An investigation of dispersive effects on tidal gravity measurements at Alice Springs

A year-long record of tidal gravity has been analysed with the intention of detecting the increase in amplitude of the semidiurnal and diurnal waves by physical dispersion. The effect was found to be too small, even for the most extreme models, to be detected with present techniques. This is partly because of instrumental limitations and partly because of the nature of the calibration of the instruments.It is suggested that the best way to observe the effects of physical dispersion may be through changes in day-length at semi-monthly and monthly periods.     

Field verification of Wave Equation tidal dynamics in the English Channel and southern North Sea

Finite element results obtained with the implicit Wave Equation algorithm are compared with field data in a blind (uncalibrated) verification exercise. The study area comprises the English Channel and the southern North Sea.     

Rock physics analysis for time-lapse seismic at Schiehallion Field, North Sea

Rock physics analysis plays a vital role in time‐lapse seismic interpretation because it provides the link between changes in rock and fluid properties and the resulting seismic data response. In this case study of the Schiehallion Field, we discuss a number of issues that commonly arise in rock physics analyses for time‐lapse studies. We show that:

• 1 Logarithmic fits of dry bulk (K_dry) and shear (G_dry) moduli vs. effective pressure (P_eff) are superior to polynomial fits.
• 2 2D surface fits of K_dry and G_dry over porosity (φ) and effective pressure using all the core data simultaneously are more useful and accurate than separate 1D fits over φ and P_eff for each individual core.
• 3 One average set (facies) of K_dry(φ, P_eff) and G_dry(φ, P_eff) can be chosen to represent adequately the entire Schiehallion reservoir.
• 4 Saturated velocities and densities modelled by fluid substitution of K_dry(φ, P_eff), G_dry(φ, P_eff) and the dry bulk density ρ_dry(φ) compare favourably with well‐log velocities and densities.
• 5 P‐ and S‐wave impedance values resulting from fluid substitution of K_dry(φ, P_eff), G_dry(φ, P_eff) and ρ_dry(φ) show that the largest impedance changes occur for high porosities and low effective pressures.
• 6 Uncertainties in K_dry(φ, P_eff) and G_dry(φ, P_eff) derived for individual cores can be used to generate error surfaces for these moduli that represent bounds for quantifying uncertainties in seismic modelling or pressure–saturation inversion.

     

Welded tuff infilling a volcanic vent at Weolseong,Republic of Korea

A plug of parataxitically welded tuff, with an elliptical (700 × 400 m) cross section, crops out in Weolseong district, Republic of Korea. It intrudes late Cretaceous granodiorite and extrusive tuffs of the Chisulryoung Volcanic Formation and displays a steeply inclined welding foliation, concordant with the intrusive contacts, and a subvertical stretching lineation. These fabrics are interpreted as resulting from laminar shearing in a boundary layer during deposition of the tuff by agglutination along the walls of a vent which served as a feeder for extrusive ignimbrites.     

Measurement of long waves at the harbor of Marina di Carrara,Italy

This paper presents the analysis of measurements of long waves at the harbor of Marina di Carrara, Italy. Nine pressure gauges (eight in the inner harbor and one outside the harbor) were used to record continuously the water surface elevation, for about 3 years; incoming short waves were measured using a directional buoy at about 500 m offshore the breakwaters. The analysis is carried out splitting the energy of the long waves into two bands, i.e., very long waves (VLW; f < 0.003 Hz) and long waves (LW; 0.003 < f < 0.030 Hz); it is found that LW energy is strongly correlated with the energy of the incoming short waves while no correlation (or very poor) is found for VLW. During energetic sea states, surface elevation spectra of VLW and LW, normalized against the wave energy of each frequency band, appear to be autosimilar; this suggests that the spectra of the incoming long waves have a mostly constant shape. Simple numerical computations of harbor resonance, carried out using a mild-slope equation linearized model, indicate that the amplification of the height of the incoming LW generated by short waves (calculated using empirical formulae from previous researches by Melito et al. 2007) inside the harbor can be reasonably predicted using such simple approach, assuming that the LW spectra are rectangular. The shape of the amplification diagram calculated by the numerical model shows reasonable (but not perfect) agreement with the shape of the normalized measured spectra inside the harbor.     

