Modeling the underwater light field fluctuations in coastal oceanic waters: Validation with experimental data

Modeling of the wave-induced underwater light fluctuations at near-surface depths in coastal oceanic waters is challenging because of the surface roughness and strong anisotropic effects of the light field. In the present work, a simple and computationally efficient radiative transfer model is used for the wind-driven sea surface for simulating underwater light fields such as downwelling irradiance (E_d), upwelling irradiance (E_u), and upwelling radiance (L_u) in a spatial domain. It is an extension of our previous work that essentially combines the air–sea interface of the wind-driven sea surface with transmittance and reflectance along with the diffuse and direct components of the homogenous and inhomogeneous water column. The present model simulates underwater light fields for any possible values of absorption and backscattering coefficients. To assess the performance of the model, the E_d, E_u, and L_u profiles predicted by the model are compared with experimental data from relatively clear and turbid coastal waters. Statistical results show significantly low mean relative differences regardless of the wavelength. Comparison of the simulated and in-situ time series data measured over rough sea surfaces demonstrates that model-observation agreement is good for the present model. The Hydrolight model when implemented with the modified bottom reflectance and phase function provides significantly better results than the original Hydrolight model without consideration of the bottom slope and vertically varying phase function. However, these results are non-spatial and have errors fluctuating at different wavelengths. To further demonstrate the efficiency of the present model, spatial distribution patterns of the underwater light fields are simulated based on the measured data from a coastal station for different solar zenith angles (under sunny condition). Simulated wave-induced fluctuations of the underwater lights fields show a good consistency with in-situ data for a few near-surface depths. The present model also provides a reasonable approximation for simulating wave-induced effects on the downward irradiance field and its anisotropic conditions caused by the surface roughness, wavelength and angle of incidence.     

Water surface resonance in the L-shaped channel of seawater exchange breakwater

The resonance period of the L-shaped channel in the caisson is predicted analytically for the seawater exchange breakwater of “Applicability Study of the Seawater Exchange Breakwater (1). Korea Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (in Korean) (1999a)”. Hydraulic experiments are conducted for a composite breakwater with a rear reservoir that is one of the seawater exchange breakwaters developed by them. For regular waves, the water surface elevation in the channel and the flow rate through the breakwater are measured. For irregular waves, the flow rate through the breakwater and the reflection coefficient on the breakwater are measured. The resonant maximum values in both the surface elevation and the flow rate, and the resonant minimum values in the reflection coefficient are all at wave periods slightly longer than analytically predicted ones. The measured resonance period for irregular waves is closer to the predicted one than for regular waves. If the resonance period of the L-shaped channel is fitted to the dominant period of incident waves, there would be high efficiency of seawater exchange between inside and outside the harbor.     

An analytical model with three sub-regions for m2 tide in the yellow sea and the East China Sea

In this study an analytical tide model of uniform width with three sub-regions is presented. The three-subregions model takes into account step-like variations in depths in the direction of the channel as a way to examine the M₂ tide of the East China Sea (ECS) as well as the Yellow Sea (YS). A modified Proudman radiation condition has been applied at the northern open head, while the sea surface elevation is specified at the southern open boundary. It is seen that, due to the presence of an abrupt change in depth, co-amplitude lines of the M₂ tide are splitted to the east and west near the end of the ECS shelf region. Variations in depths, bottom friction and the open head boundary conditions all contribute to the determination of formation of amphidromes as well as overall patterns of M₂ tidal distribution. It is seen that increasing water depth and bottom friction in the ECS shelf results in the westward shift of the southern amphidrome. There is however no hint at all of the well-known degenerated tidal pattern being formed. It is inferred that a lateral variation of water depth has to be somehow incorporated to represent the tidal patterns in ECS in a realistic manner. Regarding the radiation factor introduced by Fang et al. (1991), use of a value larger than one, possibly with a phase shift, appears to be a proper way of incorporating the reflected waves from the northern Yellow Sea (NYS). Key words - analytical model, M₂ tide, Kelvin wave, Yellow Sea, East China Sea     

Acute toxicity of heavy metals, tributyltin, ammonia and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to benthic amphipodgrandidierella japonica

Benthic amphipod,Grandidierella japonica widely inhabits the Korean coastal waters and is developed as a standard test species for sediment toxicity tests. We exposedG . japonica to various pollutants including 4 kinds of inorganic metals (Ag, Cd, Cu and Hg), tributyltin [TBT], ammonia and 7 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds (acenaphthene, chrysene, fluoranthene, fluorene, naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene) to estimate the no observed effect concentration (NOEC) and the median lethal concentration (LC50) of each pollutant during the 96-hour acute exposure. Among all tested pollutants, TBT was most toxic toG. japonica, and Hg was most toxic among inorganic metals. The toxicity of pyrene toG. japonica was greatest among PAH compounds, followed by fluoranthene, phenanathrene, acenaphthene, fluorene and naphthalene. The toxicity of PAH compounds was closely related to their physico-chemical characteristics such as K_ow and water solubility.G. japonica responded adequately to pollutant concentrations and exposure durations, and the sensitivity ofG. japonica to various inorganic and organic pollutants was generally comparable to other amphipods used as standard test species in ecotoxicological studies, indicating this species can be applied in the assessment of environments polluted by various harmful substances.     

