockabully, Tripterygion nigripenne, spring and early summer at 52–57 mm +; common bully, Gobiomorphus basalis, spring and early summer at 45–50 mm+; and globefish, Speroides richei, spring to autumn at 147 mm + for males and 120 mm + for females. The successive stages in gonad development are described for these species.

In pelagic species, e.g., flatfish and kahawai, x² analyses showed that for most months females are more numerous than males, and that migration is of major importance. In (littoral species, e.g., common bully and cockabully, there is a 1 : 1 sex ratio in the breeding season, but this ratio subsequently breaks down.

The Avon‐Heathcote estuary was used mainly as a nursery area by juvenile fish, although some species, such as sand flounder, yellow‐bellied flounder, yellow‐eyed mullet, and cockabully spawned in the estuary.     

Fish populations of the Avon‐heathcote estuary

Details are given of gut‐content analyses for nine fish species from the Avon‐Heathcote Estuary, Christchurch, New Zealand: sand flounder, Rhombosolea plebeia (Richardson); yellow‐bellied flounder, R. leporina (Hutton); common sole, Peltorhamphus novaezeelandiae (Gunther); yellow‐eyed mullet, Aldrichetta forsteri (Cuvier & Valenciennes); kahawai, Arripis trutta (Bloch & Schneider); spotty, Pseudolabrus celidotus (Bloch and Schneider); cockabully, Tripterygion nigripenne (Cuvier & Valenciennes); common bully, Gobiomorphus basalis (Gray); and globefish, Spheroides richei (Freminville). The percent occurrences of each food type recorded over Ihe sampling period (April 1965‐April 1966) for each species are compared. Monthly food tables are given for those species of which suitably large samples were obtained (sand flounder, yellow‐bellied flounder, common sole, yellow‐eyed mullet, and globefish). Where possible, the dietary occurrence of different food types is related to environmental and other factors observed or considered likely to influence food selection.     

Fish populations of the Avon‐Heathcote estuary

Characteristic organisms are tabulated, and the substrate conditions briefly described for seven habitats in the Avon‐Heathcote Estuary, Christchurch, New Zealand. Temperatures and water movements within the estuary are outlined.

From April 1965 to April 1966, samples were collected by short otter‐trawl shots, gill netting, beach seine hauls, and dip netting; the limitations of the gear are noted. The distributions and movements are recorded for nine fish species : sand flounder, Rhombosolea plebeia (Richardson) ; yellow‐bellied flounder, Rhombosolea leporina (Hutton) ; common sole, Peltorhamphus novae‐zeelandiae (Gunther) ; ye'llow‐eyed mullet Aldrichetta forsteri (Cuvier and Valenciennes); kahawai, Arripis trutta (Bloch and Schneider); spotty, Pseudolabrus celidotus (Bloch and Schneider); cockabully, Tripterygion nigripenne (Cuvier and Valenciennes) ; common bully, Gobiomorphus basalis (Gray); and globe fish, Spheroides richei (Freminville).

Length‐frequency distributions showed that most of the nine species of fish used the estuary as a feeding area for adults and as a nursery area. Only two species did not migrate to and from the sea.

Length‐weight relationships for eight species showed that weight was a function of length approximately cubed, and that the exponential equation could be used to predict weight from length.

Regressions of caudal fin length on standard length for four species gave a positive correlation (r = +0.95). Relative proportions of body length to caudal fin length were related to habitat; fish of benthic habits had proportionally shorter caudal fins than pelagic fish.     

Probability distribution of the Murty‐Loomis tsunami magnitude

Abstract

In 1980, Murty and Loomis proposed a new, objective tsunami magnitude scale based on total tsunami energy. A list of 178 tsunamigenic earthquakes during the period 1815 to 1974 was given along with estimated tsunami magnitudes. In this study, we derived the probability distribution function of tsunami magnitudes based on the assumptions that (1) the occurrences of tsunamigenic earthquakes are a Poisson process, and (2) tsunami energy is a polynomial function of tsunami recurrence time. Using the data given by Murty and Loomis, the parameters of the distribution function are estimated. Comparison with the data shows that the derived distribution is a good representation of the distribution of the Murty‐Loomis tsunami magnitude.     

