Numerical analysis of effects of tidal variations on storm surges and waves

This study examines the effects of tides on surges, wave setups and waves, in terms of tidal amplitudes and phases, by using a coupled numerical model of Surge, WAve and Tide (called as SuWAT). The SuWAT model, composed of depth integrated nonlinear shallow water equations and Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model, is able to simultaneously run with an arbitrary number of nested domains by using the Message Passing Interface. The results for an idealized case indicate that surge and wave setup are increased in the phase of low water and decreased in the high water phase; on the other hand, waves change in a reverse manner. Such changes are enhanced by large tidal variations. The conventional method (e.g., surge plus tide independently) has the possibility of overestimation for the total water level. The hindcast results for Typhoon Ewiniar in 2006 show that the run with tides is more accurate 10% than that without tides in coastal areas of Korea. The nested scheme improves the accuracy up to 40% for the prediction of water levels in the simulations. It is shown that the present coupled model, SuWAT, is capable of predicting both water levels and waves under storm events with reasonable accuracy against the observations.     

Tidal effects on variations of fresh–saltwater interface and groundwater flow in a multilayered coastal aquifer on a volcanic island (Jeju Island, Korea)

We conducted various field studies at the seawater intrusion monitoring wells located in the eastern part of Jeju Island, Korea, to observe the tidal effect on groundwater–seawater flow in the coastal aquifer. Studies included monitoring the fluctuations of groundwater and tide levels, electrical and temperature logging, and 2-D heat-pulse flowmeter tests. According to time-series analysis, tidal effects on groundwater level reached up to 3 km inland from the coastline. Water-level variation was more sensitive to tidal fluctuations near the coast, and more related to rainfall toward inland areas. Temporal and spatial variations in the shape and location of the freshwater–saltwater interface were analyzed using data from nine monitoring wells. The results indicated that the interface toe is located at a distance of 6–8 km from the coastline and its location was related to geological layers present. Long-term seasonal variations revealed no major changes in the interface; minor variations were due to moving boundary conditions induced by tidal fluctuations. Using the two-dimensional heat-pulse flowmeter, groundwater flow directions and velocities at four tidal stages were measured on three monitoring wells drilled into the multilayered aquifers. This direct measurement enabled us to relate the differences of flow velocities and directions with geology and tidal fluctuations. Combining the results of EC logging and flowmeter tests, we found a zone where freshwater and saltwater moved alternately in opposite directions, as influenced by the tidal fluctuations. Integrating various physical logging and flowmeter data with water-level fluctuations improved our understanding of the behavior of fresh and seawater flow in the coastal aquifers.     

First record of three barracudina fishes (Aulopiformes: Teleostei) in Korean waters

Three barracudina fishes (Paralepididae) were newly recorded from the southern sea of Korea. Lestidium prolixum is characterized by a single band of luminous ducts on the midventral line and absence of a papilla anterior to the eye. Lestrolepis intermedia and L. japonica are similar in having a black papilla immediately in front of the eye and two bands of luminous ducts on the midventral line. However, the dorsal fin of L. intermedia is located more posterior along the body than that of L. japonica, and L. intermedia have larger number of anal fin rays 42 (vs. 36–40) and vertebrae 95 (vs. 86–87) than L. japonica.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dracograllus trukensis</Emphasis> sp. nov. (Draconematidae: Nematoda) from a seagrass bed (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zostera</Emphasis> spp.) in Chuuk Islands,Micronesia, Central Western Pacific Ocean

A new species of free-living marine draconematid nematode, Dracograllus trukensis sp. nov., is described based on the specimens collected from the sediments of a intertidal seagrass bed from Chuuk Islands, Micronesia. Dracograllus trukensis sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus by the combination of the following characteristics: the presence of numerous minute spiny ornamented body cuticular annules in both sexes, eight cephalic adhesion tubes inserted on the head capsule in both sexes, the presence of stiff posteriorly directed setae anterior to posterior adhesion tubes in both sexes, the shape (large, elongated, open loop-shaped in male and large, elongated, closed loop-shaped in female) and position (longer ventral arm extending to the first body annule in male) of amphideal fovea, shorter spicule length (34–42 μm), the presence of sexual dimorphism in shape and length of the non-annulated tail terminus, and number of posterior sublateral adhesion tubes (10 in male and 13–15 in female) and posterior subventral adhesion tubes (8–10 in male and 9–11 in female). A comparative table on the biogeographical and ecological characteristics of the species of Dracograllus is presented. This is the first taxonomic report on the genus Dracograllus from Chuuk Islands, Micronesia, central western Pacific Ocean.     

