Effect of Ocean Spray on Vertical Momentum Transport Under High-Wind Conditions

Two mathematical models are proposed detailing the influence of ocean spray on vertical momentum transport under high-wind conditions associated with a hurricane or severe storm. The first model is based on a turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) equation and accounts for the so-called lubrication effect due to the reduction of turbulence intensity. The second model is based on Monin–Obukhov similarity (MOS) and uses available experimental data. It is demonstrated that the flow acceleration is negligible for wind speeds below a certain critical value due to the fact that the spray volume concentration is low for such speeds. For wind speeds higher than the critical value, the spray concentration rapidly increases, which results in significant flow acceleration. Both models produce qualitatively similar results for all turbulent flow parameters considered. It was found that the MOS-based model tends to predict a noticeably stronger lubrication effect than the TKE-based model, especially for lower wind speeds. The results of model calculations are in very good agreement with available experimental data for the spray production values near the upper bound. It is also shown that neither the value of the turbulent Schmidt number in the TKE-based model nor the choice of a stability profile function affects the spray-laden flow dynamics significantly.     

FESOM under coordinated ocean-ice reference experiment forcing

Characteristics of the ocean state simulated with the Finite-Element Sea-Ice Ocean Model (FESOM) under the normalized year forcing of Coordinated Ocean-ice Reference Experiments (COREs; Griffies et al., Ocean Model 26:1–46, 2009) are compared with those of other models participating in COREs. In contrast to these models, FESOM is run on an unstructured mesh (with resolution varying between 20 and 150 km). It is shown that the ocean state simulated by FESOM is in most cases within the spread of other models, demonstrating that the unstructured mesh technology has reached the stage when it becomes a reliable tool for studying the large-scale ocean general circulation.     

早全新世白令海北部陆坡沉积环境快速变化

理解增暖背景下海洋环境的演化过程是海洋学和气候学一项重要的研究内容。在地质时期,地球经历了多次增暖时段（包括早全新世）,这为认识海洋环境演化过程提供了重要参考。早全新世全球气候经历了快速增暖,并伴随着冰原融化和海平面快速上升,对包括白令海在内的高纬边缘海的沉积过程和海洋环境产生显著影响。白令海发育宽阔的大陆架,毗邻北美大陆,接受来自育空河、阿纳德尔河和库斯科维姆河物质的供给。目前我们对白令海如何响应早全新世气候的认识还存在明显不足。本研究对位于白令海北部陆坡LV63-19-3岩心沉积物中陆源碎屑组份进行了高分辨率调查,结合沉积年龄模型,研究了早中全新世（距今11.7～5.5 ka）白令海北部陆坡陆源沉积演化过程。研究结果显示,在距今11.5～11 ka,白令海北部陆坡沉积速率高达392.9 cm/ka,在距今约9.7 ka以后降至17.2 cm/ka。在距今11～10.7 ka,发现一层厚约40 cm的暗色纹层状沉积层。在高沉积速率时段,沉积物平均粒径较细,距今9 ka以来平均粒径逐渐增大。主微量元素分析结果表明,陆源碎屑沉积物母岩性质以长英质沉积物为主,并存在少量火山碎屑源贡献。白令海北部陆坡高沉积速率事件对应于冰原融水脉冲（MWP）-1B事件（距今11.4～11.1 ka）,并导致白令海陆坡硅质生产力勃发。在距今11～10.7 ka研究区春夏季海冰覆盖增加抑制表层水体氧供给,夏、秋季持续冰川融水和高表层生产力进一步加剧了水体层化和海洋内部消耗,共同促进了纹层状沉积层的形成。距今9 ka以来白令海季节性海冰活动增强,但是陆源碎屑物质质量累积速率则逐渐减小,表明随着海平面上升,供给到研究区的陆源物质减少。我们认为早全新世白令海北部陆坡沉积环境快速变化是海平面、冰融水脉冲事件和季节性海冰活动共同作用的结果,实际上受高纬日射量、北美大陆冰原融化和全球气候变化控制。     

Estimation of methane fluxes from bottom sediments of Lake Baikal

Methane bubble fluxes in gas flares from bottom sediments in Lake Baikal were estimated for the first time using hydroacoustic methods. Earlier work has demonstrated the occurrence of gas seeps both inside and outside of areas where bottom simulating reflectors were identified in seismic profiles. Fluxes ranged from 14 to 216 tons per year, with the flux for the entire area of the central and southern basins ranging from 1,400 to 2,800 tons per year. Comparison with other water bodies showed that fluxes from the most intensive Baikal flares were similar to those in the Norwegian and Okhotsk seas. Gas hydrates decompose at the lower boundary of the gas hydrate stability zone due to sedimentation. Calculation of the amount of methane produced due to sedimentation gave a total of between 2,600 and 14,000 tons per year for the central and southern basins of the lake. Based on rough estimation, the total flux from shallow- and deep-water gas seeps is similar to the amount of methane produced due to sedimentation. This suggests that gas hydrates possibly occupy much more than 10?% of the pore volume near the base of the gas hydrate stability zone, or that there are other reasons for gas hydrate dissociation and bubble flux from these bottom sediments.     

