Effects of surface drag on low-level frontogenesis within baroclinic waves

Using a three-dimensional nonhydrostatic mesoscale numerical model (MM5), the evolution and structures of baroclinic waves with and without surface drag in case of dry and moist atmosphere are simulated, with special emphases on the effects of surface drag on the low-level frontal structure and frontogenesis. There are two different effects of surface drag on the low-level frontogenesis in the dry case. On one hand, the surface drag weakens the low-level frontogenesis and less inclined to develop the baroclinic wave due to the dissipation. But on the other hand, the surface drag induces a strong ageostrophic flow, which prolongs the low-level frontogenesis and finally leads to the enhancement of cold front. Compared with the no surface drag case, the surface drag increases the frontal slope espe- cially in the boundary layer, where the front is almost vertical to the surface, and then enhances the prefrontal vertical motion. All these conclusions expanded the analytical theory of Tan and Wu (1990). In the moist atmosphere, the influence of surface drag on frontal rainbands is also obvious. The surface drag weakens the convection, and reduces the energy dissipation near the surface when the initial relative humidity is relatively weak. At this time, the confluence induced post-frontal updrafts moves across the cold front and reinforces the prefrontal convection, which is beneficial to the maintenance of the rainband in cold sector. Given the enhancement of relative humidity, the moist convection domi- nates the low-level frontogenesis while the retardation of surface drag on energy dissipation is not obvious, therefore the effects of surface drag on the low-level frontogenesis and precipitation are re- duced.     

Experimental study on three dimensional movements of particles Ⅱ Effects of particle diameter on turbulence characteristics

Based on the 3D PTV （Particle Tracking Velocimetry） measuring system, the 3D movement characteristics of particles with four different diameters were investigated. Under specific flow conditions, the impact of particle diameters on 3D motion of particles was studied, and the turbulence characteristics were analyzed by different statistical methods. The results showed that the turbulence intensity of coarse particle decreased as the diameter increased. In near wall region, the probability density distributions of longitudinal and vertical fluctuation velocities both deviated from the normal distribution; while in the outer region, the probability density distribution of vertical fluctuation velocity approximately agreed with the normal distribution.     

Ionospheric quiet-day currents and their effects on the interpretation of upper mantle conductivity – A review

A review of ionospheric currents,the external part of geomagnetic solar quiet (Sq)variation and the internal part of the induced currentwithin the Earth, has been carried out.The theoretical background has been reviewed,and the method of analysis, specificallythe spherical harmonic analysis (SHA),is presented. Various works are reviewed andfully discussed. It has been noted that anew model of the Sq current system could beused to obtain a mantle electrical conductivityprofile for hemispheres. It is suggested thatfurther research work be carriedout in other hemispheres using similarmodels for more robust interpretations.     

Ionospheric effects of Poincaré waves in the observations of the total electron content

Disturbances of the daily variations in the total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere during and after geomagnetic storms, obtained from the observations of the GPS satellite signals, are considered. The specific features of these disturbances consist in the intensification of the variations with periods of 4–6 h, the amplitude of which increase at midlatitudes, and in a weak dependence of local maximums on latitude and their considerable longitudinal variability. The possibility of explaining observed disturbances of the considered daily variations by the generation of standing planetary Poincaré waves is discussed. The estimated periods of Poincaré waves, latitudinal structure of these waves, and their ionospheric effects make it possible to qualitatively explain the observed specific variations in TEC.     

Experimental study on three dimensional movements of particles Ⅰ Effects of particle diameter on velocity and concentration distributions

Based on the three Dimensional Particle Tracking Velocimetry （3D PTV） system, the characteristics of motion of particles with four different diameters were investigated under the steady flow conditions The longitudinal average velocity profiles of these particles were in accordance with Log-law, while the vertical and transverse velocities remained very low with minimal fluctuation. The time-average velocity of particles in the bed load layer was 8.50u., close to Bagnold＇s assumptionUn -60. The vertical concentration distribution of particles in the suspension region agreed with the Rouse equation. When the diameter of particles was relatively large, there existed an evident concentration gradient in the bed load layer.     

Effects of large-amplitude internal solitary waves on ROV operation——A numerical study

Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are unique tools for underwater industrial exploration and scientific research of offshore areas and the deep ocean. With broadening application of ROVs, the study of factors that affect their safe operation is important. Besides the technical skills to control ROV movement, the dynamical ocean environment may also play a vital role in the safe operation of ROVs. In this paper, we investigate the influence of large-amplitude internal solitary waves (ISWs), focusing on the forces exerted on ROVs by ISWs. We present a methodology for modeling ISW-induced currents based on KdV model and calculate the ISW forces using the Morrison equation. Our results show that an extremely considerable load is exerted by the ISW on the ROV, resulting in a strong disturbance of the vehicle’s stability, affecting the ROV control. The numerical results of this work emphasize the importance of considering dynamical conditions when operating underwater vessels, such as ROV. Further laboratory and field investigation are suggested to gain more understanding of this subject.     

