The self-thinning exponent in overcrowded stands of the mangrove, Kandelia obovata, on Okinawa Island, Japan

Weller??s allometric model assumes that the allometric relationships of mean area occupied by a tree $ \bar{s} $ , i.e., the reciprocal of population density $ \rho $ , $ \bar{s}\left( { = {1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 {\rho = g_{\varphi } \cdot \bar{w}^{\varphi } }}} \right. \kern-0em} {\rho = g_{\varphi } \cdot \bar{w}^{\varphi } }}} \right) $ , mean tree height $ \bar{H}\left( { = g_{\theta } \cdot \bar{w}^{\theta } } \right) $ , and mean aboveground mass density $ \bar{d}\left( { = g_{\delta } \cdot \bar{w}^{\delta } } \right) $ to mean aboveground mass $ \bar{w} $ hold. Using the model, the self-thinning line $ \left( {\bar{w} = K \cdot \rho^{ - \alpha } } \right) $ of overcrowded Kandelia obovata stands in Okinawa, Japan, was studied over 8?years. Mean tree height increased with increasing $ \bar{w} $ . The values of the allometric constant $ \theta $ and the multiplying factor $ g_{\theta } $ are 0.3857 and 2.157?m?kg^???, respectively. The allometric constant $ \delta $ and the multiplying factor $ g_{\delta } $ are ?0.01673 and 2.685?m^?3?kg^1???, respectively. The $ \delta $ value was not significantly different from zero, showing that $ \bar{d} $ remains constant regardless of any increase in $ \bar{w} $ . The average of $ \bar{d} $ , i.e., biomass density $ \left( {{{\bar{w} \cdot \rho } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\bar{w} \cdot \rho } {\bar{H}}}} \right. \kern-0em} {\bar{H}}}} \right) $ , was 2.641?±?0.022?kg?m^?3, which was considerably higher than 1.3?C1.5?kg?m^?3 of most terrestrial forests. The self-thinning exponent $ \alpha \left( { = {1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 {\varphi = }}} \right. \kern-0em} {\varphi = }}{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 {\left\{ {1 - \left( {\theta + \delta } \right)} \right\}}}} \right. \kern-0em} {\left\{ {1 - \left( {\theta + \delta } \right)} \right\}}}} \right) $ and the multiplying factor $ K\left( { = \left( {g_{\theta } \cdot g_{\delta } } \right)^{\alpha } } \right) $ were estimated to be 1.585 and 16.18?kg?m^?2??, respectively. The estimators $ \theta $ and $ \delta $ are dependent on each other. Therefore, the observed value of $ \theta + \delta $ cannot be used for the test of the hypothesis that the expectation of the estimator $ \theta + \delta $ equals 1/3, i.e., $ \alpha = {3 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {3 2}} \right. \kern-0em} 2} $ , or 1/4, i.e., $ \alpha = {4 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {4 3}} \right. \kern-0em} 3} $ . The $ \varphi $ value was 0.6310, which is the same as the reciprocal of the self-thinning exponent of 1.585, and was not significantly different from 2/3 (t?=?1.860, df?=?191, p?=?0.06429), i.e., $ \alpha = {3 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {3 2}} \right. \kern-0em} 2} $ . Thus the self-thinning exponent is not significantly different from 3/2 based on the simple geometric model. On the other hand, the self-thinning exponent was significantly different from 3/4 (t?=?6.213, df?=?191, p?=?3.182?×?10^?9), i.e., $ \alpha = {4 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {4 3}} \right. \kern-0em} 3} $ . Therefore, the self-thinning exponent is significantly different from 4/3 based on the metabolic model.     