Geoacoustic Inversion via Genetic Algorithm and Its Application to Manganese Sediment Identification

Abstract

An acoustic inversion method using a wide-band signal and two near field receivers is proposed and applied to multiple layered seabed models including a manganese sediment. The inversion problem can be formulated into a probabilistic model comprised of signals, a forward model, and additive noise. The forward model simulates wide-band signals, such as chirp signals, and is chosen to be the source-wavelet-convolution plane wave modeling method. The wavelet matching technique, using weighted least-squares fitting, estimates the sediment sound-speed and thickness on which determination of the possible numerical ranges for a priori uniform distribution is based. The genetic algorithm is applied to a global optimization problem to find a maximum a posteriori solution for determined a priori search space. Here the object function is defined by an L₂ norm of the difference between measured and modeled signals. Not only the marginal pdf but also its statistics are calculated by numerical evaluation of integrals using the samples selected during importance sampling process of the genetic algorithm.     

Kinetics of Cd accumulation and elimination in tissues of juvenile rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli) exposed to dietary Cd

Cadmium (Cd) accumulation and elimination were investigated in the tissues (gill, intestine, kidney, lever and muscle) of juvenile rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli, after sub-chronic dietary Cd exposure (0, 0.5, 5, 25 and 125 mg/kg). No mortality occurred during the sub-chronic exposure to dietary Cd. Specific growth rates of the rockfish estimated by weight and length were significantly different from those of the control, and a significant inverse relationship was observed between weight gain and the exposure concentration of dietary Cd at 25, 125 mg/kg. Cd accumulation in the tissues increased with exposure periods and concentrations for the 60 days of dietary Cd exposure. Cd accumulation in the intestine of rockfish was higher than other tissues, and the order of Cd accumulation in tissues were intestine>kidney approximately liver>gill>muscle. Accumulation factors showed an increase with the exposure period and an inverse relationship between the accumulation factor and the exposure concentrations in the gill, intestine, liver and muscle, but not in kidney. Cd elimination in tissues of rockfish decreased during the 30 days of depuration except kidney and muscle. Intestine showed the fastest elimination rates of Cd at all concentrations compared with other tissues.     

Estimation of net ecosystem metabolism of seagrass meadows in the coastal waters of the East Sea and Black Sea using the noninvasive eddy covariance technique

We measured the community-scale metabolism of seagrass meadows in Bulgaria (Byala [BY]) and Korea (Hoopo Bay [HP]) to understand their ecosystem function in coastal waters. A noninvasive in situ eddy covariance technique was applied to estimate net O₂ flux in the seagrass meadows. From the high-quality and high-resolution time series O₂ data acquired over > 24 h, the O₂ flux driven by turbulence was extracted at 15-min intervals. The spectrum analysis of vertical flow velocity and O₂ concentration clearly showed well-developed turbulence characteristics in the inertial subrange region. The hourly averaged net O₂ fluxes per day ranged from -474 to 326 mmol O₂ m^-2 d^-1 (-19 ± 41 mmol O₂ m^-2 d^-1) at BY and from -74 to 482 mmol O₂ m^-2 d^-1 (31 ± 17 mmol O₂ m^-2 d^-1) at HP. The net O₂ production rapidly responded to photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) and showed a good relationship between production and irradiance (P-I curve). The hysteresis pattern of P-I relationships during daytime also suggested increasing heterotrophic respiration in the afternoon. With the flow velocity between 3.30 and 6.70 cm s^-1, the community metabolism during daytime and nighttime was significantly increased by 20 times and 5 times, respectively. The local hydrodynamic characteristics may be vital to determining the efficiency of community photosynthesis. The net ecosystem metabolism at BY was estimated to be -17 mmol O₂ m^-2 d^-1, which was assessed as heterotrophy. However, that at HP was 36 mmol O₂ m^-2 d^-1, which suggested an autotrophic state.     

