Modelling the martian atmosphere

Stephen R Lewis shows how to model the climate of Mars, touching on the physics and dynamics of general circulation models, and the wealth of information that such models both need and produce – useful to climatologists on Earth as well as engineers planning future Mars missions.     

On the internal structure and mechanics of large strike-slip fault zones: field observations of the Carboneras fault in southeastern Spain

Deciphering the internal structure of large fault zones is fundamental if a proper understanding is to be gained of their mechanical, hydrological and seismological properties. To this end, new detailed mapping and microstructural observations of the excellently exposed Carboneras fault zone in southeastern Spain have been used to elucidate both the internal arrangement of fault products and their likely mechanical properties. The fault is a 40 km offset strike-slip fault, which constitutes part of the Africa–Iberia plate boundary. The zone of faulting is 1 km in width not including the associated damage zone surrounding the fault. It is composed of continuous strands of phyllosilicate-rich fault gouge that bound lenses of variably broken-up protolith. This arrangement provides a number of fluid flow and fluid sealing possibilities within the fault zone. The gouge strands exhibit distributed deformation and are inferred to have strain hardening and/or velocity hardening characteristics. Also included in the fault zone are blocks of dolomite that contain thin (<1 cm thick) fault planes inferred to have been produced by strain weakening/velocity weakening behaviour. These fault planes have a predominantly R₁ Riedel shear orientation and are arranged in an en echelon pattern. A conceptual model of this type of wide fault zone is proposed which contrasts with previous narrow fault zone models. The observed structural and inferred mechanical characteristics of the Carboneras fault zone are compared to seismological observations of the San Andreas fault around Parkfield, CA. Similarities suggest that the Carboneras fault structure may be a useful analogue for this portion of the San Andreas fault at depth.     

The 1500-km-long Hikurangi Channel: Trench-axis channel that escapes its trench,crosses a plateau,and feeds a fan drift

The Hikurangi Channel, east of New Zealand, is one of the earth's major, active, sediment conduits between rising mountains and ocean basin. About 1500 km long, it uniquely incorporates most variations of canyon—channel systems worldwide. An apical canyon feeds a meandering, aggradational, trench-axis channel. This diverts, 800 km from the source, across an oceanic plateau. There, an oceanic-type channel has become incised over 500 m at the plateau-edge scarp. Beyond the scarp, distributary fan channels supply sediment to the Pacific's Deep Western Boundary Current and one distributary merges into a boundary channel.     

Distributions of copepod nauplii and turbulence on the southern flank of Georges Bank: implications for feeding by larval cod (Gadus morhua)

The vertical distributions of copecod nauplii and water properties were sampled at well-mixed and stratified sites on Georges Bank using a pumping system, CTD and in vivo fluorometer during a four day period in late May 1992. At each stratified station at least one sample was taken within the thermocline and the fluorescence maximum, which usually co-occurred. Well-mixed sites had low average concentrations of nauplii, ca 41⁻¹, and showed little variation of abundance with depth. Stratified sites had from 4 to 16 times the integrated (0–50 m) abundance of nauplii compared to well-mixed sites and showed strong vertical patterns of distribution. Maximum concentrations of nauplii, up to 1601⁻¹, were associated with the thermocline at 7 of the 9 stratified stations. At the two remaining stratified sites the naupliar maximum was in the upper mixed layer, sampled at 5 m depth. The encounter rate between early feeding cod (Gadus morhua) larvae and their naupliar prey was calculated with and without turbulence. Turbulence was estimated from two sources: wind stress in the upper layer (calculated from wind observations during our cruise) and tidal shear in the lower layer (estimated initially from a tidal mixing equation). We ultimately replaced the lower layer estimates with turbulence data from a series of measurements made in 1995. The latter are more robust and had the advantage of providing dissipation rates for the pycnocline as well as the lower layer. Theory predicts an increase in encounters between a predator and its prey with the addition of turbulence parameters into standard models of encounter. We combined turbulence profiles with the vertical distribution of nauplii to examine the potential contribution of turbulent kinetic energy to predator-prey encounter rates at various depths in stratified and mixed water columns. Our calculations suggest the following increases due to turbulence at stratified sites on Georges Bank during our cruise: from 34 to 219% in the upper mixed layer, depending on wind speed and depth; approximately 8% in the pycnocline; and approximately 110% below the pycnocline. Mixed sites experience increases of at least 110% (tide only), but greater increases (118–192% in this study) occur when the wind blows because of the combined (spatially overlapped) effects of wind and tidal mixing at these sites. The absolute values for encounter rates and their modification by turbulence are sensitive to a number of assumptions in the models. We used a series of stated assumptions to generate estimates that range from 0.6 to 26.5 prey h⁻¹, depending on geographical location, physical forcing and depth.     

A direct recording ocean bottom seismometer

We have designed a simple, cheap and reliable ocean-bottom seismometer. Signals from three-component geophones are recorded directly on magnetic tape running continuously at a speed of 1 mm s¹. Time reference is derived from a temperature-compensated quartz crystal oscillator and encoded on a fourth channel as an amplitude modulation of a 20 Hz carrier. A bipolar square-root signal-compression scheme doubles the tape dynamic range to 80 db, and the available bandwidth is 2 to 100 Hz. Tape and batteries are capable of 500-hr operation, and the unique magnetic release comes close to being a fail-safe system. A heavy, high-drag concrete anchor shaped like a flower-pot provides easy launching, fast stable descent and good coupling to the ocean floor. We have had numerous successful field emplacements which have yielded good earthquake and shot-refraction data.     

Seasonal abundance, distribution and recruitment of mud crabs (Scylla spp.) in replanted mangroves

The abundance and distribution of mud crabs were studied in a replanted mangrove forest in Buswang, Aklan, Philippines. Two fishing gears, lift nets and bamboo traps, were used to monitor relative abundance of Scylla spp. populations from March 2002 to December 2003 inside the mangrove forest. A third gear, a stakenet set across a creek, was used to monitor crabs migrating out of the mangroves during the ebb tide. Scylla olivacea formed 99.3% and 70.3% of the catch in the mangrove and the stakenet, respectively. The percentage of Scylla tranquebarica increased from <1% in the mangrove catches to 29% in the stakenet. Scylla serrata was present at very low levels in both catches. The lack of modal progression in the size–frequency plots and the year-round catch rate of gravid females suggested that recruitment was constant throughout the year. Even though relative abundance decreased over the study period indicating that the stock is being over-exploited, mud crab production is more than equivalent to that of most natural mangroves.     

Shear stress variations in an estuary

Observations in 1929 of the tidal variation of surface gradients in the Tees estuary were combined with measurements of the velocity and density structure in 1975 to compute the internal and boundary shear stresses. Drag coefficients were generally higher on ebb than on flood tides and this inequality is explained using established boundary layer theory. The results suggest that the wide variation in drag coefficients in estuaries may depend, in addition to roughness changes, on the bed slope and the available kinetic energy of the mean flow.