The pressure impulse in a fluid saturated crack in a sea wall

When a wave breaks against a sea wall containing a crack, such as might exist within the blockwork, pressure pulses can travel through the fluid and propagate into the crack. This can cause high stresses to act on the sides and roof of the crack and may even cause the constituent blocks to move. The Pressure Impulse, P, is used to model the effect of wave impact against a wall in which there is a fluid filled crack. A two-dimensional field equation is derived for P that is applicable in plane cracks of non-uniform, narrow width. This is solved for several geometries relating to cracks between constituent blocks of sea walls, in order to compare the impulsive forces with the gravitational force on a block. It is shown that a large block can be lifted due to the impulse exerted by the fluid in a crack beneath it.     

A few months-old storm-generated turbidite deposited in the Capbreton Canyon (Bay of Biscay, SW France)

A gravity core taken in the canyon of Capbreton shows a succession of sedimentary facies which can be interpreted as three superimposed Bouma sequences. The turbiditic sequences are covered by an oxidised layer which contains live benthic foraminiferal faunas indicating a reprisal of hemipelagic deposition. Activities of ²³⁴Th and ²¹⁰Pb suggest that the most recent turbidite was deposited between early December 1999 and mid-January 2000. During this period, the most probable natural event able to trigger a turbidity current was the violent storm which affected the French Atlantic coast on 27 December 1999. The turbidity current could have been caused by a sediment failure due to an excess in pore pressure generated by the storm waves, an increase of the littoral drift, or the dissipation of the along-coast water bulge through the canyon. This sub-recent turbidite shows that the canyon experiences modern gravity processes, despite the lack of a direct connection with a major sediment source.     

张力腿平台内孤立波作用特性数值模拟

依据三类内孤立波理论KdV、eK dV和MCC的适用性条件,采用Navier-Stokes方程为流场控制方程,以内孤立波诱导上下层深度平均水平速度作为入口边界条件,建立了两层流体中内孤立波对张力腿平台强非线性作用的数值模拟方法。结果表明,数值模拟所得内孤立波波形及其振幅与相应理论和实验结果一致,并且在内孤立波作用下张力腿平台水平力、垂向力及力矩数值模拟结果与实验结果吻合。研究同时表明,张力腿平台内孤立波载荷由波浪压差力、粘性压差力和摩擦力构成,其中摩擦力很小,可以忽略;水平力的主要成分为波浪压差力和粘性压差力,粘性压差力与波浪压差力相比较小却不可忽略,流体粘性的影响较小;垂向力中粘性压差力很小,流体粘性影响可以忽略。     

Gravity torques for surface waves

The effects of the gravity torques acting on the angular momentum of surface gravity waves are calculated theoretically. For short crested waves the gravity torque is caused by the force of gravity on the orbiting fluid particles acting down the slopes of the crests and troughs and in the direction parallel to the crests and troughs. The gravity torque tries to rotate the angular momentum vectors, and thus the waves themselves, counterclockwise in the horizontal plane, as viewed from above, in both hemispheres. The amount of rotation per unit time is computed to be significant assuming reasonable values for the along-crest and trough slopes for waves in a storm area. The gravity torque has a frequency which is double the frequency of the waves. For long crested waves the gravity torque acts in the vertical plane of the orbit and tries to decelerate the particles when they rise and accelerate them when they fall. By disrupting the horizontal cyclostrophic balance of forces on the fluid particles (centrifugal force versus pressure force) the gravity torque accounts qualitatively for the three characteristics of breaking waves: that they break at the surface, that they break at the crest, and that the crest breaks in the direction of wave propagation.     