Variation of overtides by wave enhanced bottom drag in a North Florida tidal inlet

Month-long observations of waves and tidal currents at Ponce de Leon Inlet, North Florida are used to investigate the importance of wave-induced bottom drag as a mechanism for overtide generation in estuaries. While bottom drag can in theory lead to overtide generation, in practice, resolving unambiguously this effect is difficult as it tends to be overshadowed by the stronger effect of diurnal–semidiurnal tidal variance. Bottom boundary layer numerical simulations based on observational data suggest that waves can cause the bottom drag experienced by currents to increase by a factor of 1.7, compared with relatively calm conditions. Despite the relatively short duration and limited scope of the experiment, the analysis suggests that overtide modulations (East–West velocity components of the 5th and 6th diurnal constituents) are correlated with wave-enhanced drag trends. Therefore, wave-enhanced bottom drags may be enhancing generation of overtides. Further work is necessary to understand the scope and the strength of this mechanism, in relation to the characteristics (e.g., flow direction) of individual overtides.     

Physiological disturbance of the Manila clam,Ruditapes philippinarum,by altered environmental conditions in a tidal flat on the west coast of Korea

To examine the influence of habitat alteration by tideflat reclamation on the physiological ecology of Ruditapes philippinarum, seasonal variations in its condition, gross biochemical composition, and reproductive cycle were compared for a yearly cycle between a reclaimed flat (Gomsohang, GS) and a natural flat (Hajun, HJ) in Gomso Bay, Korea. Concentrations of chlorophyll a and seston (as well as its energy value as food available to the clam) were consistently higher at HJ than at GS. Condition, dry tissue weight, and energy reserves (proteins and carbohydrates) of the clams were much higher at HJ than at GS during spring–summer, when fast growth and gametogenic development occur. Furthermore, their spring gametogenic development and spawning were advanced at HJ compared with GS. Our results suggest that the Manila clam encounters nutritionally stressful environmental conditions in altered habitats after tideflat reclamation that lead to lowered nutrient accumulation and a changing reproductive cycle.     

Optical dating of tidal sediments: Potentials and limits inferred from the North Sea coast

The accuracy of optical ages derived from tidal sediments depends largely upon the transport processes. These processes constrain the degree of bleaching by the time of deposition and the choice of grain size for dating. This study looks at flow regime, sediment bedding, particle size and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) over tidal flats in order to identify the tidal sub-environment from which reliable multigrain optical ages are most likely to be achieved. The resulting conceptual model is then compared with empirical OSL data obtained from Holocene sediments of the southern North Sea tidal coastal plain of continental Europe. Optical dating of the tidal sediments included single-aliquot-regenerative dose protocol applied to multigrain aliquots of fine sand and fine silt, statistical analysis using weighted skewness, standardised kurtosis and over-dispersion. It is inferred from the model that smaller grains should be better bleached than larger grains. However, because transport and deposition processes are extremely variable in both space and time, unequivocal “bleaching rules” could not be assigned to a particular tidal sub-environment. In this context more than 85% of our samples return accurate ages and around 13% of our optical ages are overestimated when compared with ages from established well-constrained stratigraphic frameworks. The empirical study confirms the concept of “variable bleaching rules”: both accurate and inaccurate ages are obtained from silty and sandy OSL samples regardless of the sub-environment and well-bleached samples may be obtained from all tidal sub-environments. Although our study is based on multiple-grain aliquots it also shows that an independent statistical treatment of equivalent dose data is an indispensable procedure to detect and correct for insufficient bleaching.     

Dynamics of multiple intertidal bars over semi‐diurnal and lunar tidal cycles,North Lincolnshire,England