Degradation ofn-paraffin mixture by marine microorganisms in enriched seawater medium

The ability to degraden-paraffin mixture of two bacterial strains,Caulobacter sp. andFlavobacterium sp., isolated from sea water of Tokyo Bay was studied experimentally in the enriched seawater (ESW) medium. These bacteria degraded actively the mixture ofn-tridecane,n-tetradecane,n-pentadecane andn-hexadecane. The maximum rate of degradation was observed after a lag period of 2 to 8 day and these bacteria were found to degrade then-paraffin mixture at rates calculated to be in a range from 3.3×10^?12 to 3.4×10^?11 mg-oil cell^?1 h^?1 at 20°C. The maximum degradation rate,r _m mg-oil l^?1 h^?1, was correlated with the amount of the initial totaln-paraffin,S mg-oil l^?1, as expressed by the following equation: $$rm = (rm)\max \left( {\frac{S}{{S + Km}}} \right)$$ where (r _m )_max denotes the largest value ofr _m whenn-paraffin exists in large excess andK _m is a constant and represents the amount ofn-paraffin at which the degradation rate,r _m , reaches 1/2 of its largest value, (r _m )_max. The values of (r _m )_max andK _m were calculated to be as follows: In the case ofCaulobacter sp. (strain KM-1), (r _m )_max=6.0 mg-oil l^?1 h^?1 andK _m =191 mg-oillesw ^?1; in the case ofFlavobacterium sp., (r _m )_max=5.47 mg-oil l^?1 h^?1 andK _m =152 mg-oillesw ^?1.     

Three-parameter model of turbulence for the atmospheric boundary layer over an urbanized surface

A modified three-parameter model of turbulence for a thermally stratified atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is presented. The model is based on tensor-invariant parametrizations for the pressure-strain and pressure-temperature correlations that are more complete than the parametrizations used in the Mellor-Yamada model of level 3.0. The turbulent momentum and heat fluxes are calculated with explicit algebraic models obtained with the aid of symbol algebra from the transport equations for momentum and heat fluxes in the approximation of weakly equilibrium turbulence. The turbulent transport of heat and momentum fluxes is assumed to be negligibly small in this approximation. The three-parameter E ? ε ? 2> model of thermally stratified turbulence is employed to obtain closed-form algebraic expressions for the fluxes. A computational test of a 24-h ABL evolution is implemented for an idealized two-dimensional region. Comparison of the computed results with the available observational data and other numerical models shows that the proposed model is able to reproduce both the most important structural features of the turbulence in an urban canopy layer near the urbanized ABL surface and the effect of urban roughness on a global structure of the fields of wind and temperature over a city. The results of the computational test for the new model indicate that the motion of air in the urban canopy layer is strongly influenced by mechanical factors (buildings) and thermal stratification.     

Mixing process on the northeast coast of Hokkaido in summer

Direct measurements using a free-falling micro-profiler were conducted on the northeast coast of Hokkaido in the summer of 2007 to clarify the mixing process in the Soya Warm Current (SWC) region in terms of microstructure. The distribution of the Turner angle (Tu) showed that these regions have a high potential for double diffusive convection, but direct measurements of the turbulent dissipation rate (ε) and dissipation of temperature variance ( $ \chi_{T} $ ) did not necessarily correspond to each other in the SWC region, especially in the offshore front of SWC and farther offshore. The mixing efficiency indicated that, even though the Turner angle (Tu) indicated a high potential for double diffusive convection, turbulent mixing was the main contributor to the mixing process in this region, and double-diffusive convection only contributed partially and sparsely, especially in the boundary off SWC water. The bottom mixed layer (BML) is known to thicken off the SWC. The vertical diffusivity coefficient was enhanced near the bottom (10^?4–10^?3 m² s^?1) off the SWC, and these results support that turbulence near the bottom off the SWC contributed to the thickening of the BML.     

