Morphodynamics and cobbles behavior in and near the surf zone

The evolution of an initially flat sandy slope and the dynamics of large objects (cobbles/mines) emplaced on it are studied in a laboratory wave tank under simulated surf conditions. Upon initiation of wave forcing, the initially flat beach undergoes bedform changes before reaching a quasi-steady morphology characterized by a system of sand ripples along the slope and a large bar near the break point. Although the incoming wave characteristics are held fixed, the bottom morphology never reaches a strict steady state, but rather slowly changes due to the migration of ripples and bar transformation. When the wave characteristics are changed, the bedform adjusts to a new quasi-steady state after a suitable adjustment time. Studies conducted by placing model cobbles/mines on the evolving sandy bottom subjected to wave forcing show four distinct scenarios: (i) periodic cobble oscillations with zero mean displacement and small scour around the cobbles, (ii) mean onshore motion of relatively light cobbles, (iii) periodic burial of relatively heavy cobbles when their sizes are comparable to those of sand ripples, and (iv) the burial of relatively large cobbles under the bar, when the bar migrates due to changes of incoming waves. Quantitative data on the characteristics and dynamics of the bedform, including ripple-formation front propagating down the slope, ripple growth and drift, and flow around ripples, are presented. Physical explanations are provided for the observations.     

Dynamics of cobbles in the shoaling region of a surf zone

The motion of large bottom particles (cobbles/mines) was studied in the laboratory under simulated surf conditions. A series of experiments was conducted in a large wave tank, 32×0.9×1.8 m, equipped with a computer-controlled wave maker and a sloping beach. As a first step, a solid impermeable beach with artificial roughness was used in the experiments. Cobbles of different size were placed along the floor and their evolution with time was studied and compared with the model predictions. Onshore and offshore mean motions of cobbles, as well as steady oscillations with zero mean displacement, were observed for different conditions. To explain the results of observations a theoretical model was advanced. The model takes into account all main governing parameters (size and density of cobbles, bottom slope, dynamic and static friction at the bottom, background flow characteristics, etc.). Standard parameterizations were used for a pressure accelerating term, drag, lift and other nonlinear forces. For the range of parameters used in the experiments, satisfactory agreement between the measured and calculated values of the cobble displacements as a function of time was obtained. The model is practically insensitive to the vertical accelerating pressure term but sensitive to the dynamic and static friction. One of the most important variables in the model, which is known with the least accuracy, is the virtual mass coefficient for disk-shaped cobbles moving with variable velocity along a solid boundary.     

Coupled BEM-FEM Analysis of the Large-Diameter Cylinder Structure System

A method of coupled BEM-FEM analysis for the elastic spatial structure system is presented. It can be applied to the calculation of the stress and deformation of the large-diamater cylinder structure system and it is suitable for symmetric or non-symmetric structures under the distributed or concentrated load. Numerical examples show that the proposed method and computer program BEFEM are quite efficient in the analysis of the large-diameter cylinder structure problems in ocean engineering.     

The diffusive regime of double-diffusive convection

The diffusive regime of double-diffusive convection is discussed, with a particular focus on unresolved issues that are holding up the development of large-scale parameterizations. Some of these issues, such as interfacial transports and layer-interface interactions, may be studied in isolation. Laboratory work should help with these. However, we must also face more difficult matters that relate to oceanic phenomena that are not represented easily in the laboratory. These lie beneath some fundamental questions about how double-diffusive structures are formed in the ocean, and how they evolve in the competitive ocean environment.     

Chandra smells a RRAT

“Rotating RAdio Transients” (RRATs) are a newly discovered astronomical phenomenon, characterised by occasional brief radio bursts, with average intervals between bursts ranging from minutes to hours. The burst spacings allow identification of periodicities, which fall in the range 0.4 to 7 seconds. The RRATs thus seem to be rotating neutron stars, albeit with properties very different from the rest of the population. We here present the serendipitous detection with the Chandra X-ray Observatory of a bright point-like X-ray source coincident with one of the RRATs. We discuss the temporal and spectral properties of this X-ray emission, consider counterparts in other wavebands, and interpret these results in the context of possible explanations for the RRAT population. B.M.G. acknowledges the support of NASA through LTSA grant NAG5-13023 and of an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship.     

High-fidelity broadband prediction of regional seismic response: a hybrid coupling of physics-based synthetic simulation and empirical Green functions

Natural Hazards - The prediction of the seismic response of critical structures is highly sensitive to many aspects, among which the earthquake source and the geological setting are prominent. The...     

A spring and wooded habitat at FLK Zinj and their relevance to origins of human behavior

The 1959 discovery of the hominin fossil Zinjanthropus boisei brought the world's attention to the rich records at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Subsequent excavations of archaeological level 22 (FLK Zinj) Bed I uncovered remains of Homo habilis and a high-density collection of fossils and Oldowan stone tools. The occurrence of this unusual collection of bones and tools at this specific location has been controversial for decades. We present paleoecological data that provide new insights into the origin of FLK Zinj. Our recent excavations 200 m north of the site uncovered a 0.5-m-thick tufa mound draped by Tuff IC, in the same stratigraphic horizon as level 22. Stable isotope analyses indicate that the carbonates were deposited by a freshwater spring. Phytolith analysis of the waxy clay under Tuff IC revealed abundant woody dicotyledon and palm phytoliths, indicating that the site was wooded to densely wooded. The time equivalency and close physical proximity of the two environments indicate the two are related. This study has provided the first documented evidence of springs in Bed I and these data have important implications for the interpretation of hominin behavior in meat acquisition and the ongoing debate on scavenging versus hunting.