Multiple intertidal bars are common features of wave‐dominated sandy beaches, yet their short‐term (<1 month) and small‐scale (<1 km) morphology and dynamics remain poorly understood. This study describes the morphodynamics of multiple intertidal bars in North Lincolnshire, England, during single and lunar tidal cycles under two contrasting conditions – first when significant wave height was <0·5 m and second when significant wave height frequently exceeded 1 m. The relative importance of swash, surf and shoaling processes in determining morphological change was examined using detailed field observations and a numerical model. The beach featured four intertidal bars and both cross‐shore and longshore bar morphology evolved during the field investigation, particularly under medium to high wave‐energy conditions. Numerical modelling suggests shoaling processes are most common on the seaward two bars under calm wave conditions (H_s < 0·5 m) and that surf zone processes become more common during neap tides and under more energetic (H_s < 0·5 m) conditions. Surf processes dominate the inner two bars, though swash influence increases in a landward direction. The numerical modelling results combined with low tide survey data and high‐resolution morphological measurements strongly suggest changes in the intertidal bar morphology are accomplished by surf zone processes rather than by shoaling wave or swash processes. This is because shoaling waves do not induce significant sediment transport to have any morphological effect, whereas swash action generally does not have enough scope to act as the swash zone is much narrower than the surf zone. It was found, however, that the absolute rate of morphological change under swash action and surfzone processes are of similar magnitudes and that swash action may induce a significant amount of local morphological change when the high tide mark is located on the upper bar, making this process important for bar morphodynamics. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Field investigation of a dry detention pond with underground detention storage

Abstract

A dry pond is an urban drainage component designed to temporarily store stormwater runoff and to encourage infiltration of surface water to the subsurface layer. This paper investigates field measurement of a dry pond at Taiping Health Clinic, Perak, Malaysia that has been functioning well for five years. The pond has a surface area of 195 m², maximum depth of 32 cm, and a storage capacity of 31.88 m³. The study focused on the infiltration functionality of the constructed dry pond and the results show that it has an average infiltration rate of 125 mm/h and dries up in 330 min after being filled to a depth of 31 mm. A public-domain hydrological model was then employed to simulate hydrographs of ponding and draining, the results of which matched observations with 86–98% accuracy. These results can lead to better understanding of the system and allow duplication of such a drainage design elsewhere.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Lai, S.H. and Mah, D.Y.S., 2012. Field investigation of a dry detention pond with underground detention storage. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (6), 1249–1255.     

Suspended sediment fluxes at an intertidal flat: The shifting influence of wave,wind, tidal,and freshwater forcing

Using in situ, continuous, high frequency (8–16 Hz) measurements of velocity, suspended sediment concentration (SSC), and salinity, we investigate the factors affecting near-bed sediment flux during and after a meteorological event (cold front) on an intertidal flat in central San Francisco Bay. Hydrodynamic forcing occurs over many frequency bands including wind wave, ocean swell, seiching (500–1000 s), tidal, and infra-tidal frequencies, and varies greatly over the time scale of hours and days. Sediment fluxes occur primarily due to variations in flow and SSC at three different scales: residual (tidally averaged), tidal, and seiching. During the meteorological event, sediment fluxes are dominated by increases in tidally averaged SSC and flow. Runoff and wind-induced circulation contribute to an order of magnitude increase in tidally averaged offshore flow, while waves and seiching motions from wind forcing cause an order of magnitude increase in tidally averaged SSC. Sediment fluxes during calm periods are dominated by asymmetries in SSC over a tidal cycle. Freshwater forcing produces sharp salinity fronts which trap sediment and sweep by the sensors over short (∼30 min) time scales, and occur primarily during the flood. The resulting flood dominance in SSC is magnified or reversed by variations in wind forcing between the flood and ebb. Long-term records show that more than half of wind events (sustained speeds of greater than 5 m/s) occur for 3 h or less, suggesting that asymmetric wind forcing over a tidal cycle commonly occurs. Seiching associated with wind and its variation produces onshore sediment transport. Overall, the changing hydrodynamic and meteorological forcing influence sediment flux at both short (minutes) and long (days) time scales.     

Biodegradation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Fractured, Unsaturated Dolomite at a Field Site

Gasoline constituents were detected in unsaturated soil and rock during abandonment of a leaky underground storage tank (UST). The unsaturated sequence beneath the former UST consists of 90 feet of silty till, fractured dolomite, and friable sand-stone. Pore gas probes were installed in each of the unsaturated units, both in the source area and in a background on-site location. Pore gas samples were collected to evaluate the nature, extent, and fate of residual hydrocarbons in the vadose zone. Pore gas from the till and dolomite in the source area was enriched in petroleum hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide, and was depleted in oxygen, relative to pore gas from the background area. During two years of ground water monitoring at the site, methyl tertiary butyl ether was periodically detected in the ground water beneath the source area as pulses of recharge passed through the unsaturated zone, but no other gasoline constituents were detected. Apparently, the most degradable fraction of the gasoline (aromatic hydrocarbons) is being attenuated in the vadose zone before the water table is reached.     