Interface depth used in a two-layer model of nonlinear internal waves

A two-layer model includes three parameters: interface depth h ₁, upper layer density \(\rho_{1}\) , and lower layer density \(\rho_{2}\) . Many theoretical and laboratorial studies of internal waves, as well as most numerical models, are based on the two-layer assumption. However, these three parameters cannot be directly measured because a pycnocline in the real ocean has finite thickness, and the densities in both the mixed layer and the deep ocean are not constant. In the present study, seven different methods are used to determine the interface depth of the two-layer model and compared with the depth of maximum vertical displacement: the depth of maximum buoyancy frequency (Ν _max), the depth where the first mode eigenfunction has its maximum (Φ_max), the depth where the lowest mode temperature empirical orthogonal function has its maximum, the depth where either the two-layer Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) or Benjamin–Ono equation has closest coefficients with their continuously stratified counterparts, and the same KdV approach with stratification replaced by two idealized distributions. The multi-ship measurement conducted near the Luzon Strait is used for deep ocean comparison, and two measurements conducted in the east of Dongsha Atoll are used for shallow water comparison. The results show that in the deep ocean, the KdV approach with idealized type I stratification gives the interface closest to the depth of maximum vertical displacement. In shallow waters, the KdV approach agrees with the measurement best.     

Characterizing air–sea CO2 exchange dynamics during winter in the coastal water off the Hugli-Matla estuarine system in the northern Bay of Bengal, India

The distribution of the fugacity of CO₂ ( $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ ) and air–sea CO₂ exchange were comprehensively investigated in the outer estuary to offshore shallow water region (lying adjacent to the Sundarban mangrove forest) covering an area of ~2,000 km² in the northern Bay of Bengal during the winter. A total of ten sampling surveys were conducted between 1 December, 2011 and 21 February, 2012. Physico-chemical variables like sea surface temperature (SST), salinity, pH, total alkalinity (TAlk), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and in vivo chlorophyll-a along with atmospheric variables were measured in order to study their role in controlling the CO₂ flux. Surface water $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ ranged between 111 and 459 μatm which correlated significantly with the SST (r = 0.71, p < 0.001, n = 62). Neither DIC nor TAlk showed any linear relationship with varying salinity in the estuarine mixing zone, demonstrating the significant presence of non-carbonate alkalinity. An overall net biological control on the surface $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ distribution was established during the study, although no significant correlation was found between chlorophyll-a and $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ (water). The shallow water region studied was mostly under-saturated with CO₂ and acted as a sink for atmospheric CO₂. The difference between surface water and atmospheric $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ ( $ \Updelta f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ ) ranged from ?274 to 69 μatm, with an average seaward flux of ?10.5 ± 12.6 μmol m^?2 h^?1. The $ \Updelta f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ and hence the air–sea CO₂ exchange was primarily regulated by the variation in sea surface $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ , since atmospheric $ f_{{{\text{CO}}_{ 2} }} $ varied over a comparatively narrow range of 361.23–399.05 μatm.     

Chemical environment for red tides due toChattonella antiqua in the seto inland sea,Japan

Severe red tides due toChattonella antiqua occur sporadically during summer in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, and cause significant damage to the fishing industry. In order to assess the chemical environment with respect to the outbreak ofC. antiqua, environmental factors that affect the growth ofC. antiqua were monitored around the Ie-shima Islands, the Seto Inland Sea, in the summer of 1986. In addition, a growth bioassay of the seawater usingC. antiqua was conducted under a semicontinuous culture system. Although temperature, salinity and light intensity were optimum for the growth ofC. antiqua, red tides by this species did not occur. Concentrations of NH ₄ ⁺ , NO ₃ ^? and PO ₄ ^3? were low (<0.4, <0.2, <0.06 µM, respectively) above the thermocline (8–12 m) and high below it (0.6–2, 4–8, 0.4–0.8 µM, respectively). Vitamin B₁₂ concentrations did not change significantly between the surface (0 m) and below the thermocline (25 m) in the level of 2–4 ng·l^?1. The growth bioassay revealed that in the surface waters, concentrations of N- as well as P- nutrients were too low to support a rapid growth ofC. antiqua. At the depth of 25 m, neither N, P nor B₁₂ limited the growth rate. In order to obtain more quantitative information on the growth rate as a function of the concentrations of N- and P- nutrients,C. antiqua was grown in a semicontinuous culture system by changing nutrient concentrations systematically. The observed growth rate (μ) can be approximated as follows: $$\mu = \mu _{\max } .\frac{{S_N }}{{K_g ^N + S_N }}.\frac{{S_{PO4} }}{{K_g ^P + S_{PO4} }},$$ whereS _N is the concentration of NO ₃ ^? plus NH ₄ ⁺ (0–6 µM),S _PO, the concentration of PO ₄ ^3? (0–0.6 µM), μ_max (0.97 d^?1) the maximal growth rate,K ₀ ^N (1.0 µM) andK ₀ ^P (0.11 µM) the half saturation constants for NO ₃ ^? and PO ₄ ^3? , respectively. Using the above equation with nutrient concentrations measured, the rate at which seawater supports the growth ofC. antiqua can be estimated and this can be used for the assessment of chemical environments with respect to the outbreak ofC. antiqua.     

