Wind-driven circulation in the subarctic north Pacific using altimeter data

Time-dependent wind-driven circulation in the subarctic north Pacific is investigated by using Topex/Poseidon (T/P) altimeter data and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) wind data for about 6 years. The first empirical orthogonal function (EOF) of the T/Pderived sea level anomaly (SLA) without the variation related to the steric height change (SLA1) and the first EOF of the ECMWF-based wind stress curl fields represent basin-sized south-north oscillations and their time series agree well with a correlation of 0.49. They appear to express the spin-up and spin-down of the subarctic gyre. The third EOF of SLA (SLA3) and the second EOF of the wind stress curl are also related to the variation of the subarctic gyre. Though the correlation of their time series is 0.27, drastic changes in early winter coincide well. The two EOF pairs can be considered to mean that the SLA variation followed by the latitudinal migration of the Aleutian low is separated into two standing oscillation patterns, that is, the sea level variation combined with SLA1 and SLA3 expresses seasonal variations of the wind-driven circulation of the subarctic gyre. The interannual SLAs constructed by subtracting the SLA1 and SLA3 components clearly show trans-pacific westward propagation even in the high-latitudes. The time series of SLA1 is in agreement with that ofin situ SLAs measured with the tide gauge at Petropavlovsk (53-01N, 158-38E), which implies the possibility to monitor the subarctic circulation using tide gauge data.     

Frequency-dependence of velocity and attenuation of elastic waves in granite under uniaxial compression

Velocity as well as attenuation factorQ ^–1 ofP-wave in a dry granitic rock sample under uniaxial compressions were measured in the range of frequency between 100 kHz and 710 kHz by using the pulse transmission technique. Above the stress of 0.5 _f , where _f is the fracture stress, theP-wave velocity decreases with increasing axial stress, whereasQ ^–1 increases. Particularly, the change ofQ ^–1 is greater for high frequency than for low frequency. At a given stress level, the higher the frequency, the higher theP-wave velocity and the largerQ ^–1. This result means that the velocity decrease with increasing stress is smaller for higher frequency. Because of this frequency-dependence of velocity decrease, theP-wave in the rock under dilatant state shows dispersion. The body wave dispersion is more remarkable at higher stress, and is not found in a homogeneous material with no cracks. Thus the disperison is attributed to the generation of cracks. When the frequency-dependence ofQ ^–1 is approximated asf ⁿ in the present frequency range, the exponentn takes a value from 0.63 to 0.77.     

Structure of the Tsushima warm current in the northeastern Japan Sea

By using Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) measurements with the four round-trips method to remove diurnal/semidiurnal tidal currents, the detailed current structure and volume transport of the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) along the northwestern Japanese coast in the northeastern Japan Sea were examined in the period September–October 2000. The volume transport of the First Branch of the TWC (FBTWC) east of the Noto Peninsula was estimated as approximately 1.0 Sv (10⁶ m³/s), and the FBTWC continued to flow along the Honshu Island to the south of the Oga Peninsula. To the north of the Oga Peninsula, the Second Branch of Tsushima Warm Current and the eastward current established by the subarctic front were recombined with the FBTWC and the total volume transport increased to 1.9 Sv. The water properties at each ADCP line strongly suggested that most of the upper portion of the TWC with high temperature and low salinity flowed out to the North Pacific as the Tsugaru Warm Current. In the north of the Tsugaru Strait, the volume transport of the northward current was observed to be as almost 1 Sv. However, the component of the TWC water was small (approximately 0.3 Sv).     

Processes causing the chlorophylla maximum in the tidal front in Iyo-nada,japan

A field survey was undertaken to reveal the structure of the tidal front in Iyo-nada. An obvious tidal front was found between the mixed region around Hayasui Straits and the stratified region in Iyo-Nada. Its structure was typical in the eastern part and was influenced by the river discharge in the western part. An intense chlorophylla maximum was found in the subsurface layer of the eastern typical front. Analysis using TS diagram suggested that, around the eastern front, there was an intrusion from the mixed water to the middle layer of the stratified water. This intrusion was supposed to be an important process supplying nutrients from the mixed water to the subsurface of the frontal region and causing the intense chlorophylla maximum.     

Pressure-induced alteration in fatty acid composition of barotolerant deep-sea bacterium

Barotolerant bacterium was isolated from sediment sample which was obtained from the depth of 4033 m in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench. The physiological property, growth characteristics and fatty acid composition were examined. The strain was a psychrotrophic and barotolerant bacterium, and was identified as species in the genusAlteromonas. The fatty acids of the strain were from C12 to C18. As the growth pressure increased, the portion of unsaturated fatty acid in membrane fraction increased due to an increase in the portion of C171 and C181, while the relative portion of C160 and C161 decreased. On the other hand, as the growth temperature decreased, the portion of unsaturated fatty acid increased due to the increase in the portion of C161 and C181.     

A study of the structure of low-level katabatic winds at Mizuho Station,East Antarctica

Low-level katabatic wind profiles, which have shapes similar to those of the low-level jet (LLJ) wind profiles, are often observed during strong winds in the summer period at Mizuho Station, which is located at 70°42 S, 44°20 E in East Antarctica. The profiles may be classified according to the height of the maximum wind speed, z _m , found below 30 m height. The behavior of z m and of conditions in the layer above z mare explained well by the normalized frequency, f N = Nz/U at 30 m, whose value can be used to predict the existence of a LLJ wind profile. Subsidence and inertial oscillations above z m are related closely to the height and time variations of z m. Thus, not only effects emanating upward from surface but also momentum and heat transported downward from above are significant for the evolution of z m.     

Experimental study of heat and water vapor transfer processes in the planetary boundary layer (PBL)

The turbulent structure of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) is investigated based on measurements from a 213 m meteorological tower. It is found that the sensible heat flux decreases with height, resulting in a temperature increase during the daytime. On the other hand, the water vapor flux is almost constant with height and the diurnal variation of specific humidity is not so clear. Time variations of sensible heat flux and water vapor flux are closely correlated to the variation of net radiation and some differences are seen in their response times. Transient processes in the mixed layer including those related to the moisture structure are also investigated during periods of development and disappearance of the layer.     

Stability dependence of the drag and bulk transfer coefficients over a coastal sea surface

Bulk transfer coefficients were evaluated from eddy correlation flux measurements on a fixed pier during onshore winds. The mean values are C _D = 1.69 × 10^-3, C _H = 2.58 × 10^-3 and C _E = 1.51 × 10^-3. The drag coefficient, C _D, gradually increases with wind speed but C _H and C _E are independent of wind speed. According to theory and empirical formulas based on experimental results over flat grassland, the transfer coefficients should gradually increase with increasing instability. This is confirmed experimentally in the stable region in our case. However, the drag coefficient appears to decrease with increasing instability, which is against the theoretical result. A stability dependence is not clearly observed for C _H or C _E.