Control strategies for the Clam Wave Energy Device

A promising wave energy device being currently investigated is the ‘clam’. The clam extracts energy by pumping air through a specially designed (Wells) turbine. Although operation of the Wells turbine does not require a rectified air flow, some additional control will be necessary to optimize the phase of the clam motion for good efficiencies. An examination of the equation of motion in the time domain suggests the possibility of phase control by mechanical, power take-off, or pneumatic latching. Latching can be shown to increase the efficiency of the device in the longer wavelengths of the wave spectrum, i.e. those of high incident wave power. Equivalently latching could be used to keep the device efficiency high while reducing its size, possibly resulting in cheaper power extraction.     

Response of the suspended sediment transport system to continental shelf dynamics

Surface currents influenced by a wind-driven upwelling event in San Pedro Bay moved total suspended matter (TSM) confined to the inner shelf on 19 April 1978 seaward, so that by 27 April surface TSM had increased over the outer shelf. Near-bottom concentrations of TSM also increased across the shelf during this time. This is explained by sediment resuspended by large surface waves being advected from the inner shelf seaward by the mean flow after this flow had turned from southeasterly to southerly when upwelling ceased on 26 April. These complex shelf dynamics contribute to the off-shelf transport of mud to the slope and deep basins.     

Solubility of hydrous ferric oxide and iron speciation in seawater

Iron solubility equilibria were investigated in seawater at 36.22‰ salinity and 25°C using several filtration and dialysis techniques. In simple filtration experiments with 0.05 μm filters and Millipore ultra-filters, ferric chlorides fluorides, sulfates, and FeOH²⁺ species were found to be insignificant relative to Fe(OH)₂⁺ at p[H⁺] = ?log [H⁺] greater than 6.0. Hydrous ferric oxide freshly precipitated from seawater yielded a solubility product of ${}^1\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>so</mtext>}}\text{=}\text{[Fe}{}^{\mathrm{3+}}\text{][H}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{]}{}^{\mathrm{?3}}\text{= 4.7 · 10}{}^5$. Solubility studies based on the rates of dialysis of various seawater solutions and on the filtration of acidified seawater solutions indicated the existence of the Fe(OH)₃⁰ species. The formation constant for this species can be calculated as ${}^1\text{β}{}_3\text{=}\text{[Fe(OH)}{}_3{}^0\text{] [H}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{]}{}^3\text{/[Fe}{}^{\mathrm{3+}}\text{] = 2.4 · 10}{}^{\mathrm{?14}}$. The Fe(OH)₄^? species is present at concentrations which are negligible compared to Fe(OH)₂⁺ and Fe(OH)₃⁰ in the normal pH range of seawater. However, there is at least one other significant ferric complex in seawater above p[H⁺] = 8.0 (possibly with bicarbonate, carbonate, or borate ions) in addition to the Fe(OH)₂⁺ and Fe(OH)₃⁰ species.     

Sedimentary development of the Louisiana continental shelf related to sea level cycles: Part II—seismic response

Cyclic sequences occur worldwide in nearly every stratigraphic sequence; they are particularly well-developed in fluvial and deltaic sediments that have been influenced by high-frequency eustatic sea-level fluctuations. The large data base for this study (including 471 deep foundation borings, thousands of line kilometers of high-resolution seismic, and sedimentological and dating analyses) represents the most complete information on high-resolution chronostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy that is available on any modern continental shelf/upper slope. These data are used to document sedimentological characteristics and high-resolution seismic responses during three complete sea-level cycles over the entire continental shelf/upper slope of offshore Louisiana. Examination of high-resolution seismic records indicates that well-defined, high-amplitude, laterally continuous reflectors correlate with rising and high stand condensed sedimentary sequences and that the deposits laid down during falling and low-stand periods (expanded sections) are characterized by a wide range of acoustic responses. Discontinuous reflectors with high-amplitude variability, continuous parallel reflectors, and chaotic and amorphous zones are common acoustic responses. The association between a particular lithofacies and a specific acoustic response on 3.5-kHz records was found to be very poor.     

Toxicity of Santa Barbara seep oil to starfish embryos: Part 2—the growth bioassay

The asteroid Patiria miniata was used to develop a static bioassay for various crude oil water-soluble fractions (WSF). The criterion used is the size of 48-h exposed embryos. The reasons for choosing this species and the growth criterion are discussed. Experiments show that the body length of 48-h exposed embryos is inversely proportional to hydrocarbon concentration of the WSF and the time of exposure. It is also shown that the toxicity of the WSF decreases with the age of the preparation and that the first 12 h following fertilisation are most sensitive to the effects of WSF.     