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.     

Role of the beta-effect in the decay of the alongshore baroclinic jet associated with transient coastal upwelling and downwelling: Numerical experiments

A numerical study of the decay of an alongshore baroclinic jet (ABJ) formed by transient wind stress favorable for upwelling and downwelling is carried out. The study is based on the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) applied to a circular stratified basin with a constant depth. In the case of a fully developed upwelling (downwelling), the alongshore jet is subjected to baroclinic instability, and its decay is predominantly accompanied by selective formation of cyclonic (anticyclonic) mesoscale eddies. If the upwelling or downwelling is not fully developed, the necessary condition for the baroclinic instability of the ABJ in a basin with a constant depth is the presence of the β-effect. The β-effect causes separation of the ABJ from the shoreline in the eastern part of the basin and thereby stimulates baroclinic instability. As a result, mesoscale meanders and eddies can be generated in the eastern part of the basin only if the diameter of the basin D is large enough to satisfy the inequality D > $\sqrt {{{R_I f} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{R_I f} \beta }} \right. \kern-0em} \beta }} $ , where R _I is the baroclinic Rossby radius, f is the Coriolis parameter, and β = df/dy.     

A quasi-similarity between wind waves and solid surfaces in their roughness characteristics

A formulation for the aerodynamic roughness length of air flow over wind waves $$z_0 = \gamma {\text{ }}u_* /\sigma p$$ which was proposed by Toba (1979) and Toba and Koga (1986) from dimensional considerations with some data analysis, is shown to correspond with a formulation for irregular solid surfaces $$(z_0 /h) = a(h/l)^{1 + \beta } $$ which resulted from work by Woodinget al. (1973) and Kustas and Brutsaert (1986);u _* is the friction velocity,σ _p the spectral peak frequency of wind waves,h the mean height of the solid obstacles,l the mean distance between their crests, andα,Β, andγ are constants. This correspondence is reached by the existence of a statistical 3/2-power law and an effective dispersion relationship for wind waves. Because both approaches of parameterizingz ₀ were arrived at independently, they provide each other mutual reinforcement.     

On the eddy mixing and energetics of turbulence in a stable atmospheric boundary layer

Some changes in the eddy mixing in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) are investigated with the use of the mesoscale RANS turbulence model. It is found that the behavior of parameters of the eddy turbulence mixing is in compliance with the recently obtained data of laboratory and atmospheric measurements. In particular, the flow Richardson number (Ri _f ) during the transient flow to a strongly stable state can behave nonmonotonically, growing with the increasing gradient Richardson number (Ri _g ) to the state of saturation at a certain gradient Richardson number (Ri _g ? 1), which separates two different turbulent regimes: the regimes of strong mixing and weak mixing. An analysis of the energetics based on the balance equations of kinetic and potential turbulence energies shows, in particular, that the weak mixing (Ri _g > 1) is quite capable of transferring momentum. This phenomenon can be explained not only by the fact that the flow is sustained by propagating internal waves, which effectively transfer momentum under strong stratification conditions, but also by the fact that turbulence permanently arises in the free atmosphere and in the deep ocean at Ri _g ? 1.     

