Time-lapse borehole radar monitoring of an infiltration experiment in the vadose zone

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is an effective tool for imaging the spatial distribution of water content. An artificial groundwater recharge test was conducted in Nagaoka City in Japan, and time-lapse crosshole GPR data were collected to monitor the infiltration process in the vadose zone. Since electromagnetic wave velocities in the vadose zone are largely controlled by variations in water content, an increase in traveltime is interpreted as an increase in saturation. In the test zone, the infiltrated water penetrated downward with an average velocity of about 2.7 m/h. A finite-difference time-domain method using two-dimensional cylindrical coordinates is applied to simulate radargrams associated with the advancing wetting front and to quantify the effects of critical refraction. Standard zero-offset profiling for which all first-arrivals are assumed to be direct waves results in an underestimation of water content in the transition zone above the wetting front. As a result, correct velocity analysis requires identification of first-arriving critically refracted waves from the traveltime profile to accurately determine a water content profile.     

Advances in computational morphodynamics using the International River Interface Cooperative (iRIC) software

Results from computational morphodynamics modeling of coupled flow–bed–sediment systems are described for 10 applications as a review of recent advances in the field. Each of these applications is drawn from solvers included in the public-domain International River Interface Cooperative (iRIC) software package. For mesoscale river features such as bars, predictions of alternate and higher mode river bars are shown for flows with equilibrium sediment supply and for a single case of oversupplied sediment. For microscale bed features such as bedforms, computational results are shown for the development and evolution of two-dimensional bedforms using a simple closure-based two-dimensional model, for two- and three-dimensional ripples and dunes using a three-dimensional large-eddy simulation flow model coupled to a physics-based particle transport model, and for the development of bed streaks using a three-dimensional unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes solver with a simple sediment-transport treatment. Finally, macroscale or channel evolution treatments are used to examine the temporal development of meandering channels, a failure model for cantilevered banks, the effect of bank vegetation on channel width, the development of channel networks in tidal systems, and the evolution of bedrock channels. In all examples, computational morphodynamics results from iRIC solvers compare well to observations of natural bed morphology. For each of the three scales investigated here, brief suggestions for future work and potential research directions are offered. © 2019 The Authors Earth Surface Processes and Landforms Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd     

Recent Primary Production and Small Phytoplankton Contribution in the Yellow Sea during the Summer in 2016

The high nutrient concentration associated with the mixing dynamics of two warm and cold water masses supports high primary production in the Yellow Sea. Although various environmental changes have been reported, no recent information on small phytoplankton contribution to the total primary production as an important indicator for marine ecosystem changes is currently available in the Yellow Sea. The major objective of this study is to determine the small (< 2 μm) phytoplankton contribution to the total primary production in the Yellow Sea during August, 2016. In this study, we found relatively lower chlorophyll a concentrations in the water column than those previously reported in the central waters of the Yellow Sea. Moreover, the overall contribution of small phytoplankton (53.1%) to the total chlorophyll a concentration was considerably higher in this study than that (10.7%) observed previously. Based on the N/P ratio (67.6 ± 36.6) observed in this study, which is significantly higher than the Redfield ratio (16), we believe that phytoplankton experienced P-limiting conditions during the study period. The average daily carbon uptake rate of total phytoplankton in this study was 291.1 mg C m^-2 d^-1 (± 165.0 mg C m^-2 d^-1) and the rate of small phytoplankton was 205.7 mg C m^-2 d^-1 (± 116.0 mg C m^-2 d^-1) which is 71.9% (± 8.8%) of the total daily carbon uptake rate. This contribution of small phytoplankton observed in this study appears to be higher than that reported previously. Our recent measured primary production is approximately 50% lower than the previous values decades ago. The higher contributions of small phytoplankton to the total chlorophyll a concentration and primary production might be caused by P-limited conditions and this resulted in lower chlorophyll a concentration and total primary production in this study compared to previous studies.     

由多震相走时和波形作三维地震成像

本项成果包括：提出天然地震走时反演层析成像技术,采用下列方法使得处理结果得以改善：１）利用３２个地震,４０４条射线的Ｐｇ,Ｓｇ,Ｐｍ,Ｓｍ,Ｐｎ,Ｓｎ等震相增加约束条件：２）用已有精度较高的人工地震测深化结果作速度约束;３）用波形反演来修改模型,把波源,介质吸收,散射等物理特征集中反映在记录中,把诸多物理量开发出来互为约束,以修改后的模型再作反演,使解的稳定性大大提高;４）采用最优化过程,选择遗传     

Effects of vertical mixing parameterization on the mixed layer depth over the North Pacific in a global OGCM

We present MLD variability over the North Pacific Ocean in a global ocean general circulation model and impacts of three different vertical mixing schemes on it, based on statistical measures (annual mean difference, root-mean-square difference and correlation coefficient). The constant vertical mixing scheme tends to underestimate MLD over the whole basin. The Pacanowski-Philander scheme tends to overestimate MLD (> 20 m) in the mid- to high latitude during summer, implying that vertical mixing in the mid- to high latitude may not be represented properly by simple internal mixing mechanisms such as stratification or vertical shear of horizontal velocity. On the other hand, the new vertical mixing scheme (Noh et al. 2002) gives the most consistent MLD and its seasonal and spatial variability when compared with observation. These results suggest that parameterization of vertical mixing has significant effects on simulation of the seasonal and spatial variability of MLD over the North Pacific Ocean.     

