Changes in the circulation of Tampa Bay due to Hurricane Frances as recorded by ADCP measurements and reproduced with a numerical Ocean model

Hurricane Frances is shown to greatly alter the hydrodynamics within Tampa Bay, Florida, and the exchange of water with the Gulf of Mexico in both observational data and a realistic numerical circulation model of the Tampa Bay estuary. Hurricane Frances hit Tampa Bay on September 5, 2004 with surface winds peaking twice near 22 m s⁻¹. There were three stages to the hydrodynamic effect of Frances on Tampa Bay. The first stage included the approach of Frances up to the first wind peak. The winds were to the south and southeast. During this stage sea level was maintained below mean sea level (MSL) and the residual current (demeaned, detided) was weak. The second stage began as the winds turned to the east and northeast, as the eye passed near the bay, and ended as the second wind peak appeared. During this stage the residual currents were strongly positive (into the bay), raising sea level to 1.2 m above MSL at St. Petersburg. The measured residual circulation peaked at over +0.7 m s⁻¹ near the surface. The model shows this velocity peak yielded a maximum volume flux into the bay of +44,227 m³ s⁻¹, displacing a total volume of 1.5 billion m³ in just a few hours, about 42% of the bay volume. In the third stage a strong negative flow developed as the wind and sea level relaxed to near normal levels. The ADCP measured a peak outflow of −0.8 m s⁻¹ during this time. Model results indicate a maximum flux of −37,575 m³ s⁻¹, and that it took about 50 h to drain the extra volume driven into the bay by Hurricane Frances.     

Chemical structure and evolution of the mantle and continents determined by inversion of Nd and Sr isotopic data,I. Theoretical methods

While the chemical structure of the earth's mantle is probably rather complex, multi-box models have been used as a first approximation to evaluate this structure. Most commonly, a three-box model is used, involving the continental crust, the upper mantle and the lower mantle. The depleted upper mantle and the continental crust are assumed to represe1nt complementary reservoirs, related by crust formation processes occurring during geologic history.Here we investigate the Rb/Sr and Sm/Nd isotopic systematics of several three-box models, using mass balance equations and the definition of the mean age of the reservoirs. The geochemical uniqueness of the models, chosen from a large family of possible models, is evaluated from elementary graph theory, and these models are then solved using a total inversion approach. This paper (Part I) describes the methodology of the procedure; the companion paper (Part II) discusses the application of this approach to multi-box mantle models.     

The development of micro-catchments in Sri Lanka

This paper gives an informatory account of the development of micro-catchments in Sri Lanka for irrigation. Information for the paper comes from the experience of detailed investigation and preparation of technical proposals for the improvement of 170 existing micro-scale reservoir schemes in the Puttalam and Kurunegala districts, over a period of three years (January, 1982 through December, 1984), under a World Bank-financed project called “Integrated Rural Development (IRD) Project”. Investigations were carried out by a private body called Planning Consultancy, a professional staff comprising a team of eight engineers from the Resources Development Consultants Ltd., Sir Lanka, under a contract with the Ministry of Plan Implementation and under the supervision of the Irrigation Department of Sri Lanka and a World Bank-recommended body called Supervisory Consultancy. The writer is a member of the Planning Consultancy team who personally investigated and designed 30 of these schemes.     

Magneto-elastic plane waves in a cosserat medium

Summary The propagation of plane waves in an electrically conducting cosserat medium placed in a magnetic field is investigated. The constitutive equations of cosserat elasticity developed recently byParia have been combined with the field equations of electromagnetism to obtain the basic equations for the problem. The results obtained in this investigation are in agreement with the corresponding results on magneto-elastic plane waves in Hookean solids when the cosserat constants are supposed to be absent.     

Organic Matter Diagenesis in Acidic Mine Lakes

The significance of organic matter origin for carbon oxidation via sulfate and iron reduction in the sediments of three acid mine lakes is analyzed. Carbon reactivity was estimated by fitting first‐order expressions to measured rates. Carbon oxidation rates via sulfate and ferric iron reduction ranged from 3.4 to 4.7 mmol m^–2 d^–1 and resembled those reported for freshwater lakes. The estimated reaction constants increased from about 10^–3 a^–1 at the interface to the former mine grounds to 0.05 to 0.2 a^–1 at the current sediment‐water interface. Aquatic organic matter accounted for an estimated 45...75% of total carbon oxidation rates while it amounted only to about 5...14% of the total organic matter that had been deposited. The results of this study suggest that in highly acidic mine lakes the reactivity of the deposited organic matter can rapidly increase after flooding, enhancing carbon oxidation and internal neutralization rates in the sediments.     

Large-Scale Structures in Comet Hale–Bopp

The plasma tails of comets clearly show the demarcation of the solar wind into distinct equatorial and polar regions (Brandt and Snow (2000), Icarus 148, 52–64).The boundary is determined by the maximum extent in latitude of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). The observational record contains many well-observed equatorial comets, but observations of comets in the polar region are relatively rare. In addition to its size and brightness, comet Hale–Bopp had an orbital inclination of 89.4° and was well observed for months in the polar region. We document the comet's large-scale appearance throughout the apparition, including the polar region and its transition into the equatorial region. The bright dust tail hampered observations of the plasma tail, particularly near the head, but images taken with a CO⁺ filter show a very large disconnection event (DE) on May 7 and May 8, 1997. The time of disconnection is estimated at approximately May 4.0. This DE is associated with a crossing of the HCS. The model calculations of the HCS indicate that other crossings might have occurred in late April, but given the uncertainty in the calculation, the comet might have missed the HCS. Sparse observational coverage and the bright dust tail prevent further investigation of the potential earlier HCS crossings. The plasma tail shows anomalous orientations at the highest latitudes and possible explanations are discussed.     

Verification of Plasma Chemical Models of the Ionospheric D Region of the According to Radiophysical Data from Mikhnevo Geophysical Observatory

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The results of a comparison of three different plasmochemical models of the ionospheric D region during C- and X-class X-ray flares are presented. Four-, five- and...