Anomalous propagation of refracted waves beneath the Orlík water reservoir, Czech Republic

The Orlík water reservoir was built on the Vltava River in the places where the river crosses the geological unit called the Central Bohemian Pluton. Previous geological studies have disclosed no significant lateral inhomogeneity or fault zone in the close vicinity of the reservoir. However, repeated levellings, performed there in the 1950s and 1960s, revealed a systematic subsidence of the Vltava River valley. Using these measurements, the idea of the tectonic origin of the valley was even formulated. Recent seismic observations have also attracted attention to this region. Namely, a macroseismically felt earthquake occurred there on January 13, 2007, and many weaker earthquakes have been recorded by local seismic networks since 1992. To increase the accuracy of locating these seismic events, recently we have carried out refraction measurements along a short profile across the Orlík reservoir. These authors smoothed the observed travel times and derived a 1-D velocity model of the shallow crustal structure for the Orlík region. In the present paper, using the same refraction measurements, we study some anomalies in wave propagation beneath the Orlík reservoir. In particular, it is shown that the passage of seismic waves beneath the reservoir leads to their time delays and spectral changes. Moreover, we have also recognised similar time delays in earlier data from the nearby international profile CEL09 in the places where the profile crosses the Orlík reservoir.     

The influence of tidal currents on the asymmetry of tide-dominated ebb–tidal deltas

An idealized numerical model is developed to study the spatial asymmetry of ebb–tidal deltas under influence of large-scale alongshore tidal currents. It is shown that the asymmetry of the delta depends on the magnitude of the cross-shore and large scale alongshore tidal currents, their phase difference, and on the width of the inlet. Model results are compared with observations of ebb–tidal deltas of the tidal inlet systems of the Dutch Wadden Sea and with the ebb–tidal delta of the Eastern Scheldt, located in the southwestern part of the Netherlands. The modeled current and residual sediment transport patterns agree well with observed ones. The modeled asymmetry of the ebb–tidal delta also agree with observed ones. Furthermore, bottom patterns are consistent with those found with a previous version of the idealized model which focused on the modeling of symmetric ebb–tidal deltas. However, the model is not able to reproduce the observed ebb-dominated channel. The underlying physical processes are explained in terms of vorticity dynamics. The convergence of the mean vorticity flux generates mean vorticity and thereby residual circulation. An analysis shows there is competition between two contributions to the convergence of the mean vorticity flux. This competition explains the sensitivity of the results to the model parameters.     

Comprehensive three dimensional finite element analysis,parametric study and sensitivity analysis on the seismic performance of soil–micropile-superstructure interaction

A comprehensive dynamic three dimensional finite element model, which includes the effect of lots of important parameters on the micropiles seismic performance, has been presented. The validation of the built model has been carried out using remodeling a single degree of freedom shaking table test done by Mc Manus at the University of Canterbury. The gained results proved the accuracy of the constructed model. Then, using the parametric analysis, effects of all the earthquake characteristics, soil properties, superstructure and micropiles' cap and micropiles structure on the seismic performance of micropiles have been investigated by means of presenting internal forces and displacements which occurred as the main result of earthquake. Furthermore, using the data analysis, the most and the least influential parameters on internal forces are obtained based on the Cosine Amplitude Method (CAM).     

Promoting effects of 1975 Haicheng foreshocks on theoccurrence of the mainshock

Ｐｒｏｍｏｔｉｎｇｅｆｆｅｃｔｓｏｆ１９７５ＨａｉｃｈｅｎｇｆｏｒｅｓｈｏｃｋｓｏｎｔｈｅｏｃｃｕｒｒｅｎｃｅｏｆｔｈｅｍａｉｎｓｈｏｃｋＸｉｎｇ－ＣａｉＬＩ（李兴才）（ＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆＧｅｏｐｈｙｓｉｃｓ，ＳｔａｔｅＳｅｔｉｓｍｏｌｏｇｉｃａ...     