Geology, tectonics, and the 2002-2003 eruption of the Semeru volcano, Indonesia: Interpreted from high-spatial resolution satellite imagery

The paper illustrates the application of high-spatial resolution satellite images in interpreting volcanic structures and eruption impacts in the Tengger-Semeru massif in east Java, Indonesia. We use high-spatial resolution images (IKONOS and SPOT 5) and aerial photos in order to analyze the structures of Semeru volcano and map the deposits. Geological and tectonic mapping is based on two DEMs and on the interpretation of aerial photos and four SPOT and IKONOS optical satellite images acquired between 1996 and 2002. We also compared two thermal Surface Kinetic Temperature ASTER images before and after the 2002-2003 eruption in order to delineate and evaluate the impacts of the pyroclastic density currents. Semeru's principal structural features are probably due to the tectonic setting of the volcano. A structural map of the Tengger-Semeru massif shows four groups of faults orientated N40, N160, N75, and N105 to N140. Conspicuous structures, such as the SE-trending horseshoe-shaped scar on Semeru's summit cone, coincide with the N160-trending faults. The direction of minor scars on the east flank parallels the first and second groups of faults. The Semeru composite cone hosts the currently active Jonggring-Seloko vent. This is located on, and buttressed against, the Mahameru edifice at the head of a large scar that may reflect a failure plane at shallow depth. Dipping 35° towards the SE, this failure plane may correspond to a weak basal layer of weathered volcaniclastic rocks of Tertiary age. We suggest that the deformation pattern of Semeru and its large scar may be induced by flank spreading over the weak basal layer of the volcano. It is therefore necessary to consider the potential for flank and summit collapse in the future. The last major eruption took place in December 2002-January 2003, and involved emplacement of block-and-ash flows. We have used the 2003 ASTER Surface Kinetic Temperature image to map the 2002-2003 pyroclastic density current deposits. We have also compared two 10 m-pixel images acquired before and after the event to describe the extent and impact of an estimated volume of 5.45 × 10⁶ m³ of block-and-ash flow deposits. An ash-rich pyroclastic surge escaped from one of the valley-confined block-and ash flows at 5 to 8 km distance from the crater and swept across the forest and tilled land on the SW side of the Bang River Valley. Downvalley, the temperature of the pyroclastic surge decreased and a mud-rich deposit coated the banks of the Bang River Valley. Thus, hazard mitigation at Semeru should combine: (1) continuous monitoring of the eruptive activity through an early-warning system, and (2) continuous remote sensing of the morphological changes in the drainage system due to the impact of frequent pyroclastic density currents and lahars.     

Effects of Lime‐Based Waste Materials on Immobilization and Phytoavailability of Cadmium and Lead in Contaminated Soil

Low cost lime‐based waste materials have recently been used to immobilize metals in contaminated soils. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of oyster shells and eggshells as lime‐based waste materials on immobilization of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in contaminated soil, as well as their effects on metal availability to maize plants (Zea mays L.). Oyster shells and eggshells were applied to soils at 1 and 5% w/w, after which they were subject to 420 days of incubation. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) test was employed to determine the mobility of Cd and Pb in soils. The results showed that the addition of waste materials effectively reduced the metal mobility as indicated by the decrease in the concentration of TCLP‐extractable Cd and Pb, and this was mainly due to significant increases in soil pH (from 6.74 in untreated soil to 7.85–8.13 in treated soil). A sequential extraction indicated that the addition of such alkaline wastes induced a significant decline in the concentration of Cd in the exchangeable fraction (from 23.64% in untreated soil to 1.90–3.81% in treated soil), but it increased the concentration of Cd in the carbonate fraction (from 19.59% in untreated soil to 36.66–46.36% in treated soil). In the case of Pb, the exchangeable fraction was also reduced (from 0.67% in untreated soil to 0.00–0.01% in treated soil), and the fraction of Pb bound to carbonate was slightly increased (from 16.61% in untreated soil to 16.41–18.25% in treated soil). Phytoavailability tests indicated that the metal concentrations in the shoots of maize plant were reduced by 63.39–77.29% for Cd and by 47.34–75.95% for Pb in the amended soils, with no significant differences being observed for the amendment types and the application rates. Overall, these results indicate that oyster shells and eggshells can be used as low cost lime‐based amendments for immobilizing Cd and Pb in contaminated soils.