The wind-field structure in a stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer over a rough surface

Both wind turning with height and ageostrophic flow in a stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer are analyzed using a three-parameter turbulence model. For a quasi-steady state of the boundary layer, the cross-isobaric flow is determined only by turbulent stress at the surface in the direction of geostrophic wind. The “operative” prediction models, in which the first-order turbulence closure schemes are used, tend to overestimate the boundary-layer depth and underestimate the angle between the surface and geostrophic winds when compared to “research” models (schemes of high-level turbulence closure). The true value of the angle between the surface and geostrophic winds is significant for the presentation of a large-scale flow. A nocturnal low-level jet is a mesoscale phenomenon reflected in data obtained from measurements in a stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer. It is found that such jets are of great importance in transporting humidity, momentum, and air pollution. In this study, the difference between jet flows over a homogeneous underlying surface and over a spatially localized large-scale aerodynamic roughness is shown.     

Application of chemical tracers to an estimate of benthic denitrification in the Okhotsk Sea

To estimate benthic denitrification in a marginal sea, we assessed the usefulness of \({\text{N}}_{2}^{*}\) , a new tracer to measure the excess nitrogen gas (N₂) using dissolved N₂ and argon (Ar) with N* in the intermediate layer (26.6–27.4σ _θ ) of the Okhotsk Sea. The examined parameters capable of affecting \({\text{N}}_{2}^{*}\) are denitrification, air injection and rapid cooling. We investigated the relative proportions of these effects on \({\text{N}}_{2}^{*}\) using multiple linear regression analysis. The best model included two examined parameters of denitrification and air injection based on the Akaike information criterion as a measure of the model fit to data. More than 80 % of \({\text{N}}_{2}^{*}\) was derived from the denitrification, followed by air injection. Denitrification over the Okhotsk Sea shelf region was estimated to be 5.6 ± 2.4 μmol kg^?1. The distribution of \({\text{N}}_{2}^{*}\) was correlated with potential temperature (θ) between 26.6 and 27.4σ _θ (r = ?0.55). Therefore, we concluded that \({\text{N}}_{2}^{*}\) and N* can act complementarily as a quasi-conservative tracer of benthic denitrification in the Okhotsk Sea. Our findings suggest that \({\text{N}}_{2}^{*}\) in combination with N* is a useful chemical tracer to estimate benthic denitrification in a marginal sea.     

Experimental determination of the silica solubility and of the H4SiO 4 0 activity ratio in standard and desalinated seawater

The solubility of amorphous silica was studied in mixtures of riverine and marine waters simulating the water composition at the river-sea geochemical barrier. The value of the thermodynamical equilibrium constant was determined for the reaction of silicon solubility as K _r ⁰ = (1.71 ± 0.01) × 10^?3 at 22°C. A near-linear dependence was found for the activity ratio of the H₄SiO ₄ ⁰ and the salinity with the increase of this ratio from 1.00 in the riverine to 1.15 in the standard seawater.     

Wind-wave spectra based on the hypothesis of local equilibrium

Wind-wave spectra measured in a wind-flume are analyzed according to the hypothesis of local equilibrium. The gross relation between the wave height and the frequency is reexamined to yield the basic validity of the 3/2-power law of Toba orE～? in the range of 0.4≦?≦1, where? is the wave-wind parameter defined by?=ω _p u _*/g; ω _p denotes the peak frequency of the wind-wave spectra,u _* the friction velocity andg the gravitational acceleration. Noticeable deviation is found, however, for?<0.4 or?>1. In particular, the data for large? suggest the existence of an upper limit of the wave nonlinearityE at about 5×10^?2, whereE=Eω _p ⁴ /g² withE the total power of the wind wave spectrum. Then, the spectral form is investigated in detail. As? decreases, the normalized spectrum becomes more gradual as a whole, but its forward (low frequency) part tends to show a steeper profile. In the high frequency region ( \(\tilde \omega \) >2.6), the spectrum is found to have a functional form likeu _* ² ω ^?3, which differs from the usualω-dependence asω ^?5 orω ^?4. It suggests weak dependence of the high-frequency spectra on the gravitational accelerationg and on the peak frequencyω _p ; spectral density at high frequencies may be saturated, so that its magnitude may be dominated by the frequencyω, the friction velocityu _*, the surface tension and the viscosity.     

