Three-D numerical simulation of wind-driven current and density current in the Beibu Gulf

The Beibu Gulf circulation plays an imPOrtant role in the long--term water rnass transportinside the gulf. It is also closely related to the Guangxi untal water mass transport and self-purification. Hence, it is of practical imPOrtance to study the circulation in the gUlf. The cir-culation in the gUlf is very comlicated, and is rnainly gOverned by wind, water density gradi-ent, the current outside the gulf and the bathpoetry. In spring, a cold water rnass generatesln the center of the gulf…     

Some observational results of sea storm current

INTRODUCTIONDr. Hollister, a marine geologist of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, firstpointed out that there was ocean storm current in the ocean. He found out the wavy texture inthe seabed core samples, and suggested that this wavy texture was caused by the high speedsea current in remote antiquity. He then suggested a bold hypothesis that there existed a benthic storm current near the ocean bottom, and presented this hypothesis at the IUGG confer-ence held at San Francisco…     

Numerical calculation of drift current in wind waves

-Drift current induced by wind and waves is investigated with phase-averaged Navier-Stokes equation in which the Reynolds stress is closed by k-ε model. The governing equations are solved by the finite volume method in a system of nonorthogonal coordinates which is fitted to the phase-averaged wave surface. The predicted drift current is fairly reasonable and the drag coefficient of sea-surface predicted with the newly developed interface conditions shows good agreement with previous measurements when breaking waves do not exist.     

Quadtree grid numerical model of nearshore wave–current interaction

This paper describes an adaptive quadtree-based 2DH wave–current interaction model for evaluating nearly horizontal wave-induced currents in the surf-zone. The model accounts for wave breaking, shoaling, refraction, diffraction, wave–current interaction, set-up and set-down, mixing processes (turbulent diffusion), bottom frictional effects, and movement of the land–water interface at the shoreline. The wave period- and depth-averaged governing equations, which conserve mass, momentum, energy and wave action, are discretised explicitly by means of an Adams–Bashforth second-order finite difference technique on adaptive hierarchical staggered quadtree grids. Grid adaptation is achieved through seeding points distributed according to flow criteria (e.g. local current gradients). The model is verified for nearshore circulation at a sinusoidal beach and nearshore currents at a multi-cusped beach. Reasonable agreement is obtained with experimental data from da Silva Lima [da Silva Lima, S.S.L., 1981. Wave-induced Nearshore Currents. PhD Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Liverpool] and Borthwick et al. [Borthwick, A.G.L., Foote, Y.L.M., Ridehalgh, A., 1997. Nearshore measurements at a cusped beach in the UK Coastal Research Facility, Coastal Dynamics '97, Plymouth, 953–962]. The modelling approach presented herein should be useful in simulating nearshore processes in complicated natural coastal domains. Of particular value is the local grid enrichment capability, which permits refined modelling of important localised flow behaviour such as rip currents and surf-zone circulation systems.     

Numerical modelling of Lagrangian residual current in the Bohai Strait

The Bohai Strait is the only passage-way of the semienclosed Bohai Sea into the outer ocean. The various dynamical processes have great effects on both sides of the strait, especially on the Bohai Sea. Tidal current dominates in the strait, and among the tida! components the M, component tide is prevailing.The seawater in the strait is homogeneous vertically almost the whole year because of strong tidal mixing. The M, component tide was simulated numerically using two dimensional barotropical model, and the Eulerian tide-induced residual currents were also deduced. The results showed that the tidal currents were dominated by the coastal line and topography. There exist many eddies in the tide-induced residual current fields, particularly near the northern coast.On the basis of the simulation of the tidal currents, the movements of the water particles in the strait were tracked by means of Lagrangian techniques. Consequently the Lagrangian residual currents were obtained. Somewhat similar to the Eulerian     

Development of the POLCOMS–WAM current–wave model

The continuous research and improvement of ocean modelling helps to provide a more sustainable development of coastal and offshore regions. This paper focuses on ocean modelling at the NW Mediterranean using the POLCOMS–WAM model with new developments. The Stokes’ drift effect on currents has been included and the distribution of surface stress between waves and currents has also been considered. The system is evaluated in the NW Mediterranean and an evaluation of different forcing terms is performed. The temperature and salinity distributions control the main patterns of the Mediterranean circulation. Currents are typically small and therefore the modification of waves due to the effect of currents is minimal. However, the wave induced currents, mainly caused by a modified wind drag due to waves, produce changes that become an important source of mass transport. POLCOMS was able to reproduce the main Mediterranean features, its coupling with WAM can be a very useful tool for ocean and wave modelling in the Mediterranean and other shelf seas.     

