Calibration of visual observations of wave period

Visual observations of wave properties are an important source of statistical information needed for the prediction of design and operational conditions of ocean structures. In particular, mean wave periods are important parameters for predicting the response of ocean structures. The existing calibration studies were based on data sets with a poor correlation between observations and measurements. The data set analysed here show a good correlation indicating the feasibility of collecting further good data sets to provide an adequate calibration to the existing statistical compilations of wave data.     

Theoretical wind wave frequency spectra in deep water——Ⅰ. Form of spectrum

In this part ot the paper theoretical wind-wave spectra nave been derived oy (I) expressing the spectrum in series composed of exponential terms; (2) assuming that the spectrum satisfies a high order linear ordinary differential equation; (3) introducing proper parameters in the spectrum; and (4) making use of some known charateristics of wind-wave spectrum, for instance, the law governing the equilibrium range. The spectrum obtained contains the zero order moment of the spectrum m0, the peak frequency ω0 and the ratio R =ω/ω0 (ω being the mean zero-crossing frequency) as parameters. The shape of the nondimensional spectrum S(ω) = ω0S(ω)/m0(ω=ω/ω0) changes with R and theoretically reduces to a Dirac delta function δ(ω-1) when R = 1. A spectrum of simplified form is given for practical uses, in which R is replaced by a peakness factor P=S(1).     

Lower Eocene red-clay sedimentation on the George Bligh/Rockall Channel

Core 7710, recovered on the George Bligh/Rockall Channel, is composed of fine grained ocher-colored sediments rich in ferriferous smectite (montmorillonite, beidellite). These sediments were deposited during early Eocene in a shallow marine environment. Their mineralogic, chemical and isotopic constituents indicate subaerial weathering of lower Eocene intermediate igneous rocks (ferrodiorite, marscoiite) eroded from the still-emergent George Bligh and Rockall Banks. Lack of any post Eocene Sediments may be due to major morphologic and hydrologic changes forming sedimentation gaps.     

Prolonged Magmatic and Tectonic Development of the Caribbean Igneous Province Revealed by a Diving Submersible Survey

Using the diving submersible survey NAUTICA we investigated the central part of the Caribbean large igneous province (CLIP) to observe and sample internal portions of this proposed oceanic plateau. Most of the samples are gabbroic and doleritic rocks; basalts are scarce. Radiometric dating by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar incremental heating experiments indicate that the intrusive rocks are Campanian in age (81–75 Ma). In some places these intrusive rocks underlie older Santonian (85–83 Ma) extrusive basaltic rocks, suggesting that the Campanian rocks represent a sill injection and an underplating episode. Results of the diving program supplemented by information from ODP and DSDP drilling sites document a 20 m.y. period (94–75 Ma) of igneous activity in the submerged portion of the Caribbean large igneous province (CLIP). In the northern part of the Beata Ridge late Campanian and/or post Campanian uplift is documented by prominent Maastrichtian (71–65 Ma) erosion and the establishment of a Paleocene-middle Eocene (65–49 Ma) carbonate platform. During and after the uplift an extensional period is indicated by seismic images and the subsidence (3 km depth) of the carbonate platform. Paleocene ages (55–56 Ma) determined on some volcanic samples are attributed to localised decompression mantle melting that accompanied the extension. We document a prolonged period of magmatic and tectonic events that do not fit with the current models of short-lived plateau formation during mantle plume initiation but shares many similarities with the constructional histories of other oceanic large igneous provinces.     

Vertical migration and mortality of benthos in dredged material: Part III—polychaeta

The survival of benthic invertebrates from dredging and disposal activities is a major environmental concern in such projects. The purpose of the research described in this paper was to determine the ability of benthos (polychaetes, Scoloplos fragilis and Nereis succinea) to migrate vertically in natural and exotic sediments and to determine the survival of benthos when exposed to particular amounts of simulated dredged material.Mortalities generally increased with increased sediment depth, exotic sediment and burial time. Temperature also affected vertical migration and mortalities. These experiments, together with other experiments conducted by us and other workers, indicate that polychaetes in particular, and benthos in general, can survive dredging and disposal projects. Under certain conditions several major taxa (polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans) can be expected to successfully recolonise disposal sites by vertical migration.     

The parameterisation and prediction of wave height and wind speed persistence statistics for oil industry operational planning purposes

This study sets out to define the basic forms in which wind speed and wave height persistence statistics may be defined for offshore engineering applications, and describes the development of a mathematical persistence model.The model incorporates some of the principles laid down by other workers, but it is fundamentally based on a new concept for parameterising persistence statistics, linking wind speed and sea state percentage probability of exceedance with the persistence average duration.North Sea measured wind and wave data have been used to calibrate and test the model. During the course of these test runs it proved necessary to fine tune the basic Weibull equation of the model, but following these adjustments the model runs were found to correlate well with the measured data.It is concluded that the model may be used to predict wind speed and wave height persistence statistics with acceptable accuracy for preliminary stage oil industry planning purposes and that the calibrated model has particular application for those areas where little measured data are currently available.     

Three-dimensional inversion of marine magnetic anomalies: Implications for crustal accretion along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (28°–31°30′ N)

We present magnetic field data collected over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the vicinity of the Atlantis Fracture Zone and extending out to 10 Ma-old lithosphere. We calculated a magnetization distribution which accounts for the observed magnetic field by performing a three-dimensional inversion in the presence of bathymetry. Our results show the well-developed pattern of magnetic reversals over our study area. We observe a sharp decay in magnetization from the axis out to older lithosphere and we attribute this decay to progressive low temperature oxidation of basalt. In crust which is 10 Ma, we observe an abrupt increase in magnetic field intensity which could be due to an increase in the intensity of magnetization or thickness of the magnetic source layer. We demonstrate that because the reversal epoch was of unusually long duration, a two-layer model comprised of a shallow extrusive layer and a deeper intrusive layer with sloping polarity boundaries can account for the increase in the amplitude of anomaly 5. South of the Atlantis Fracture Zone, high magnetization is correlated with bathymethic troughts at segment end points and lower magnetization is associated with bathymetric highs at segment midpoints. This pattern can be explained by a relative thinning of the magnetic source layer toward the midpoint of the segment. Thickening of the source layer at segment endpoints due to alteration of lower oceanic crust could also cause this pattern. Because we do not observe this pattern north of the fracture zone, we suggest it is a result of the nature of crustal formation process where mantle upwelling is focused. South of the fracture zone, reversals along discontinuity traces only continue to crust 2 Ma old. In crust >2 Ma, we observe bands of high, positive magnetization along discontinuity traces. We suggest that within the discontinuity traces, a high, induced component of magnetization is produced by serpentinized lower crust/upper mantle and this masks the contribution of basalts to the magnetic anomaly signal.