The effect of wind on the gravity wave propagation in the Earth’s ionosphere

The effect of ionospheric wind on the gravity wave propagation is studied. These waves arise in the ionosphere due to intensification of their sources near the Earth’s surface during enhanced seismic activity. The influence of the wind on these waves is connected with the Ampere’s force that produces the ion-drag force acting on the atmosphere. This results in the occurrence of the discrete wave spectrum the maximum of which increases in proportion to the numbers of the natural scale. Furthermore, these waves are amplified during propagation from the source region in the direction perpendicular to the wind direction. These peculiarities of the gravity waves can be used for monitoring of seismic activity based on the ionosphere sounding.     

The mechanism of the effects of the upwelling mean on the ENSO event mature phase locking

The mechanism of the effects of the upwelling mean on the ENSO event mature phase locking is ex-amined by using a mixed-mode model. The results show that the positive feedback process of the ef-fects of the seasonal variation of the upwelling mean on the Kelvin wave is the mechanism of the locking of the event mature phase to the end of the calendar year. The memory of the Rossby waves for the sign-shifting of the sea surface temperature anomaly from positive to negative 6 months before the cold peak time is the other mechanism of the locking of the La Nia event mature phase to the end of the calendar year. The results here are different from previous ones which suggest that the balance between cold and warm trends of sea surface temperature anomaly is the mechanism involved. The cold trend is caused by the upwelling Kelvin wave from upwelling Rossby wave reflected at the western boundary, excited by the westerly anomaly stress over the central Pacific and amplified by the seasonal variation of the coupled strength in its way propagating westward. The warm trend is caused by the Kelvin wave forced by the western wind stress over the middle and eastern equatorial Pacific. The cause of the differences is due to the opposite phase of the seasonal variation of the upwelling mean to that in the observation and an improper parameterization scheme for the effects of the seasonal varia-tion of the upwelling mean on the ENSO cycle in previous studies.     

Six circumpolar currents—on the forcing of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current by wind and mixing

The transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is influenced by a variety of processes and parameters. A proper implementation of basin geometry, ocean topography and baroclinicity is known to be a fundamental requisite for a realistic simulation of the circulation and transport. Other, more subtle parameters are those of eddy-induced transports and diapycnal mixing of thermohaline tracers or buoyancy, either treated by eddy resolution or by a proper parameterization. Quite a number of realistic numerical simulations of the circulation in the Southern Ocean have recently been published. Many concepts on relations of the ACC transport to model parameters and forcing function are in discussion, however, without much generality and little success. We present a series of numerical simulations of circumpolar flow with a simplified numerical model, ranging from flat-bottom wind-driven flow to baroclinic flow with realistic topography and wind and buoyancy forcing. Analysis of the balances of momentum, vorticity, and baroclinic potential energy enables us to develop a new transport theory, which combines the most important mechanisms driving the circulation of the ACC and determining its zonal transport. The theory is based on the importance of the bottom vertical velocity in generating vorticity and shaping the baroclinic potential energy of the ACC. It explains the breaking of the -constraint by baroclinicity and brings together in one equation the wind and buoyancy forcing of the current. The theory emphasizes the role of Ekman pumping and eddy diffusion of buoyancy to determine the transport. It also demonstrates that eddy viscosity effects are irrelevant in the barotropic vorticity balance and that friction arises via eddy diffusion of density. In this regime, the classical Stommel model of vorticity balance is revived where the bottom friction coefficient is replaced by (with the Gent–McWilliams coefficient and the baroclinic Rossby radius ) and a modified wind curl forcing appears.     

Numerical simulation of elastic wave propagation based on the transversely isotropic BISQ equation

Introduction More real models are being developed by the modern seismology. As we all know, the earth is not a simple elastic body. Oil and gas reservoir, ground surface, seashore zone, sea bottom layer, etc, are porous solid media with fluids. It has been confirmed that there are two main fluid flow mechanisms in these media (Dvorkin, Nur, 1993), i.e., the Biot flow mechanism (Biot, 1956, 1962) based on the macroscopic property and the Squirt-flow mechanism (Mavko, Nur, 1979) based on the …     

The December 26, 2004, tsunami on Sumatra Island as a source of internal gravity waves in the earth’s atmosphere

Records of the coastal mareographs during the December 26, 2004, tsunami are used to study the fine structure of the tsunami wave power spectra. It is shown that a series of maxima is observed in their spectra near the source in a range of internal gravity wave frequencies of 0.2–1.2 mHz, which coincides with the frequencies of the natural oscillations of the Earth. This experimental finding enables us to propose a possible physical mechanism for the formation of tsunami waves as a result of oscillations in the sea bottom at these frequencies. Internal gravity waves in the Earth’s atmosphere excited in this way are found in the variations of the total electron content that resulted from this powerful earthquake.     