Changes in the frequency, scale, and failing areas of latest Quaternary (<29.4 cal. ka B.P.) slope failures along the SW Ulleung Basin, East Sea (Japan Sea), inferred from depositional characters of densely dated turbidite successions

The depositional characters of densely dated turbidite successions originating from the southwestern margin of the Ulleung Basin reveal changes in high-resolution frequency, failing areas, and relative volumes of slope failures over the past 29.4 cal. ka. Between 29.4 and 19.1 cal. ka B.P., various thin- to very thick-bedded turbidites accumulated at an average recurrence interval of ca. 605 years. After 19.1 cal. ka B.P., turbidites were deposited with an average recurrence interval of 3,183 years, and their thickness abruptly decreased upward. These features suggest that various-scale slope failures occurred frequently during the eustatic lowering of sea level, and the frequency and relative volumes of slope failures suddenly decreased after sea level began to rise. When sea level was lowest (20.0–19.1 cal. ka B.P.), successive stacks of very thick turbidites can most likely be ascribed to larger-volume mass failures. An upward change from muddy to sandy turbidites around 21.4 cal. ka B.P. suggests that the failing areas retrograded from the muddy upper-middle slope to the sandy uppermost slope when sea level was nearly at its lowest. Based on these findings together with published evidence, frequent mass failures between 29.4 and 19.1 cal. ka B.P. were plausibly triggered by earthquakes, in combination with reduced hydrostatic pressure that promoted gas-hydrate dissolution during the eustatic lowering of sea level. These data on the frequency, scale, failing areas, and triggering causes of slope failures along the southwestern margin over the past 29.4 cal. ka, not documented in earlier studies, provide invaluable information to better understand the basin-scale characters and occurrences of latest Quaternary slope failures in the Ulleung Basin.     

Feeding selectivity of calanoid copepods on phytoplankton in Jangmok Bay,south coast of Korea

Grazing impacts of calanoid copepods on size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass [chlorophyll (Chl)-a] were measured in Jangmok Bay, Geoje Island, Korea, monthly from November 2004 to October 2005. The ingestion rate of calanoid copepods on total phytoplankton biomass ranged between 1 and 215 ng Chl-a copepod^?1 day^?1 during bottle incubations. Results indicated that microphytoplankton (> 20 μm) was the primary food source for calanoid copepods in grazing experiments on 3 phytoplankton size categories (< 3 μm, 3–20 μm, and > 20 μm). The ingestion rate on microphytoplankton showed a significant increase (r = 0.93, p < 0.01) with Chl-a concentration. Nanophytoplankton (3–20 μm) showed a negative ingestion rate from June 2005 to October 2005, but the reason is not completely understood. Calanoid copepods were unable to feed efficiently on picophytoplankton (< 3 μm) due to unfavorable size. Calanoid copepods removed between 0.1% and 27.7% (average, 3.6 ± 15.8%) of the phytoplankton biomass daily during grazing experiments. Grazing pressure was high in winter and early spring (January–March: 15.6–27.7%), while low in summer (June–August: ?33.1–0.0%) and autumn (September–November: ?1.4–5.1%). Results suggest that calanoid copepods play an important role in controlling the biomass and size structure of phytoplankton in winter and early spring.     

Statistical simulations of the future 50-year statistics of cold-tongue El Niño and warm-pool El Niño

Recent extensive studies have suggested that the occurrence of warm-pool El Niño has increased since the late 1970s and will increase in future climate. Occurrence frequencies of cold-tongue and warm-pool El Niño have been investigated in the observational record (1980–2006) and in the future 50 years (2007–2056) based on 100 synthetic SST datasets with estimates of statistical confidence. In the observational record, 80% of the warm-pool El Niño occurred since 1980 over a period of 27 years; only 20% of the warm-pool El Niño occurred prior to 1980 over a period of 110 years. The 100 synthetic datasets, on average, produce 142 months of cold-tongue El Niño in 2007–2056 as opposed to an average 107 months in the same length of the observational data; this is a 20.7% increase in the occurrence of cold-tongue El Niño compared with the observational period. Warm-pool El Niño occurred for 112 months in 2007–2056 as opposed to an average occurrence of 42 months in the observational record; this is 2.5 times the occurrence frequency in the 1980–2006 period in the synthetic datasets. As a result, occurrence frequencies of cold-tongue and warm-pool El Niño in the period of 2007–2056 become quite comparable to each other in the synthetic datasets. It is expected in the next 50 years that warm-pool El Niño will be nearly as frequent as cold-tongue El Niño.     

Partitioning of Semivolatile Organic Compounds in the Presence of a Secondary Organic Aerosol in a Controlled Atmosphere

The gas-particle partitioning of select semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) was studied by injecting the SOCs into a 190 m3 Teflon film chamber containing a secondary organic aerosol (SOA) generated by volatilizing liquid -pinene into an ozone-concentrated atmosphere. The concentration of total suspended particulates (TSP) and gas and particle-phase SOCs was measured over the course of three experiments spanning a temperature range of 268–297 K and a relative humidity range of 55–100%. An equilibrium partition coefficient, Kp, was calculated for each sampling event. Empirical relationships were then developed to predict the partitioning of the SOCs on the SOA particle source as a function of temperature. Partitioning in this SOA system was compared to that of a SOA generated by the photochemical reaction of NOx with m-xylene. The results indicate that partitioning is similar between the two SOA systems. The effects of multiple particle sources on partitioning was also examined, revealing that a weighted average of predicted Kp values for individual sources can be used to predict partitioning in aerosol mixtures.