Wave reflection from perforated-wall caisson breakwaters

Analytical models for predicting wave reflection from a perforated-wall caisson breakwater have been developed. Most of the existing models deal with the case in which the waves are normally incident to the caisson lying on a flat sea bottom. In the present paper, using the Galerkin-eigenfunction method, an analytical model is developed that can predict the reflection coefficient of a perforatedwall caisson mounted on a rubble mound foundation when waves are obliquely incident to the breakwater at an arbitrary angle. The developed model is compared with other theoretical results and hydraulic experimental data.     

Numerical Experiments of the Influences of the Transport Variation through the Korea Strait on the Japan/East Sea Upper Layer Circulation

Numerical experiments were performed in order to investigate the effects of variations of the transport through the Korea/Tsushima Strait, an inlet of the Japan/East Sea, on the upper layer circulation in the JES based on a 10-month transport observation from May 1999 to March 2000 (Perkins et al., 2000). All external forcings to the model were annual mean fields, except the transport variation through the Korea Strait. In the experiments where the periodic variation of the transport repeated continuously sinusoidally by several periods, strong variability of sea surface height (SSH) was detected in the region extending from the Korea Strait to the Japanese coast due to the geostrophy of the buoyancy forcing at the Korea Strait. The region along the Korean coast is more sensitive to the long-term variations than the short-term (≤60-day period) ones. In two experiments forced by realistic and monthly mean transport, the difference of rms of sea surface height was largest at the Japanese coast and relatively large at the East Korean Warm Current separation region (128∼130°E, 39∼41°N) and to the east of Yamato Rise. The distribution of difference of eddy kinetic energy at 100 m depth between the two experiments was similar to that of the rms of SSH. In the distributions of mean SSH and mean kinetic energy at 100 m depth the realistic transport invokes eddy variability to interact with mean current resulting in the changes of the mean SSH and the mean kinetic energy at the East Korean Warm Current separation region, but it does not produce conspicuous changes in the mean fields of entire JES compared with the mean fields forced by the seasonal transport.     

Ecotoxicological evaluation of sewage sludge using bioluminescent marine bacteria and rotifer

Bioassay using the marine bacteria,Vibrio fischeri and rotifer,Brachionus plicatilis, and chemical analyses were conducted to assess the toxicity of the various sewage sludges, one of the major ocean dumped materials in the Yellow Sea of Korea. Sludge elutriates extracted by filtered seawater were used to estimate the ecotoxicity of the sludge. Chemical characterization included the analyses of organic contents, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants in sludge. Bacterial bioluminescent inhibition (15 min), rotifer mortality (24 hr) and rotifer population growth inhibition (48 hr) assay were conducted to estimate the sludge toxicity. EC50 15 min (inhibition concentration of bioluminescence after 15 minutes exposed) values by Microtox® bioassay clearly revealed different toxicity levels depending on the sludge sources. Highest toxicity for the bacteria was found with the sludge extract from dyeing waste and followed by industrial waste, livestock waste, and leather processing waste. Clear toxic effects on the bacteria were not found in the sludge extract from filtration bed sludge and rural sewage sludge. Consistent with Microtox® results, rotifer neonate mortality and population growth inhibition test also showed highest toxicity in dyeing waste and low in filtration bed and rural sewage sludge. High concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals were measured in the samples from the industrial wastes, leather processing plant waste sludge, and urban sewage sludge. However, there was no significant correlation between pollutant concentration levels and the toxicity values of the sludge. This suggests that the ecotoxicity in addition to the chemical analyses of various sludge samples must be estimated before release of potential harmful waste in the natural environment as part of an ecological risk assessment.     

An analytical solution for the local suspended sediment concentration profile in tidal sea region

The time-averaged and oscillatory solutions of the one-dimensional vertical (1DV) advection–diffusion equation for the suspended sediment have been derived analytically in a tidal sea region of finite water depth. The basic equation assumes constant eddy diffusivity and settling velocity. No net flux condition is set at the sea surface, while a boundary condition with the erosion rate and depositional velocity is prescribed at the sea bottom. The time-averaged solution has been derived in a straightforward manner, while the advection–diffusion equation governing the oscillatory concentration has been first transformed to a simple diffusion equation and then solved using the Galerkin-eigenfunction method. The former is given in a closed form, while the latter is presented in a series solution.A set of calculations has been performed to examine the change in the vertical structure as well as magnitude of the concentration response function. A possible use of the solution to make an estimate of the erosion rate at the sea bottom based on the concentration information at the sea surface is discussed.     

Evaluation of building period formulas for seismic design

Building period formulas in seismic design code are evaluated with over 800 apparent building periods from 191 building stations and 67 earthquake events. The evaluation is carried out with the formulas in ASCE 7‐05 for steel and RC moment‐resisting frames, shear wall buildings, braced frames, and other structural types. Qualitative comparison of measured periods and periods calculated from the code formulas shows that the formula for steel moment‐resisting frames generally predicts well the lower bound of the measured periods for all building heights. But the differences between the periods from code formula and measured periods of low‐ to‐medium rise buildings are relatively high. In addition, the periods of essential buildings designed with the importance factor are about 40% shorter than the periods of non‐essential buildings. The code formula for RC moment‐resisting frames describes well the lower bound of measured periods. The formula for braced frames accurately predicts the lower bound periods of low‐to‐medium rise buildings. The formula for shear wall buildings overestimates periods for all building heights. For buildings that are classified as other structural types, the measured building periods can be much shorter than the periods calculated with the code formula. Based on these observations, it is suggested to use C_r factor of 0.015 for shear walls and other structural types. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.