Regional geomorphology of the continental slope of NW India: Delineation of the signatures of deep‐seated structures

Geomorphological features (derived from 16,000 lkm of echo‐sounding and bathymetric data) and deep‐seated tectonic structures of the continental margin off NW India are presented. The shelf break over the entire region occurs between 80 to 154 m water depth, and adjacent to Saurashtra and Bombay High the depth and orientation of the shelf edge show marked variations. The boundary of the slope is shallower in the northern portion (about 1450 m in the vicinity of the Indus) than in the southern region (2900 m off Bombay).

The steep slope off the Gulf of Kachchh has relatively smooth physiography due to higher input of fluvial sediment and burial of structures. The gentler slope off Saurashtra and the Bombay High area has numerous complex features, the most prominent among them being benches at depths of 180–230 m (width 2–10 km) and 650–780 m and a series of bathymetric highs and lows. Slope breaks are also observed between 400 and 600 m off Bombay and between 560 and 960 m off Saurashtra. These features are surface manifestations of the anticlinal features extending along the shelf in this region. Unevenness (order of 100–300 m) due to slumping is also observed at the base of the slope.

Based on the correlation between tectonic structures of this area and these subphysiographic features, extension of the Saurashtra Anticline onto the slope, a new strike slip fault (the southern boundary fault of Narmada graben) and an along‐shelf anticlinal structure off Saurashtra are delineated.     

Analysis of sediment stability on the Peru‐Chile continental slope

Abstract

Potential sediment mass movement was analyzed at ten locations on the continental slope off Peru and northern Chile, using samples obtained from up to 3 m below the seafloor. Shear strength parameters were obtained from consolidated‐undrained triaxial compression tests. Sediment behavior in these tests reflects the influence of organic matter, which is concentrated in the slope deposits by coastal upwelling. High water content of the organic‐rich sediments and the high de‐formability of organic matter contribute to the prevalent ductile behavior. Aggregation of clays by organic matter is apparently responsible for the high friction angles, up to 44°, displayed by the slope deposits. Sediment stability was assessed using infinite slope analyses. These analyses indicate that gravitational forces alone are not sufficient to cause sediment failure at any of the slope locations. Sediment accumulation on the slope is not rapid enough to generate excess pore pressure and reduce the resistance to gravitational sliding. Effects of earthquakes on slope stability were evaluated by modeling earthquake‐induced inertia forces as static forces and estimating pore pressures developed during cyclic loading. This analysis shows that sediments of the lower slope off Peru possess the highest susceptibility to failure during earthquakes. Earthquake accelerations on the order of 0.2 gravity are sufficient to trigger slumping at all ten slope locations. Indirect evidence suggests that creep and mass flows initiated at shallower water depths are factors that might contribute to sediment failure on the slope.     

Impact of land use on the faecal microbial quality of hill‐country streams

Faecal contamination of rural streams is of increasing concern in New Zealand. This study assessed hill‐country streams in the Whatawhata district that were impacted by pastoral farming, indigenous forest, or Pinus radiata forest; by measuring Escherichia coli bacteria at 14 sampling sites fortnightly for 2 years. E. coli concentrations were highest in streams flowing through grazed pasture. In both years there was a noticeable seasonal pattern in all streams irrespective of land use, with highest bacterial concentrations in summer and autumn and lowest in winter and early spring. There was no obvious correlation between E. coli concentration and rainfall or stream flow. In those streams impacted by a change in land use from pastoral to pines during the study, E. coli concentration fell rapidly and remained at levels lower than those in streams impacted by either indigenous or 7‐year pine forests. As E. coli was detected in all but two samples, the water in these streams is not suitable for human consumption. The pastoral streams consistently failed to meet stock drinking‐water guidelines (median concentration not greater than 100 E. coli 100 ml^–1) and the forest streams failed to do so in summer. Twenty‐eight percent of pastoral samples, 25% of indigenous forest samples, 14% of 7‐year pine forest samples, and 5% in New Pines stream samples (after planting) had E. coli concentrations associated with a high level of risk for contact recreation (>500 E. coli 100 ml^‐1) and the high concentrations usually occurred in summer.     

