General motion estimation from correlation sonar

The displacement of a sonar array can be estimated accurately using the correlation of bottom reverberation signals, at successive sweeps. This is the principle of the pulsed correlation log. In this paper, the conditions and accuracy of array horizontal translation estimation are analyzed. The case of a three-dimensional array is considered first, to show that in this case arbitrary translation and rotation can be estimated. The case of a plane array is then analyzed and it is shown that such an array allows estimation of horizontal translation. The derivation relies on modeling the space-time correlation function of bottom reverberation, which is assumed isotropic. Both directive and omnidirectional transmissions are considered. Accuracy of displacement estimates are derived, showing the influence of wavelength, grazing angle, bandwidth, number of overlapping hydrophones, and reverberation-to-noise ratio     

Method for determining atmospheric motion characteristics using measurements on geostationary meteorological satellites

The method for determining the dynamic characteristics of the atmosphere using the data of sounding from geostationary meteorological satellites developed by the authors and based on using inhomogeneities of the conservative admixture concentration field as tracers and on applying the correlation extreme algorithms is described in detail. The accuracies in calculating the horizontal wind velocity vector (V) and coefficient of horizontal mesoscale turbulent diffusion (K _d ) are estimated on the basis of processing the data of sounding the atmosphere with a SEVIRI (Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager) radiometer on the Meteosat-8 and Meteosat-9 European geostationary meteorological satellites in the water vapor channels centered at 6.2 and 7.3 μm and on comparing the results with the data of independent observations and theoretical models. It is indicated that the accuracy in calculating V using the developed method almost coincides with the accuracy of the commonly used foreign methods. In contrast to the methods applied abroad, the developed method makes it possible to determine not only the wind velocity vector field but also the coefficient of mesoscale turbulent diffusion and vorticity on one scale of air mass motion.     

Monitoring moored instrument motion by optimal estimation

Many oceanographic applications require the positioning of the underwater sensor at measurement times. We consider here the case of subsurface moored tomographic instruments, where the distance between source and receiver must be known within a few meters. For that purpose, a long baseline array is deployed: this system includes a navigator, attached to the mooring element and an array of three transponders set on the ocean bottom. To process the navigation data collected with such system, we have developed a method based on optimal estimation. The triangulation problem is not a basic spherical constraints one and the specificity of deep underwater positioning, related to the variability of the ocean sound speed profile are pointed out. Correcting terms are proposed and introduced into the system. Simultaneous inversion of all data, defining an overconstrained problem allows to estimate biases and errors. The algorithm is applied here to a dataset collected in the Azores-Canary basin during CAMBIOS experiment.     

Estimation of observation impact using the NRL atmospheric variational data assimilation adjoint system

An adjoint-based procedure for assessing the impact of observations on the short-range forecast error in numerical weather prediction is described. The method is computationally inexpensive and allows observation impact to be partitioned for any set or subset of observations, by instrument type, observed variable, geographic region, vertical level or other category. The cost function is the difference between measures of 24-h and 30-h global forecast error in the Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS) during June and December 2002. Observations are assimilated at 00 utc in the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Atmospheric Variational Data Assimilation System (NAVDAS). The largest error reductions in the Northern Hemisphere are produced by rawinsondes, satellite wind data, and aircraft observations. In the Southern Hemisphere, the largest error reductions are produced by Advanced TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (ATOVS) temperature retrievals, satellite wind data and rawinsondes. Approximately 60% (40%) of global observation impact is attributed to observations below (above) 500 hPa. A significant correlation is found between observation impact and cloud cover at the observation location. Currently, without consideration of moisture observations and moist processes in the forecast model adjoint, the observation impact procedure accounts for about 75% of the actual reduction in 24-h forecast error.     

Parametric estimation of ship maneuvering motion with integral sample structure for identification

This documentation presents the parametric identification modeling of ship maneuvering motion with integral sample structure for identification (ISSI) and Euler sample structure for identification (ESSI) based on least square support vector machines (LS-SVM), where ISSI is used for the construction of in–out sample pairs. By using Mariner Class Vessel, the sample dataset are obtained from 15°/15° zigzag maneuvering simulation based on Abkowitz model. By analyzing the simulation data including rudder angle, surge velocity, sway velocity, yaw rate and so forth, the hydrodynamic derivatives in Abkowitz model are all identified. The validation of the proposed identification algorithm is verified by the high precisions of the identified hydrodynamic derivatives and maneuvering prediction results. The comparison is also conducted between the proposed ISSI and the conventional Euler sample structure for identification (ESSI), and the experimental results shows that ISSI is much more appropriate for parametric identification modeling of ship maneuvering motion.     