Atlantic inflow to the Nordic Seas: current structure and volume fluxes from moored current meters,VM-ADCP and SeaSoar-CTD observations, 1995–1999

This study deals with the inflow of warm and saline Atlantic water to the Nordic Seas, an important factor for climate, ecology and biological production in Northern Europe. The investigations are carried out along the Svinøy standard hydrographic section, which cuts through the Atlantic inflow to the Norwegian Sea just to the north of the Faroe–Shetland Channel. In the Svinøy section, we consider the Atlantic inflow as water with salinity above 35.0, corresponding to temperatures above 5°C. Current measurements for the period April 1995 to February 1999, positioned on the continental slope in water depths between 490 and 990 m, are combined with VM-ADCP, SeaSoar-CTD and CTD transects to estimate long-term transports and spatial features of the Atlantic inflow. A well-defined two-branched Norwegian Atlantic Current was revealed with an eastern and a western branch. The eastern branch appears as a narrow, topographically trapped, near barotropic, 30–50 km wide current, with a maximum speed of 117 cm/s. The western branch is also about 30–50 km wide, and appears as an unstable frontal jet about 400 m deep with a maximum speed of 87 cm/s. Between these two prominent branches, the observations show an average eddy field with a recirculation to the southwest. Transport estimates from the current records in the eastern branch show an annual mean inflow of 4.2 Sv (1 Sv=10⁶ m³/s) with variation on a 25 h time scale ranging from −2.2 to 11.8 Sv, and between 2.0 and 8.0 Sv on a monthly time scale. The current record in the core of the eastern branch mirrors the estimated transport on a monthly time scale with a correlation coefficient of 0.86. Except for the year 1995–1996, this nearly four-year current record shows evidence of a systematic annual cycle with summer to winter variations in the proportion of 1 to 2. Comparison between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index and the current record on a three-month time scale shows a strong connection for most of the period. This reflects the strong coupling between the westerly winds and the inflow. The baroclinic transport west of the eastern branch, including the frontal jet, is inferred from hydrography in combination with VM-ADCP transects, and has a total mean of 3.4 Sv. Thus, investigations to date indicate a yearly mean Atlantic inflow of 7.6 Sv in the Svinøy section.     

Numerical simulations of wave–current flow in an ocean basin

Wave–current flow is a phenomenon that is present in many practical engineering situations. Over the past several decades, this type of flow has been increasingly investigated under controlled laboratory conditions. This paper presents a numerical study of wave–current flow in the ocean basin of the LabOceano (COPPE/UFRJ). A homogeneous multiphase model based on the RANS equations and the k–ɛ turbulence model implemented in ANSYS-CFX code were used. A cross section of the ocean basin was represented. A regular wave with a height of 0.08 m and a period of 1.80 s (i.e., a wave steepness of H/L = 0.016), propagating on favourable currents, was simulated. The behaviour of the free surface elevation over time and the streamlines along the basin for wave and wave–current flows were presented. The numerical results were compared to the non-viscous theory given by the Rayleigh equation applied to the problem of wave–current interaction. Good agreement was found between the wave length estimated by the numerical results and the analytical solutions, with a deviation of less than 2%.     

Numerical modelling of the tide-induced residual current in the East China Sea

-A two-dimensional.nonlinear numerical model is used to study the residual current generated by tides in the East China Sea (ECS)and the South Huanghai Sea (SHS). At first, the principal semidiurnal lunar tide (M2)and the tidal current are derived in these areas. The results obtained with the model are strongly supported by the observational results available. Then, the tide-induced residual flow is determined by using the currents generated by the tidal input. The main features of the residual current in ECS and SHS are presented by analyzing the calculated results. Some of the problems are discussed such as the cause of generating residual current and the contribution of the residual current to the observed current.     

Reseach on three-dimensional tide current mathematical model of coast and its application

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Three-dimensional numerical simulation for tide and tidal current in the Beibu Gulf

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Study on short-range numerical forecasting of ocean current in the East China Sea——Ⅰ Basic problems of ocean current forecasting and structure of the models

Ocean current forecasting is still in explorative stage of study. In the study, we face some problems that have not been met before. The solving of these problems has become fundamental premise for realizing the ocean current forecasting. In the present paper are discussed in depth the physical essence for such basic problems as the predictability of ocean current, the predictable currents, the dynamical basis for studying respectively the tidal current and circulation, the necessity of boundary model, the models on regions with different scales and their link. The foundations and plans to solve the problems are demonstrated. Finally a set of operational numerical forecasting system for ocean current is proposed.     

Direct measurements of deep current at 162°E south of the equator in the Melanesian Basin: a trial to detect a cross-equatorial deep western boundary current