Contributions to the dynamics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (A. C. C.) II. Integral relationship

Non-dimensional equations of motion are derived for the A.C.C. of the barotropic mode, including the bottom friction and the horizontal eddy viscosity. Integration of the vorticity equation along a streamline leads to the zeroth order stream function which is dependent only on depth divided by Coriolis parameter. Integration of the momentum equation along a streamline yields the relation between the momentum input by wind stress and its dissipation by the bottom friction and by the horizontal eddy viscosity. This relation determines the magnitude of the stream function. It explains differences in the total transport of the A.C.C. obtained byBryan andCox (1972), though it gives only one third of the total transport obtained byKamenkovich (1972) with his vertical eddy viscosity of 10²cm² s^?1. With 1 cm² s^?1 of this viscosity,Bryan andCox obtained the transport of about 650 or less than 32×10⁶m³s^?1 for constant or variable depth models, respectively. The higher transport is mainly due to broadening of the width of the A.C.C., whereas the lower value is due to its narrowing and meandering which in turn make the horizontal eddy viscosity more effective (by exercising friction on both sides of the A.C.C.) and the wind stress input smaller than the almost zonal streamlines for constant depth. In the Appendix dynamics of the bottom boundary layer is treated to give rational estimates of the bottom stress in terms of the geostrophic flow and is compared to the recent observations of the benthic boundary current in the Straits of Florida and off San Diego.     

On the turbulent prandtl number in a stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer

The results obtained from both atmospheric and laboratory measurements and from LES data show that, in the stably stratified flows of the atmospheric boundary layer, turbulent mixing occurs at gradient Richardson numbers Ri _g that significantly exceed one: the inverse turbulent Prandtl number Pr _t ⁻¹ decreases with an increase in the thermal flow stability. The decreasing trend of the inverse turbulent Ptandtl number is reproduced in a stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer in agreement with measurement data with the aid of an improved three-parameter turbulence model. In this model, a modified model that takes into account the effect of stratification in the expression for the time scale of the scalar field is used for the pressure-scalar correlation.     

Distribution of some ions and minor gaseous components by concentrations in the atmospheric surface layer of some regions in Eastern Siberia and the Far East

We consider the resemblance between the ion composition of the fraction of soluble aerosols and gaseous admixtures in the atmospheric surface layer at the high-level Mondy station (East Sayan), those in the Listvyanka settlement south of Lake Baikal, in the city of Irkutsk, and at the Primorskaya station near the city of Ussuriysk (Primorskii krai). We use measurement data on the concentrations of the following ions: HCO ₃ ^? , SO ₄ ^2? , NO ₃ ^? , Cl^?, H⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ in the soluble fraction of aerosols and gases HNO₃, HCl, NH₃, and SO₂ in air samples over a 10-year period conducted in the mode of online monitoring. We found the lognormal form of distributions of concentrations of each of the abovementioned components according to the number of samples. A versatile scheme of the distribution of mean geometric concentrations of atmospheric components was proposed for all four groups.     

Observations of turbulence under weakly and highly stratified conditions in the Ariake Sea

Observations of turbulence, stratification, and mean current were made using a microstructure profiler and an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) during four cruises at a central location in the Ariake Sea, under weakly and strongly stratified conditions. Continuous measurements of the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), ε, were made. These revealed that frictional bed turbulence with quarterdiurnal variation in the bottom boundary layer (BBL) was one of the most energetic sources of vertical mixing in the sea. Thickness of the BBL was strongly confined by the stable stratification. We investigate a relationship between the BBL height h and the Ozmidov scale. We present a systematic argument that describes the vertical structure and characteristic scales of velocity and turbulence inside the frictional BBL, where the stratification persisted. Considerable deviation of observed vertical shear from the law of the wall indicated a modification of turbulent scales by the stratification. Shear stress calculated from the velocity data using vertical integration of the equation of motion was found to decrease approximately linearly with height. The TKE production rate P, estimated using the shear stress, was highly correlated with the dissipation rate. The buoyancy contribution to TKE balance in the BBL was quantified in terms of the flux Richardson number R _f as R _f?=?0.12.