Direct estimation of motion from sea floor images for automaticstation-keeping of submersible platforms

Maintaining a fixed position near the sea floor is a critical capability during the deployment of remotely operated or intelligent (autonomous) undersea vehicles in a variety of missions, including inspection and repair of undersea structures, data collection, and surveillance. We present an automatic optical station-keeping system for application to submersible vehicles in deep waters by exploiting the information in sea floor images. Readily measurable spatio-temporal image gradients are used to detect and compute the vehicle's translational and yaw motions using a direct motion vision technique. The vision system has been implemented on a Windows-NT Pentium platform, and the estimated positions and yaw angles are communicated via a serial link to the control system, running on a PC-386. Accurate station-keeping is demonstrated in experiments with a three-thruster floating vehicle in a 6-ft×12-ft×6-ft water tank     

Beach Wizard: Nearshore bathymetry estimation through assimilation of model computations and remote observations

A data–model assimilation method (called “Beach Wizard”) is presented with which the nearshore subtidal bathymetry can be accurately estimated based on video-derived observations of wave roller dissipation and variation of the intertidal shoreline, and/or radar-derived observations of wave celerity. Using many consecutive images, these observed properties are compared with numerical model results, and through a simple, optimal least-squares estimator approach the estimated bathymetry is adjusted gradually for each image in order to improve the fit between model output and observations. The key advantages of the technique are that it is based on multiple sources of information (i.e., different remote sensors and/or data products), depends on only a few free parameters (to which the model results are insensitive), and shows good skill. Herein, the technique is applied to a synthetic case and two sets of field data from sites at Duck, NC (USA) and Egmond (The Netherlands). The method, which may be extended with observations of other properties from other sources than the three described in this paper, can deliver coastal state information (i.e., simultaneous updates of bathymetry, waves, and currents) with high temporal and spatial resolution and can be used in conjunction with or instead of in-situ measured data.     

Focusing of internal waves generated by the nonuniform motion of a region of atmospheric pressures

In the linear statement of the problem, by using the long-wave approximation, we study the possibility of generation of significant disturbances in a continuously stratified fluid by the nonuniform motion of a region of atmospheric pressures. We consider the case where the disturbances of the medium propagating from a part of the trajectory of motion of the generator simultaneously arrive at a selected point of the space (focus). The amplitude of disturbances in the focus is evaluated for an arbitrary motion of the region of pressures, which may lead to the analyzed effect. __________ Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 5, pp. 22–29, September–October, 2006.     

Optimal estimation of absolute geostrophic velocity field in vicinity of the Luzon Strait using variational data assimilation technique

A P - vector method is optimized using the variational data assimilation technique(VDAT). The absolute geostrophic velocity fields in the vicinity of the Luzon Strait (LS) are calculated, the spatial structures and seasonal variations of the absolute geostrophic velocity field are investigated. Our results show that the Kuroshio enters the South China Sea (SCS) in the south and middle of the Luzon Strait and flows out in the north, so the Kuroshio makes a slight clockwise curve in the Luzon Strait, and the curve is strong in winter and weak in summer. During the winter, a westward current appears in the surface, and locates at the west of the Luzon Strait. It is the north part of a cyclonic gyre which exits in the northeast of the SCS; an anti-cyclonic gyre occurs on the intermediate level, and it exits in the northeast of the SCS, and an eastward current exits in the southeast of the anti-cyclonic gyre.     

Problems of operational data assimilation for marginal seas

Operational models based on the system of equations of geophysical thermohydrodynamics of the marine medium are considered, as are methods for an approximate reconstruction of the main geophysical fields from the data of deep-sea thermohaline measurements. The results of calculations for the White, Barents, and Kara seas are presented.     

Robust tracking of multiple objects in sector-scan sonar imagesequences using optical flow motion estimation

The fast update rate and good performance of new generation electronic sector scanning sonars is now allowing practicable use of temporal information for signal processing tasks such as object classification and motion estimation. Problems remain, however, as objects change appearance, merge, maneuver, move in and out of the field of view, and split due to poor segmentation. This paper presents an approach to the segmentation, two-dimensional motion estimation, and subsequent tracking of multiple objects in sequences of sector scan sonar images. Applications such as ROV obstacle avoidance, visual servoing, and underwater surveillance are relevant. Initially, static and moving objects are distinguished in the sonar image sequence using frequency-domain filtering. Optical flow calculations are then performed on moving objects with significant size to obtain magnitude and direction motion estimates. Matches of these motion estimates, and the future positions they predict, are then used as a basis for identifying corresponding objects in adjacent scans. To enhance robustness, a tracking tree is constructed storing multiple possible correspondences and cumulative confidence values obtained from successive compatibility measures. Deferred decision making is then employed to enable best estimates of object tracks to be updated as subsequent scans produce new information. The method is shown to work well, with good tracking performance when objects merge, split, and change shape. The optical flow is demonstrated to give position prediction errors of between 10 and 50 cm (1%-5% of scan range), with no violation of smoothness assumptions using sample rates between 4 and 1 frames/s     

利用卫星云图和天气形势分析9914号台风路径

本文对9914号台风的天气形势和卫星云系特征进行了详细的分析。结果表明：副热带高压及西风带槽、脊的配置和演变，对台风强度和移动路径尤其是台风路径的转向影响很大。副吭的增强、减弱是台风发生转向的重要条件。 螺旋云带的变化通常是台风未来移动及其强度变化的强信号。眉状云带是台风北上的重要特征云系。台风向着高层强负涡度中心或两个强负涡度中心的中点移动。     

海洋温盐度资料多变量同化研究进展

早期海洋资料同化仅考虑温度的调整而忽略盐度的变化,这往往会带来虚假信息,可能导致密度场被严重恶化,同化后的结果甚至比没有同化任何观测资料时还要差。为了解决这个问题,海洋资料同化中的一些温、盐度多变量调整方案便被提出来了。本文对广泛应用于多变量分析的资料同化方法及不同温、盐度多变量调整方案进行了系统的回顾,对它们的优缺点进行了分析与讨论,并指出了不同调整方案的适用条件及应用现状,最后对Argo资料在海洋资料同化中的重要性及今后的研究重点进行了探讨。