有限元方法在台湾以东海域黑潮流速计算中的应用

1956-1960年间由Turner[13],Clough[16]等引入有限元概念、方法以来,首先在结构分析领域内取得极大进展.与此同时,它也应用于固体力学的许多领域[2,4,7].在七十年代,有限元方法较广泛地应用于流体力学的许多领域[3,11,12].最近几年来,有限元方法也应用于物理海洋学中的一些问题中,例如湖泊与海洋环流问题[14,15,19],潮汐与风暴潮问题[17]等.本文从流体力学原理出发,应用有限元理论建立了黑潮的三维流场有限元方程组.采用了海流理论中常见的物理模式[1,5,18],考虑了压力梯度、柯氏力、重力、水平与垂直方向上的湍流摩擦效应,而不考虑惯性力的影响.本文对所应用的有限元几何形状——三角棱柱进行了插值误差分析,证明了三角形棱面不能出现较大的钝角,也证明了完备性的问题.并将动力计算和有限元二种方法计算的流速进行了比较.     

The 1500-km-long Hikurangi Channel: Trench-axis channel that escapes its trench,crosses a plateau,and feeds a fan drift

The Hikurangi Channel, east of New Zealand, is one of the earth's major, active, sediment conduits between rising mountains and ocean basin. About 1500 km long, it uniquely incorporates most variations of canyon—channel systems worldwide. An apical canyon feeds a meandering, aggradational, trench-axis channel. This diverts, 800 km from the source, across an oceanic plateau. There, an oceanic-type channel has become incised over 500 m at the plateau-edge scarp. Beyond the scarp, distributary fan channels supply sediment to the Pacific's Deep Western Boundary Current and one distributary merges into a boundary channel.     

Unsteady hydromechanics of a steering podded propeller unit

Unsteady forces, torques and bending moments were predicted for a model podded propulsor unit at various azimuth angles. Predictions in time history include propeller shaft thrust, propulsor unit thrust, normal forces to the propeller shaft bearing, total forces acting on the propulsor unit, propeller shaft torque, blade spindle torque, in-plane and out-of-plane bending moments, and propulsor unit stock shaft torque and bending moments. Analysis was performed for averaged forces and their fluctuations as well. A time-domain unsteady multi-body panel method code, PROPELLA, was further developed for this prediction work. Predictions were compared with a set of time averaged in-house experimental data for a puller-type podded propulsor configuration in the first quadrant operation. Unsteady fluctuations of forces were predicted numerically. Analysis was made for the bending moment on propeller blades, shaft and the propulsor unit stock shaft for azimuth angles from 0° to 45°. It indicates that the magnitude and fluctuation of the forces are significant and they are essential for structural strength and design optimization. The predicted bending moment and global forces on the propulsor unit provide some useful data for ship maneuvering motion and simulation in off-design conditions.     

Structural styles and tectonic evolution of the Seram Trough, Indonesia

The Seram Trough is located in the northern part of the Banda Arc-Australian collision zone in eastern Indonesia and is currently the site of contraction between the Bird's Head of New Guinea and Seram Island. It has been interpreted as a subduction trench, an intra-continental thrust zone and foredeep, and a zone of strike-slip faulting. Recently acquired 2D seismic lines clarify its tectonic evolution and relationship to the Bird's Head. Folding in the Early Pliocene formed an anticlinorium running from Misool to the Onin Peninsula of Irian Jaya and produced a newly recognised angular unconformity. The unconformity truncates sediments as old as Middle Jurassic and is an ancient topographic surface with significant relief. It was later folded and now dips south towards the trough where it is covered by up to 3 km of sediments. Initial tilting of the unconformity surface was accompanied by deposition of a transgressive sequence which can be traced into the trough. This is overlain by two sequences which prograde towards the trough. These sequences show progressive rotation of the unconformity surface, gravitational displacement of sediments into the trough, and thrusting which continues to the present day. Contraction occurred in the trough after the Early Pliocene and is younger than the previously suggested Late Miocene age. Thrust faults in the trough deform sediments deposited above the unconformity and detach at the unconformity surface. On Seram thrust faults repeat Mesozoic–Miocene sequences and probably detach at their contact with metamorphic basement. The detachment surface must cut through the Mesozoic-Miocene sequence between Seram and the trough. This work suggests the Seram Trough is not a subduction trench but a foredeep produced in response to loading by the developing fold and thrust belt of Seram, with an associated peripheral bulge to the north. The Seram Trough is interpreted to be a very young zone of thrusting within the Australian continental margin.     