Vibrations of a simply supported plate carrying an elastically mounted concentrated mass

A large number of papers and technical reports are available on the technically important problem of structural elements executing transverse vibrations and carrying concentrated masses. In general it is assumed that the attachment is perfectly rigid. On the other hand, a rather limited amount of published work is available when the mass is elastically connected to the structure. The system then exhibits a more complex behavior than in the case of rigid attachment. The present study deals with the solution of the title problem using the well-known normal mode, sinusoidal eigenfunction expansions.     

Spatial variability in the primary productivity in the East China Sea and its adjacent waters

Primary productivity in the East China Sea and its adjacent area was measured by the¹³C tracer method during winter, summer and fall in 1993 and 1994. The depth-integrated primary productivity in the Kuroshio Current ranged from 220 to 350 mgC m⁻²d⁻¹, and showed little seasonal variability. High primary productivity (above 570 mgC m⁻²d⁻¹) was measured at the center of the continental shelf throughout the observation period. The productivity at the station nearest to the Changjiang estuary exhibited a distinctive seasonal change from 68 to 1,500 mgC m⁻²d⁻¹. Depth-integrated primary productivity was 2.7 times higher in the shelf area than the rates at the Kuroshio Current. High chlorophyll-a specific productivity (mgC mgChl.-a⁻²d⁻¹) throughout the euphotic zone was mainly found in the shelf area rather than off-shelf area, probably due to higher nutrient availability and higher activity of phytoplankton at the subsurface layer in the shelf area.     

Magnitude-frequency relationship of coastal sand delivery by a southern California stream

Coastal sand delivery by a stream in southern California is estimated based on a numerical model which stimulates unsteady flow, sediment transport, and the associated channel adjustments for a stream-delta system. An average annual sediment yield of 51,400 m³/yr is estimated for the San Dieguito River, which drains a semiarid watershed controlled by dams. Of the total sand delivery by the stream, 20.5 percent is contributed from floods greater than the 100-year flood; 17.6 percent from those between the 50- and 100-year events; 28.4 percent from those between the 25- and 50 year floods; and 33.5 percent from those smaller than the 25-year flood.     

Circulation in the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) during winter—spring

This study is devoted to oceanographic features of the semi-enclosed Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea. The data were recorded in winter—spring 1999 on the R/V Meteor cruise leg 44/2. Temperature and salinity profiles were measured at six positions (I—VI). The shipboard NarrowBand Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (NB ADCP) 150 kHz continuously recorded current profiles down to 350 m en route. The research revealed that the current near the Strait of Tiran front (position VI) represents a semidiurnal signal of an internal tide wave (∼12 h period; 0.2 ms⁻¹ amplitude) that might be generated by the barotropic tide at the sill of the Strait. A sequence of cyclonic and anticyclonic eddy pairs is found along the axis of the Gulf of Aqaba during winter-spring seasons. These sub-mesoscale signals are dominant above the main thermocline and might be caused by wind forcing and the narrowness of the Gulf; it might remain in other seasons with different dimensions in relation to the depth of thermocline. The total diameter of each pair was twice the baroclinic Rossby radius (R ≈ 10 km). A single anti-cyclonic eddy was observed in the upper 300 m in the northern tip of the Gulf with a diameter of about 5–8 km.     

Analysis of estuarine colour components during non-monsoon period through Ocean Colour Monitor

Simultaneous acquisition of water samples, radiance and irradiance measurements were carried out from 40 stations in the Mandovi–Zuari estuaries during February to May 2002. From the samples collected, inherent and apparent optical properties (IOP and AOP) such as absorption coefficient (a), upwelling diffuse attenuation coefficient (k_u) and subsurface reflectance (R) were derived. Using these optical properties, radiative transfer at each water column is examined. On the basis of the radiative transfer outcome, band-ratio algorithms are derived for three optically active substances (OAS), viz, chlorophyll-a, suspended sediment and coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM). The respective algorithms are 670/555, 490/670 and 412/670 nm for chlorophyll-a, suspended sediment and CDOM. These algorithms are applied to Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM), onboard Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS)-Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (P4), scenes (digital data), to synoptically analyze these OAS. The synoptic analysis of OAS revealed different hydrodynamic characteristics of the estuaries during non-monsoon seasons.