Use of time series analysis for the identification of tidal effect on groundwater in the coastal area of Kimje, Korea

The purpose of this study is to apply time series analysis to investigate whether the groundwater quality in the coastal area is affected by the tide. Continuous and regular in situ monitoring data of electrical conductivity (EC) and groundwater level, and tidal level data measured by the National Oceanographic Research Institute were used for the time series analysis. Through the time series analysis, it is known that EC and groundwater level conspicuously fluctuate with two periodicities (15.4 and 0.52-day), which is very similar to those of the tide. Also the behaviors of their fluctuations vary in accordance with the tidal period. These indicate that the groundwater quality has been mainly controlled by the tidal level, and the strength of tidal effect on the groundwater quality is different according to the tidal period.     

Progressive change of tidal wave characteristics from the eastern Yellow Sea to the Asan Bay,a strongly convergent bay in the west coast of Korea

Although there have been studies on the tide in convergent bay (or estuary), the tide change in terms of phase speed, amplitude, and phase difference between elevation and tidal current from a coastal ocean to a convergent bay has not been clearly shown so far. This study systematically examines the change of tidal wave characteristics from the eastern Yellow Sea to the Asan Bay, a strongly convergent bay on the west coast of Korea, using observations and an analytical model. As the tidal wave propagates from the eastern Yellow Sea into the Asan Bay, the phase speed, amplitude, and phase difference between elevation and tidal current increase along the channel. Such a phenomenon represents a unique example of tide change from a coastal ocean to a convergent bay, indicating dominance of convergence over friction in the Asan Bay. Both analytically computed tidal amplitude and travelling time compare well with observations. In the Asan Bay, the influence of the reflected wave is only felt in the upper one fifth of the bay and is almost unperceivable in the rest of the bay. The analytical analyses presented in this paper are particularly useful for understanding the relative importance of channel convergence, bottom friction, and reflected wave on the tidal characteristics change along the channel and the proposed method could be applicable to other estuaries.     

Hydrodynamics and suspended sediment transport at tidal inlets of Salut Mengkabong Lagoon,Sabah,Malaysia

Salut-Mengabong Lagoon is located at the west coast of Sabah facing the South China Sea. At the bay side of the main inlet the lagoon splits into Salut and Mengabong Channels. Sediment dynamics at the inlets of the lagoon have recently received considerable attention. But any direct measurement of hydrodynamics and sediment flux are yet to be well documented. This study covers the field measurements of current velocity, water flux, suspended sediment concentration and sediment flux across the three transects (main inlet, Salut entrance and Mengkabong entrance) during typical spring and neap tidal cycles in southwest monsoon and northeast monsoon. Temporal variations and time-averaged values of measured parameters are discussed. The inlets of Salut-Mengkabong Lagoon are found to be ebb-dominated. The time-averaged velocities during spring tidal measurements are found to be higher in the main inlet followed by Mengkabong entrance and Salut entrance. Suspended sediment concentration and sediment fluxes are substantially higher in spring tidal cycles compared to the same in neap tidal cycles. During spring tidal cycles, ebb tidal sediment fluxes are higher than the flood tidal fluxes. The ebb dominated flux across the main inlet led to the large ebb shoal.     