Significance of non‐rotational wind stress in the seasonal variation of continental torque

The physical mechanism by which seasonally varying atmospheric wind stress exerted on the sea surface is communicated to the solid earth as oceanic pressure torque (continental torque) and bottom frictional torque is investigated with a linear shallow‐water numerical model of barotropic oceans. The model has a realistic land–ocean distribution and is driven by a seasonally varying climatic wind stress. A novel way to decompose the wind stress into rotational and non‐rotational components is devised. The rotational component drives ocean circulations as classical theories of wind‐driven circulations demonstrate. The non‐rotational component does not produce ocean circulations within the framework of a barotropic shallow‐water model, but balances with the pressure gradient force due to surface displacement in the steady state. Based on this decomposition, it is shown that most of the continental torque which plays a major role in producing the seasonal variation of length of day (LOD) is caused by the non‐rotational component of the wind stress. Both continental torque due to the wind‐driven circulation produced by the rotational component of the wind stress and the bottom frictional torque are of minor importance.     

2D modeling of overpressure in a salt withdrawal basin,Gulf of Mexico,USA

This study demonstrates the utilization of 2D basin models to address overpressure development due to compaction disequilibrium in supra-allochthonous salt mini-basins with very high sedimentation rates in the Gulf of Mexico. By properly selecting 2D line sections with moderate stratigraphic resolution, it is possible to predict timing of overpressure development and approximate present-day overpressure distributions in the mini-basin. This study shows that even low resolution models with approximate information on the net-to-gross (sand:shale ratio) can average ±0.4 ppg with a maximum error of 1.0 ppg relative to pressure measurements in sandstones. The models based on age, depth, approximate lithology and an interpretation of complicated salt movement are adequate to evaluate pressure to address issues around trap containment and may be used for preliminary well planning. This study tested the results of overpressure prediction utilizing different stratigraphic resolutions and shows the sensitivity of overpressure modeling to 2D line selection. Also, three models were built to investigate how the permeability of salt welds affects overpressure development in an adjacent salt mini-basin. These results indicate that even a salt weld permeability reduction of 1.5 log mD results in a pressure difference between neighboring mini-basins. Additionally, these models qualitatively reproduced the seismic velocity volume which is supporting evidence that the salt welds in this mini-basin are at least partially sealing.     

An experimental method to identify a component of wave orbital motion in propeller effective inflow velocity and its effects on load fluctuations of a ship main engine in waves

Improvements of estimation accuracy on propeller torque fluctuations in waves will contribute assessments on safe operation of a ship main engine as in adverse sea condition. The propeller torque and thrust in waves can be estimated by propeller effective inflow velocity in waves, using the propeller open-water characteristics. Fluctuation components in the mathematical model of the propeller effective inflow velocity in waves can be composed of two components, respectively caused by ship surge motion and wave orbital motion at propeller position. In this study, an experimental method by the model test to directly identify the characteristics of the component by the wave orbital motion is newly proposed. Furthermore, the free-running model test in regular waves, using a simulator of the marine diesel engine which manages the shaft speed of the motor on a ship model as behaving the actual diesel engine, is carried out to obtain realistic torque fluctuations for comparisons of the estimated results applying the proposed identification method. Through comparisons of estimated fluctuations with the measured results, the proposed approach for the component of the inflow velocity due to wave orbital motion is successfully validated.     

A method to estimate the forces exerted by internal solitons on cylindrical piles

Internal soliton is the large amplitude wave existing in the pycnocline, induced by internal tide in the condition of special bottom topography. During its propagation process, the induced disturbance can bring about strong convergence of sea water and sudden strong current (wave-induced-current), which can cause severe threat to the ocean engineering structures, such as oil drilling platform and pipeline. In this paper, Morison’s empirical method, modal separation and regression analyses are introduced to estimate the forces and torques exerted by internal soliton on cylindrical piles. As an example, a limited set of observational data recording a passage of the internal soliton near Dongsha Islands is used to estimate the horizontal velocity and its acceleration in a vertical section for computing the force and torque on a supposed pile, and the estimation results are reasonable. It is shown that, the higher number of the modes retained in the calculation, the better the estimation of velocity profile fits the observational one. A better overall approximation to the real solution can be reached if there are more observational current data acquired in a whole vertical profile.     

