WAVERYS: a CMEMS global wave reanalysis during the altimetry period

Ocean Dynamics - As part of the Copernicus Marine Service, WAVERYS is the multi-year wave reanalysis that provides global wave data with a fine grid resolution of 1/5°. This wave reanalysis...     

WINTER LAND BREEZE IN A HIGH LATITUDE COMPLEX COASTAL AREA

The winter land breeze (WLB) was studied in an area with complex topography on the Swedish West Coast (58°N). Methods used were mapping directions of smoke plumes, temperature soundings by tethered balloon and helicopter, three years of monitoring temperature and wind at three levels on a suspension bridge and on a mast, and meteorological observations from three stations located at different distances from the coast. To initiate the development of the WLB, the necessary temperature difference between sea and land was 5°C, but the magnitude of the difference appeared to have little influence. The direction of the typical WLB was at an oblique angle to the coast. The WLB started with a sudden wind shift as a result of frictional decoupling from the prevailing synoptic wind caused by increased stability. The flow, with a depth of about 100 m, developed within the nocturnal inversion at the level of the plateau-shaped mountains and overrode the cold air in the valleys and followed the uplifted inversion over the city of Göteborg. The different layers in the inversion were tilted toward the sea with an inclination similar to the slope of the terrain. In a layer above the WLB but also within the inversion, there was an onshore wind that might be the return flow to the WLB. [Key words: winter land breeze (WLB), decoupling, overriding, urban heat island circulation (UHIC), high latitude, Sweden.]     

A model for conductive faults with non-matching grids

In this paper, we are interested in modeling single-phase flow in a porous medium with known faults seen as interfaces. We mainly focus on how to handle non-matching grids problems arising from rock displacement along the fault. We describe a model that can be extended to multi-phase flow where faults are treated as interfaces. The model is validated in an academic framework and is then extended to 3D non K-orthogonal grids, and a realistic case is presented.     

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Top-/bottom-soil ratios and enrichment factors: What do they really show?

High top-/bottom-soil ratios, or high values of “enrichment factors” (EFs), are used as a proof for major anthropogenic impact on the geochemistry of the Earth surface. The idea behind calculating such ratios is that soils taken at depth or “average crust” can provide the geochemical background for the soils collected at the Earth surface. However, a soil profile is not a closed system, element exchange between the different layers, depending on and varying with the chemical properties of the different elements, and their turnover in the biosphere is the essence of soil formation. High top-/bottom-soil ratios, or EFs, may thus highlight the geochemical de-coupling of the lithosphere from the biosphere rather than contamination. This is demonstrated by using regional data from 258 soil O- and B-horizon samples collected from the Czech Republic (76,800 km²). Results show no relationship between the ratios and the magnitude of anthropogenic emissions. The visible relationship between element concentrations and sources in a map of the spatial distribution of the elements is lost when maps for the top-/bottom-soil ratio or EFs are constructed. The value of the data lies in the spatial elemental distribution, and not in ratios calculated based on misconceptions.     

Estimating traveler populations at airport and cruise terminals for population distribution and dynamics

In recent years, uses of high-resolution population distribution databases are increasing steadily for environmental, socioeconomic, public health, and disaster-related research and operations. With the development of daytime population distribution, temporal resolution of such databases has been improved. However, the lack of incorporation of transitional population, namely business and leisure travelers, leaves a significant population unaccounted for within the critical infrastructure networks, such as at transportation hubs. This paper presents two general methodologies for estimating passenger populations in airport and cruise port terminals at a high temporal resolution which can be incorporated into existing population distribution models. The methodologies are geographically scalable and are based on, and demonstrate how, two different transportation hubs with disparate temporal population dynamics can be modeled utilizing publicly available databases including novel data sources of flight activity from the Internet which are updated in near-real time. The airport population estimation model shows great potential for rapid implementation for a large collection of airports on a national scale, and the results suggest reasonable accuracy in the estimated passenger traffic. By incorporating population dynamics at high temporal resolutions into population distribution models, we hope to improve the estimates of populations exposed to or at risk to disasters, thereby improving emergency planning and response, and leading to more informed policy decisions.     

Differential bathymetry

Mixed layer depth (MLD) is an important parameter in the study of air‐sea interaction, acoustic propagation, and fisheries. With the onset of the southwest monsoon, a jetlike surface water flow develops from west to east along the equatorial Indian Ocean (EIO) creating an upward west to east sea surface slope. This in turn creates a slope in MLD in the opposing direction. In this paper, emphasis is placed on obtaining monthly coefficients between MLD and sea level for three regions across the EIO. Using these coefficients, MLD has been estimated from Geosat altimeter data. MLD in this region has been computed with an RMS error of 16 m, from altimeter data, as verified by TOGA in situ profiles.     

Ionospheric and geomagnetic disturbances during the 2005 Sumatran earthquakes

This paper investigates the ionospheric and geomagnetic responses during the 28 March 2005 and 14 May 2005 Sumatran earthquakes using GPS and magnetometer stations located in the near zone of the epicenters. These events occurred during low solar and geomagnetic activity. TEC oscillations with periods of 5–10 min were observed about 10–24 min after the earthquakes and have horizontal propagation velocities of 922–1259 m/s. Ionospheric disturbances were observed at GPS stations located to the northeast of the epicenters, while no significant disturbances were seen relatively east and south of the epicenters. The magnetic field measurements show rapid fluctuations of 4–5 s shortly after the earthquake, followed by a Pc5 pulsation of 4.8 min about 11 min after the event. The correlation between the ionospheric and geomagnetic responses shows a good agreement in the period and time lag of the peak disturbance arrival, i.e. about 11–13 min after the earthquake.