Modelling elastic properties of impure chalk from South Arne Field, North Sea

In impure chalk, the elastic moduli are not only controlled by porosity but also by contact‐cementation, resulting in relatively large moduli for a given porosity, and by admixtures of clay and fine silica, which results in relatively small moduli for a given porosity. Based on a concept of solids suspended in pore fluids as well as composing the rock frame, we model P‐wave and S‐wave moduli of dry and wet plug samples by an effective‐medium Hashin–Shtrikman model, using chemical, mineralogical and textural input. For a given porosity, the elastic moduli correspond to a part of the solid (the iso‐frame value) forming the frame of an Upper Hashin–Shtrikman bound, whereas the remaining solid is modelled as suspended in the pore fluid. The iso‐frame model is thus a measure of the pore‐stiffness or degree of cementation of the chalk. The textural and mineralogical data may be assessed from logging data on spectral gamma radiation, density, sonic velocity and water saturation in a hydrocarbon zone, whereas the iso‐frame value of a chalk may be assessed from the density and acoustic P‐wave logs alone. The iso‐frame concept may thus be directly used in conventional log‐analysis and is a way of incorporating sonic‐logging data. The Rigs‐1 and Rigs‐2 wells in the South Arne field penetrate the chalk at the same depth but differ in porosity and in water saturation although almost the entire chalk interval has irreducible water saturation. Our model, combined with petrographic data, indicates that the difference in porosity is caused by a higher degree of pore‐filling cementation in Rigs‐1. Petrographic data indicate that the difference in water saturation is caused by a higher content of smectite in the pores of Rigs‐1. In both wells, we find submicron‐size diagenetic quartz.     

Hydrostatic-system palsas at Toolik lake,Alaska: Field observations and simulation

Stratigraphic and chemical data from the ice core of an ‘anthropogenic palsa’ at Toolik Lake, Alaska, indicate that the mound formed as a consequence of hydrostatic pressure developed in an isolated hydrologic system within the active layer. Survey data for five palsas over a three-year period suggest that growth was essentially complete at the time of the initial survey; a net decrease of summit elevation is apparent in all five mounds, but complete degradation of the palsas would require several decades at observed rates. Because accurate field measurements of thermal and hydrologic evolution in such features are extremely difficult, simulation of the environmental conditions and events involved in palsa growth is an important supplement to field observation. Both analytic and finite-element models yield results that are in substantial agreement with inferences drawn from observational data.     

Adjustment of benthic fauna following sediment disposal at a site with multiple stressors in Port Valdez, Alaska

The shallow subtidal macrobenthos at Port Valdez, Alaska, was examined to assess faunal adjustment following disposal of dredged sediments over a three-year period. Prior to sediment disposal, the infauna consisted of a relatively species-rich assemblage dominated by sessile polychaetes and bivalves. Six months after disposal, virtually all taxa present prior to dredging and disposal were rare or absent with opportunistic taxa dominant. Surveys performed 1.5 years after sediment disposal indicated faunal adjustment was in progress; large, sessile polychaetes and bivalves were still present in low numbers after 2.5 years. At one station, increasing organic enrichment by fish-wastes from adjacent processing plants resulted in a shift to a highly disturbed benthic assemblage. The trends in the faunal assemblage suggest that environmental conditions were still in a state of flux 2.5 years after the dredging event.     

An idealized model of tidal dynamics in the North Sea: resonance properties and response to large-scale changes

An idealized process-based model is developed to investigate tidal dynamics in the North Sea. The model geometry consists of a sequence of different rectangular compartments of uniform depth, thus, accounting for width and depth variations in a stepwise manner. This schematization allows for a quick and transparent solution procedure. The solution, forced by incoming Kelvin waves at the open boundaries and satisfying the linear shallow water equations on the f plane with bottom friction, is in each compartment written as a superposition of eigenmodes, i.e. Kelvin and Poincaré waves. A collocation method is employed to satisfy boundary and matching conditions. First, the general resonance properties of a strongly simplified geometry with two compartments, representing the Northern North Sea and Southern Bight, are studied. Varying the forcing frequency while neglecting bottom friction reveals Kelvin and Poincaré resonance. These resonances continue to exist (but with lower amplification and a modified spatial structure) when adding the Dover Strait as a third compartment and separating the solutions due to forcing from either the north or the south only. Including bottom friction dampens the peaks. Next, comparison with tide observations along the North Sea coast shows remarkable agreement for both semi-diurnal and diurnal tides. This result is achieved with a more detailed geometry consisting of 12 compartments fitted to the coastline of the North Sea. Further simulations emphasize the importance of Dover Strait and bottom friction. Finally, it is found that a sea level rise of 1 m, uniformly applied to the entire North Sea, amplifies the M2-elevation amplitudes almost everywhere along the coast, with an increase of up to 8 cm in Dover Strait. Bed level changes of ±1 m, uniformly applied to the Southern Bight only, imply weaker changes, with changes in coastal M2-elevation amplitudes below 5 cm.