Spectral features of the New Zealand deep‐water ocean wave climate

The wave climate at the Maui site off the west coast of the North Island and off the east coast of Great Barrier Island to the east of the North Island are examined. This is done by means of average wave spectra derived from a 2‐year database, acquired from Waverider buoy measurements made over 1980 and 1981. The average spectra provide information about the individual sea states which characterise the wave climate, and show that on average the sea state on the east coast is less energetic than it is on the west coast. Further, it is seen that this difference results largely from a dominant and persistent long‐period south‐westerly swell of 12.4 s period which is present at the Maui location but absent from the Great Barrier Island seas.     

Acoustic environment and physico‐mechanical properties of the shelf seabed off the pearl river mouth

Abstract

The vast shallow sea off the Pearl River mouth in the northern South China Sea is an important prospecting area for offshore oil development. In recent years, the authors have investigated acoustic and geotechnical characteristics of marine sediments in this area. An intercalated layer of low sound velocity and low compressive strength has been found within the seabed, in which the median diameter of sediment grains is fine and the sound velocity is 100–200 m/s lower than that of the overlying and underlying layers. The minimum unconfined compressive strength of this layer is 0.075 kg/cm², which is lower than that of the over‐ and underlying layers by an order of magnitude. Such an intercalation often constitutes a threat to the stability of shallow foundation soil. In case of overloading, the layer may be weakened, and seafloor sliding between different sediment layers may occur. The regional distribution of these kinds of weak intercalations of low sound velocity may be traced by a subbottom profiler and by means of sediment acoustical investigations.

Correlation between the gray level of a layer on subbottom profile records and physical properties of the layer (including sound velocity and reflectivity) suggests that the layer of sufficient bearing capacity must be searched by means of sediment acoustics at least to the depth of a high‐velocity substratum of stronger reflection.     

Four new species of the lanternfish genus Diaphus (Myctophidae) from the Indo‐Pacific

Four new species of the genus Diaphus are described. Three of these are in the subgeneric group with a suborbital luminous organ and are members of the D. fulgens species group with a raised AOa₁ photophore. D. impostor sp. nov. from the Indo‐West Pacific is most similar to D. aliciae, differing in lower gill raker count and smaller size. D. wisneri sp. nov. from north of Hawaii and south Pacific lacks a luminous scale at the PLO and has a lower gill raker count than similar species. D. kora sp. nov. from north‐east of New Zealand has a large luminous scale at the PLO, and a longer Vn and lower gill raker counts than similar species. D. kapalae sp. nov. from the south‐western Pacific is most similar to D. splendidus and D. antonbruuni, from which it differs by the presence of an Ant, higher gill raker counts, and position of the VLO photophore.     

On the response of a Coulomb‐damped poroelastic bed to water waves

Abstract

The problem of forced vibration of a slightly inelastic porous bed by water waves is treated analytically on the basis of a linearized expression of the nonlinear damping term for the grain‐to‐grain friction in bed soils and the linear theory by Biot (1962a [Jour. Appl. Physics, 33:1482–1498]) on the elastic wave propagation in porous media. A dispersion relation of water waves is obtained as a function of wave frequency, water depth, permeability, Poisson's ratio, rigidity, and specific loss of bed soil. Three types of elastic waves are induced in a bed by water waves: a shear wave and a compressional wave in the skeletal frame of soil, and a compressional wave in the pore fluid. The compressional wave, due to the motion of the pore fluid relative to the skeletal frame of soil, is highly damped by the viscosity of pore fluid and only a short range effect near the boundaries of discontinuity, such as a sea‐seabed interface. The seabed response to water waves is characterized by the two Mach numbers, i.e., the ratio of water‐wave speed to shear‐wave speed in soil and the ratio of water‐wave speed to compressional‐wave speed in soil. Most of the water‐wave propagation problems fall into the subsonic flow condition, where elastic waves in the bed travel faster than water waves.

For sandy beds, generally the speeds of compressional and shear waves are much higher than the phase velocity of the water wave. For this case, the solution of the Coulomb‐damped poroelastic bed response presented in this paper approaches the solution of the massless poroelastic bed response in Yamamoto et al. (1978 [Jour. Fluid Mech., 87(1): 193–206]). The damping of water waves due to internal grain‐to‐grain friction is equally or more significant than the damping due to percolation in sand beds.