On the generation,propagation and radiation of magneto–acoustic–gravity waves with application to stars

Abstract

The study of the mechanisms controlling the stratification in closed fluid regions is an important branch of geophysical fluid dynamics. Part of this subject can be handled with a simple linear model, consisting of a buoyancy layer at the non-horizontal boundaries of a container and an advective-diffusive interior coupled by volume continuity. The model is valid under the following conditions: firstly, the buoyancy-frequency characterizing the solution must be sufficiently large to give rise to a flow pattern of boundary layer type and, secondly, the non-horizontal walls must not have too large thermal conductivity.

The main purpose of the present paper is to summarise previous work done by the authors in this field and to present some consequences of their theory not previously discussed.

Three important cases are discussed; certain stationary solutions, the decay of a given stratification and the build up of a stratification in a homogeneous fluid. The experimental results concerning the afore-mentioned cases are presented.     

Predicting the effects of sediment based internal nutrient loads on eutrophication in Kücükcekmece Lagoon for rehabilitation planning

In deep stratified coastal lagoons, hypoxic waters that result from phytoplankton decomposition in the stratified bottom waters are often associated with eutrophication. Decomposing biomass reaches the bottom sediments and enriches them with nutrients and organic matter. Nutrients trapped in sediments are released with time and promote excessive phytoplankton growth in the surface water. Because eutrophication in lentic ecosystems progresses in a self-fuelling cycle, outflow is the only available process for exporting excess nutrients to recover from eutrophication. Thus, rehabilitation of eutrophic coastal lagoons that have limited seawater interactions is a long term process. The importance of nutrient release from sediments on eutrophication and the delay effect of internal nutrient loading on the rehabilitation of a eutrophic coastal lagoon with limited seawater exchange were analysed in this study.An ecological model that couples the water column and the sediment diagenesis processes, was developed for water quality management purposes. Our findings indicate that the recovery of the Lagoon from eutrophication will be taken decades even in the absence of external nutrient loading. Therefore, we suggest applying rehabilitation strategies that control the nutrient fluxes from sediments for a faster recovery from heavily eutrophic conditions. Land-based nutrient sources must also be controlled because they feed water column and the bottom sediments with nutrients.     

Regional characteristics of the effects of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation on the sea level in the China Sea

Based on coastal tide level, satellite altimetry, and sea surface temperature (SST) data of offshore areas of China’s coast and the equatorial Pacific Ocean, the regional characteristics of the effects of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the sea level in the China Sea were investigated. Singular value decomposition results show a significant teleconnection between the sea level in the China Sea and the SST of the tropical Pacific Ocean; the correlation coefficient decreases from south to north. Data from tide gauges along China’s coast show that the seasonal sea-level variations are significantly correlated with the ENSO. In addition, China’s coast was divided into three regions based on distinctive regional characteristics. Results obtained show that the annual amplitude of sea level was low during El Niño developing years, and especially so during the El Niño year. The ENSO intensity determined the response intensity of the annual amplitude of the sea level. The response region (amplitude) was relatively large for strong ENSO intensities. Significant oscillation periods at a timescale of 4–7 years existed in the sea level of the three regions. The largest amplitude of oscillation was 1.5 cm, which was the fluctuation with the 7-year period in the South China Sea. The largest amplitude of oscillation in the East China Sea was about 1.3 cm. The amplitude of oscillation with the 6-year period in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea was the smallest (less than 1 cm).     

Influence of geomagnetic storms of September 26–30, 2011, on the ionosphere and HF radiowave propagation. II. radiowave propagation

A study of HF wave propagation in the three-dimensional inhomogeneous ionosphere has been carried out in an approximation of geometrical optics. The three-dimensional medium of radio wave propagation is considered to be inhomogeneous, absorbing, and anisotropic due to the influence of the geomagnetic field. The parameters of the medium are described by the results of calculations on the basis of the Global Self-Consistent Model of the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, and Protonosphere (GSM TIP). The propagation of radio waves in the equatorial, middle-, and high-latitude ionosphere was studied. Comparisons of the ray trajectories, integral attenuation, deviations of the projection of radio wave trajectories onto the Earth’s surface from the great-circle arc, and the behavior of the angle between the wave phase and wave energy directions, as well as the angle between the direction of propagation and the external magnetic field obtained for quiet and disturbed conditions, have been performed. We consider a geomagnetic storm that occurred in 2011, with the main storm phase occurring on September 26, and the day after geomagnetic disturbances, September 29, as disturbed conditions in the ionosphere.