Moisture retrievals from simulated zenith delay "observations" and their impact on short‐range precipitation forecasts

The feasibility of assimilating the GPS total zenith delay into atmospheric models is investigated within the framework of the "Observing System Simulation Experiment." The total zenith delay is made up of two terms: one is proportional to the pressure at the site of the GPS ground‐based receiver and the other to the overlying amount of water vapor. Using the MM5 mesoscale model and its adjoint, a set of 4‐dimensional variational (4DVAR) experiments is performed. Results from the assimilation of simulated precipitable water observations are used as the benchmark. The model domain covers Southern California. The observations are simulated with a 10 km horizontal resolution model that includes full physics, while a 20‐km resolution and a less comprehensive physics package are used in the 4DVAR experiments. Both, the 10‐km and 20‐km models employ the same set of 15 vertical levels. Moisture fields retrieved from the total zenith delay are found to compare very well with those retrieved from the precipitable water. Verified against the observations, the vertically integrated moisture is found to be very accurate. An overall improvement is also achieved in the vertical profiles of the moisture fields. The use of the so‐called background term and model initialization are shown to greatly reduce the negative impact that the sole assimilation of the total zenith delay can have on the pressure field and integrated water vapor. The adverse effect stems from the poor resolution of the topography needed to evaluate the model pressure at the GPS sites. The analysis increments of all model fields are found to be similar to the counterparts obtained from the assimilation of the precipitable water. The same is true for the short‐range precipitation forecasts initiated from the 4DVAR‐optimal initial conditions.     

用于Wells透平性能分析的稳态实验台研制

文中利用二维模型分析了威尔斯透平（Wells)的气动力性能，并以此为基础，设计并研制出多用途吸风式稳态透平试验台，该试验台一方面可用来研究稳态流动透平的总体气动性能以及稠密度、翼型等参数对透平性能的影响，另一方面又还可以测量透平前后的速度场、压力场，为分析透平气动损失、优化透平设计、提高波浪能转换效率提供手段。     

Modelling the Zambezi River plume

A model for the Zambezi River plume, the largest on the Indian Ocean coast of Africa, is presented and the results of experiments with different discharges and wind forcings are analysed. Although the river plays an important role in the southern African economy through power generation on large dams, artisanal fisheries, and frequent flooding events that impact greatly on local populations, the plume has not been well studied. Observations during the period 2004–2007, when the winds were mainly easterly or south-easterly, indicated that the plume waters can extend both downstream (equatorwards) and upstream (polewards) of the Zambezi Delta with a recirculating bulge near the river mouth. The model is constructed using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS), with a 40-km long, 3-km wide river discharging into a rectangular coastal ocean with a linearly sloping bottom. When the model is forced only by a constant river discharge of 1 000?m³ s^?1 (typical of observed discharge amounts in summer), the Kelvin and Froude numbers for the resulting plume imply a ‘large-scale’ buoyant discharge with a coastal current that is close to being in geostrophic balance with the across-shore pressure gradient and a recirculating ageostrophic bulge near the mouth. The distributions of the bulge and plume waters are found to be relatively insensitive to the discharge amount. Under constant wind forcing, the plume distribution changes dramatically. Northerly and easterly winds produce the largest changes with the latter able to deflect the plume up to 180° due to Ekman drift. When sea breeze-like winds are imposed, accumulation of water in the bulge occurs with substantial spreading upstream. Stronger sea breezes lead to less downstream spreading of the plume than gentle winds. When the winds are mainly across-shore, Ekman drift dominates, but the dynamics become almost geostrophic when the winds are roughly aligned to the coast. These experiments suggest that the Zambezi River plume is sensitive to the winds on diurnal to synoptic time-scales.     