For clay beds, the speed of the shear wave in soil becomes low and comparable to the phase speed of the water wave. The bed motion for this case is considerably amplified due to the near‐resonance vibration of shear mode of bed vibration. The water wavelength on a clay bed is significantly shortened compared to the water wavelength over a rigid bed. The water wave damping due to internal grain‐to‐grain friction in soil becomes much larger compared to the water wave damping due to percolation in clay beds. Long water waves over a soft clayey bed attenuate within several wavelengths of travel distance.     

Albacore off the north‐west coast of New Zealand,February 1972

During two trolling surveys in February 1972, albacore, Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre), were located between Cape Reinga and Cape Egmont, but were more abundant between Kaipara Harbour and Albatross Point. Fish catches and associated hydrological data are presented. Albacore were caught only in areas where the sea surface temperatures were between 18.5°c and 21.3°c, and usually in areas where the water was blue and the bottom depth between 45 m and 80 m. The albacore were mainly of the 2‐ and 3‐year age‐groups. Of the 665 fish landed, 449 were tagged and released, but no recoveries have been made.

Commercial vessels located albacore within 20 km of New Plymouth during the summers of 1970 and 1971 when sea surface temperatures were 1.5–2.5°c higher than in February 1972, probably because of a more southward extension of the West Auckland Current in 1970 and 1971.     

Density of mud‐dwelling meiobenthos from three sites in the Wellington region

Meiobenthos from the Waiwhetu Stream (41°14.22′S, 174°54.28′E), a heavily polluted site, was low in density and numbers of species; a tubificid oligochaete Limnodrihts cf. hoffmeisteri dominated. In the Hutt River estuary (41°14.09′S, 174°53.85′E), meiofauna density was the same as in similar sediments world‐wide, but dominance by 2 species of harpacticoid copepods produced a low‐diversity assemblage. The fauna in the Pauatahanui Inlet (41°05.2′S, 174°54.05′E) was comparable in density and diversity to the faunas of muddy estuarine sediments in other parts of the world. The dominance of nematodes, abundance of Echinoderes cf. coulli (Kinorhyncha), and the variety of species suggest that the Pauatahanui site was the most normal of the 3 sampled.     

Evidence for the formation of different‐sized nodules by different accretionary processes

Abstract

Studies on different‐sized polymetallic nodules from the Central Indian Ocean Basin reveal that chemical composition is largely related to the nodule diameter which show systematic decrease in Mn, Cu, and Ni content with increase in nodule size. S and I type nodules are more abundant than B, L, and V types. Nodules grouped according to their size have common morphological, mineralogical, and geochemical characteristics and all six groups have distinguishing properties. There is evidence which suggests that the smaller (M and I) nodules are diagenetic and the larger (S, B, L, and V) are hydrogenetic, exhibiting variations in todorokite abundance and in chemical composition. There is also substantial evidence that the nodules of high economic value (Cu + Ni + Co%) can be sorted out on the basis of simple morphological parameters.     

Global point‐mass adjustment of the oceanic geoid based on satellite altimetry

Altimeter residuals from a global spherical‐harmonic adjustment of satellite altimetry can be used as observations in a subsequent, or second‐phase, adjustment of a short‐wavelength oceanic geoid in terms of point‐mass magnitudes as parameters. An important part of the development presented is the formulation of the second‐phase adjustment via a banded or a banded‐bordered system of normal equations. This task encompasses three separate features: (1) elimination of the point masses from an observation equation if they are sufficiently far from the pertinent observation point, (2) special arrangement of the point‐mass parameters in the adjustment scheme, and (3) resolution of the resulting system through an adaptation of the well‐known Choleski algorithm. If only the point‐mass magnitudes are subject to adjustment, one is concerned with a banded system of normal equations. If selected tidal parameters are also implicated, this system becomes banded‐bordered. In fact, the former is a special case of the latter in every respect. By virtue of this approach (with or without tidal parameters), geoid undulations over large ocean basins can be adjusted in a few overlapping strips of point masses, leading to a detailed resolution of the entire oceanic geoid.