SCOPIX – digital processing of X-ray images for the enhancement of sedimentary structures in undisturbed core slabs

X-ray images of sediment core allow recognition of fine-scaled sedimentary structures which traditional epoxy casts or lacquer peels are unable to resolve. The X-ray imaging system SCOPIX has the additional advantage of acquiring high-resolution digital pictures suitable for further analysis by advanced image processing techniques. Because of the frequent presence of both physical and biogenic sedimentary structures in undisturbed sediment cores, two image analysis procedures have been established which simplify the information contained in the images (in term of structures and facies), and allow a quantitative characterization of the observed structures. This form of parametrization of the image structure constitutes an additional source of information for a better interpretation of the physical processes responsible for the generation of the sedimentary structures.     

Dynamics of climate extremes in northern Eurasia in the late 20th century

Changes in climatic parameters and in temperature and precipitation extremes in northern Eurasia in the late 20th century are analyzed. A spatial distribution of temperature and precipitation anomalies and of a set of indices of climate extremes is presented. Changes in climate extremes show a tendency toward a milder climate, mainly in winter. At the same time, the frost-free period has substantially decreased in the eastern, northern, and central parts of European Russia. In some regions during summer, there is an increase in the frequency of extreme events such as heavy rains, droughts, and sharp cooling. It is shown that the geographic pattern of present-day climate anomalies is linked to variations in the large-scale atmospheric circulation. The main mechanism of the current warming in northern Eurasia is a winter intensification of zonal flow linked to the increased frequency of positive anomalies of the North Atlantic Oscillation index.     

Multi-AUV Control and Adaptive Sampling in Monterey Bay

Operations with multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have a variety of underwater applications. For example, a coordinated group of vehicles with environmental sensors can perform adaptive ocean sampling at the appropriate spatial and temporal scales. We describe a methodology for cooperative control of multiple vehicles based on virtual bodies and artificial potentials (VBAP). This methodology allows for adaptable formation control and can be used for missions such as gradient climbing and feature tracking in an uncertain environment. We discuss our implementation on a fleet of autonomous underwater gliders and present results from sea trials in Monterey Bay in August, 2003. These at-sea demonstrations were performed as part of the Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network (AOSN) II project     

The dimensions of sand ripples in full-scale oscillatory flows

New large-scale experiments have been carried out in two oscillatory flow tunnels to study ripple regime sand suspension and net sand transport processes in full-scale oscillatory flows. The paper focuses on ripple dimensions and the new data are combined with existing data to make a large dataset of ripple heights and lengths for flows with field-scale amplitudes and periods. A feature of the new experiments is a focus on the effect of flow irregularity. The combined dataset is analysed to examine the range of hydraulic conditions under which oscillatory flow ripples occur, to examine the effects of flow irregularity and ripple three-dimensionality on ripple dimensions and to test and improve existing methods for predicting ripple dimensions.The following are the main conclusions. (1) The highest velocities in a flow time-series play an important role in determining the type of bedform occurring in oscillatory flow. Bedform regime is well characterised by mobility number based on maximum velocity in the case of regular flow and based on the mean of the highest one tenth peak velocities in the case of irregular flow. (2) For field-scale flows, sand size is the primary factor determining whether equilibrium ripples will be 2D or 3D. 2D ripples occur when the sand D₅₀ ≥ 0.30 mm and 3D ripples occur when D₅₀ ≤ 0.22 mm (except when the flow orbital diameter is low). (3) Ripple type (2D or 3D) is the same for regular and irregular flows and ripple dimensions produced by equivalent regular and irregular flows follow a similar functional dependence on mobility number, with mobility number based on maximum velocity in the case of regular flow and based on the mean of the highest one tenth velocities in the case of irregular flow. For much of the ripple regime, ripple dimensions have weak dependency on mobility number and ripple dimensions are similar for regular and irregular flows with the same flow orbital amplitude. However, differences in ripples produced by equivalent regular and irregular flows become significant at the high mobility end of the ripple regime. (4) Ripple dimensions predicted using the Wiberg and Harris formulae are in poor agreement with measured ripple dimensions from the large-scale experiments. Predictions based on the Mogridge et al. and the Nielsen formulae show better overall agreement with the data but also show systematic differences in cases of 3D ripples and ripples generated by irregular flows. (5) Based on the combined large-scale data, modifications to the Nielsen ripple dimension equations are proposed for the heights and lengths of 2D ripples. The same equations apply to regular and irregular flows, but with mobility number appropriately defined. 3D ripples are generally smaller than 2D ripples and estimates of 3D ripple height and length may be obtained by applying multipliers of 0.55 and 0.73 respectively to the 2D formulae. The proposed modified Nielsen formulae provide an improved fit to the large-scale data, accounting for flow irregularity and ripple three-dimensionality.     

Second-order moment advection scheme applied to Arctic Ocean simulation

We apply the second-order moment (SOM) advection scheme of (Prather, M.J. 1986. Numerical advection by conservation of second-order moments. J. Geophys. Res. 91, 6671–6681.) to the simulation of the large-scale circulation of the Arctic Ocean with a coupled ocean–sea-ice model. Compared to three other advection schemes commonly employed in ocean simulations (centred differences, flux corrected transport, and multidimensional positive definite advection transport), the SOM method helps preserve the vertical structure of Arctic water masses. The depth, thickness and hydrographic properties of the Arctic Surface Water and the Arctic Atlantic Layer are better represented with SOM than with any of the other three advection algorithms. We also present a convenient method for calculating the implicit numerical diffusivity of upstream based schemes, such as the SOM method, and discuss three approaches for improving the monotonicity properties of the SOM algorithm.     

Electronic atlas of the Russian Arctic coastal zone

A set of digital maps including geology, Quaternary sediments, landscapes, engineering-geological, vegetation, geocryological and the series of regional sources have been selected to characterize the Russian Arctic coast. Based on this data, new maps of engineering geocryological zoning and zoning of the coast with respect to the intensity of exogenous geological processes and risk of technogenic impacts have been generated at the scales of 1:4,000,000–1:8,000,000. These maps are a tool to assess the impact of industry on the Arctic coast of the country.     

Modified mild slope equation and open boundary conditions

A numerical model to compute wave field is developed. It is based on the Berkhoff diffraction-refraction equation, in which an energy dissipation term is added, to take into account the breaking and the bottom friction phenomena. The energy dissipation function, by breaking and by bottom friction, is introduced in the Berkhoff equation to obtain a new equation of propagation.The resolution is done with the hybrid finite element method, where lagrangians elements are used.