We conducted 1-year-long mooring observations four times below 2000?m, slightly south of the equator (2°39?? to 4°35??S) at 162°E in the Melanesian Basin in order to detect the southward deep western boundary return current crossing the equator. Contrary to our initial expectation of the deep flow scheme in the equatorial western boundary region, the observed results indicated a fairly complicated flow configuration. We analyzed the results with the help of a high-resolution model simulation. The ensemble average of the horizontal flow at each level near the deep western boundary indicates a significant westward flow at 2000 and 2250?m, with an insignificant southward component at 2500 and 2750?m. The annual mean meridional transports are very small (>1?Sv) and insignificant, with an ensemble-averaged value of 0.3?Sv (southward) ±0.4?Sv at most. Combining this with high-resolution model results, it is deduced that the southward transport of the deep western boundary current (DWBC) leaving the equator may be smaller than those obtained by low-resolution models, because of trapping of its fairly large fraction in the equatorial zone. Annual-scale flow patterns are classified into several categories, mainly based on the meridional-flow dominating or the zonal-flow dominating pattern. A case of the meridional-flow dominating patterns may possibly capture an annual-scale variability of DWBC, because its meridional transport variation, though somewhat weak, is consistent with that simulated. The zonal-flow dominating regime includes two types: long-lasting, almost steady westward flows and long-term zonal flow oscillations. The former seems to comprise well-known zonally elongated and meridionally narrow structures of the zonal flow beneath the thermocline in the equatorial region. The ensemble-averaged flow mentioned above is dominated by this type at the upper two levels 2000 and 2250?m, with total westward transport of 1.6?±?0.7?Sv. The latter type seems to be a manifestation of the vertically propagating equatorial annual Rossby waves.     

Experimental study on bed-load sediment transport under irregular wave and current combined flow

Using an irregularly oscillating tray and flume,a series of experiments are completed to evaluate bed-load sediment transport rate under irregular wave-current coexistent fild.Testing conditions include three interaction angles 0°,45°,90° and two kinds of median sizes (0.38 and 1.10 mm).The results of transport rate show that the net sediment transport rate can be expressed approximately as the function of the maximum bottom shear stress of waves,mean shear stress of current and the grain size.     

Laboratory study on wave dissipation by vegetation in combined current–wave flow

Coastal wetlands such as salt marshes and mangroves provide valuable ecosystem services including coastal protection. Many studies have assessed the influence of plant traits and wave conditions on vegetation-induced wave dissipation, whereas the effect of tidal currents is often ignored. To our knowledge, only two studies investigated wave dissipation by vegetation with the presence of following currents (current velocity is in the same direction as wave propagation) (Li and Yan, 2007; Paul et al., 2012). However, based on independent experiments, they have drawn contradictive conclusions whether steady currents increase or decrease wave attenuation. We show in this paper that this inconsistency may be caused by a difference in ratio of imposed current velocity to amplitude of the horizontal wave orbital velocity. We found that following currents can either increase or decrease wave dissipation depending on the velocity ratio, which explains the seeming inconsistency in the two previous studies. Wave dissipation in plant canopies is closely related to vegetation drag coefficients. We apply a new approach to obtain the drag coefficients. This new method eliminates the potential errors that are often introduced by the commonly used method. More importantly, it is capable of obtaining the vegetation drag coefficient in combined current–wave flows, which is not possible for the commonly used calibration method. Based on laboratory data, we propose an empirical relation between drag coefficient and Reynolds number, which can be useful for numerical modeling. The characteristics of drag coefficient variation and in-canopy velocity dynamics are incorporated into an analytical model to help understand the effect of following currents on vegetation-induced wave dissipation.     

Numerical study on residual current and its impact on mass transport in the Hangzhou Bay and the Changjiang Estuary Ⅱ. Residual current and its impact on mass transport in winter

I~IOWIn winter, on the impacts Of the Chriolis force and the current along the shore of the EastChina ho, the residual current from the Changjiang River flows south along the shore and enters the ~ Bay in the north, then it moves out of the bay in the south and flows southin the East China Sea (Su and Wang, 1989; Zhu and Shen, 1997). In recent years, scholars have made further analyse on obSerVed date, and have obtained more profound viewson the residual current and mass transport (Pn …     

Initial sedimentation of particles from a line source in 1-D homogenous current fields

On the basis of the study of initial sedimentation of suspended participates discharged from a continuous point source, the mode of dispersion, descension and deposition of the suspended particulates which are released from a line source is derived. By use of puff model, the semi-analytical solution to the problem of initial sedimentation of suspended particulates discharged from a continuous line source in one-dimensional homogenous current fields, of which water depth is constant, is presented, some computations and analyses for long-term distribution of sedimentation are carried out under various sets of parameters. And the comparisons between the sedimentation results of the line and point source are conducted. The results show that the higher the initial height,and the smaller the fall velocity of the particles ,the closer the sedimentation distribution results of the line source to that of the point source.     

A BFG model for calculation of tidal current and diffusion of pollutants in nearshore areas

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Environmental prognostics: is the current use of biomarkers appropriate for environmental risk evaluation?

Environmental Prognostics is proposed as an integrated explanatory framework for adverse changes in whole systems, from cells to animals to ecosystems. The aim is to develop such frameworks for the evaluation of "health of the environment" and prediction of consequences resulting from future environmental events based on integrating the reactions of biomarkers for cellular and physiological processes, through conceptual, statistical and computational modelling. These are urgently needed to synthesise complex information on environmental chemistry and injurious effects of pollutants into predicted harmful impact on health of sentinel animals.