Momentum balance in shoaling gravity waves: Comment on ’shoaling surface gravity waves cause a force and a torque on the bottom’ by K. E. Kenyon

In a recent paper, Kenyon (2004) proposed that the wave-induced energy flux is generally not conserved, and that shoaling waves cause a mean force and torque on the bottom. That force was equated to the divergence of the wave momentum flux estimated from the assumption that the wave-induced mass flux is conserved. This assumption and conclusions are contrary to a wide body of observations and theory. Most importantly, waves propagate in water, so that the momentum balance generally involves the mean water flow. Although the expression for the non-hydrostatic bottom force given by Kenyon is not supported by observations, a consistent review of existing theory shows that a smaller mean wave-induced force must be present in cases with bottom friction or wave reflection. That force exactly balances the change in wave momentum flux due to bottom friction and the exchange of wave momentum between incident and reflected wave components. The remainder of the wave momentum flux divergence, due to shoaling or wave breaking, is compensated by the mean flow, with a balance involving hydrostatic pressure forces that arise from a change in mean surface elevation that is very well verified by observations.     

Effects of hydrostatic approximation and resolution on the simulation of convective adjustment

A two-dimensional non-hydrostatic ocean model and a hydrostatic version of the same model are used to simulate convective adjustment, without the use of an instantaneous adjustment parameterization. The model geometry is a domain on the vertical plane of width 40 km and depth 500 m. Model results for four cases are examined: hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic, at 0.1 and 1 km spatial resolution. The convectively adjusted stable state obtained in all four cases are qualitatively similar; thus the hydrostatic approximation does not eliminate convective adjustment. The details of the simulated convective plumes depend on resolution and whether the hydrostatic approximation is made. The adjusted state has significant stratification which cannot be captured by the conventional instantaneous adjustment or diffusion-based parameterizations. We also compare the results to the case when an instantaneous adjustment parameterization is used.     

A review on the behavior of helical piles as a potential offshore foundation system

Abstract

Helical piles are used mainly to resist tension forces generated by uplift and overturning moments of various structures, therefore they have been suggested as a potential alternative to driven piles as offshore pile because they provide a large uplift capacity due to the anchor effect of the helix. To date no standards are available for the assessment of the use of helical piles in the offshore environment. State-of-the art installation and uplift capacity assessment is based on field onshore tests on small helical piles. The purpose of this review is to critically evaluate the current knowledge on helical piles considering uplift capacity, cyclic load, installation torque models and the parameters affecting the installation torque, to understand whether they can be considered for potential offshore applications. The paper could be of valuable interest for engineers and contractors involved in the offshore installation of piles.     

Hydrometeor structure of a composite monsoon depression using the TRMM radar

This paper addresses the use of a satellite-based radar for obtaining the composite structure (from several monsoon depressions) of the distribution of precipitation elements in the horizontal and the vertical. This composting is based on the use of a simple elliptical layout of coordinates along the major and minor axes of each storm as it passed over north central India. This satellite, called the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), carries onboard a microwave instrument known as the Precipitation Radar (PR). The vertical structure of hydrometeors provided by the radar is somewhat of the same quality as the ground-based Doppler radar units. The PR could identify many features such as the melting layers, height of convection, extent of anvils and types of precipitation over different sections of the composited monsoon depression. Furthermore, the asymmetric nature of surface rainfall that intensifies around the composited monsoon depression has also been mapped, which could provide several more details than was possible from other satellite-based estimates. It is found that the most intense precipitation occurs in the south-southwest region of the monsoon depression. The preponderance of stratiform rain and the coverage of fewer deep convective elements, especially over the orographic upslope region, are some other noticeable features obtained using the TRMM PR. The stratiform rain was noted to arise where the melting layers (in the radar reflectivity signatures) were located near 5 km. In those few occasions where tall rain clouds were discernible, the cloud tops were seen to extend all the way from 12 to 15 km. Rainfall amounts across the composite monsoon depression range from 10 to 100 mm d⁻¹. The 3–4 d passage time of one of those disturbances resulted in local rainfall totals of the order of 200–300 min d⁻¹.