The improvement of greenhouse gas inventory as a tool for reduction emission uncertainties for operations with oil in the Russian Federation

The high quality inventory is an important step to greenhouse gas emission mitigation. The inventory quality is estimated by means of the uncertainty analysis. The level of uncertainty depends upon the reliability of activity data and the parameters used. An attempt has been made to improve the accuracy of the estimates through a shift from production-based method (IPCC Tier 1) (IPCC 2000) to enhanced combination of production-based and mass balance methods (IPCC Tier 2) (IPCC 2006) in the estimation of emissions from operations with oil that are key in the national greenhouse gas inventory of the Russian Federation. The IPCC Tier 2 (IPCC 2006) was adapted for the national conditions. The greenhouse gas emissions were calculated for 1990 to 2009 with the use of both methods. The quantitative uncertainty assessment of the calculations was performed, and the outcomes were compared. The comparison showed that the estimates made with the use of higher tier method resulted in higher accuracy and lower uncertainties (26 % respectively compared to previously derived 54 %).     

Lagrangian study of temporal changes of a surface flow through the Kamchatka Strait

Using Lagrangian methods, we analyze a 20-year-long estimate of water flux through the Kamchatka Strait in the northern North Pacific based on AVISO velocity field. It sheds new light on the flux pattern and its variability on annual and monthly time scales. Strong seasonality in surface outflow through the strait could be explained by temporal changes in the wind stress over the northern and western Bering Sea slopes. Interannual changes in a surface outflow through the Kamchatka Strait correlate significantly with the Near Strait inflow and Bering Strait outflow. Enhanced westward surface flow of the Alaskan Stream across the 174°E section in the northern North Pacific is accompanied by an increased inflow into the Bering Sea through the Near Strait. In summer, the surface flow pattern in the Kamchatka Strait is determined by the passage of anticyclonic and cyclonic mesoscale eddies. The wind stress over the Bering basin in winter–spring is responsible for eddy generation in the region.     

Nonlinear plasma wave processes observed in the polar cusp

We present observations of electric and magnetic field variations from proton (about few Hz) to electron cyclotron frequencies (about few kHz) obtained by STAFF instrument on Cluster satellites during two cusp crossings, at ∼6 R _E altitude, in September 2002. The cusp was identified by the presence of intensive fluxes of counter streaming electrons with low energies and broadband wave activity which is typical for this region. Special attention is given for the interval of measurements when the waveform of the magnetic field fluctuations was taken in this region by CLUSTER satellites. The wave has been processed using the wavelet and bispectral analysis. Results showing the cascade of turbulence and wave-wave interactions are presented in this paper. A three wave process can be responsible for the broadening of the wave spectra in the polar cusp.     

Genotoxic potential of copper oxide nanoparticles in the bivalve mollusk <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mytilus trossulus</Emphasis>

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) are among the most widely used metal oxide nanoparticles, which increases the chance of their being released into the marine environment. As the applications of these particles have increased in recent years, their potential impact on the health of marine biota has also increased. However, the toxicological effects of these NPs in the marine environment are poorly known. In the present study, the DNA damaging potential of CuO-NPs in the marine eastern mussel Mytilus trossulus was evaluated and compared to that of dissolved copper exposures. Genotoxicity was assessed by the single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay in mussel gill and digestive gland cells. The results showed that copper in both forms (CuO-NPs and dissolved copper) was accumulated to different extents in mussel tissues. The mussel exposed to the dissolved copper attained higher concentrations of copper in the gills than in the digestive gland. In contrast to these results, it was found that CuO-NPs could induce much higher copper accumulation in the digestive gland than in the gills. A clear and statistically significant increase in DNA damage was found in both tissues of the Cu-exposed group compared to the control mussels. Our results indicated that the CuO-NP exposure produced remarkable effects and increased DNA damage significantly in mussel gill cells only. It should be noted that the digestive gland cells were prone to accumulation following CuO-NPs when compared to the gill cells, while the gill cells were more sensitive to the genotoxic effects of CuO-NPs. These results also suggested the need for a complete risk assessment of engineered particles before its arrival in the consumer market.     

Biogeochemistry of dissolved carbon,major, and trace elements during spring flood periods on the Ob River

Detailed knowledge of the flood period of Arctic rivers remains one of the few factors impeding rigorous prediction of the effect of climate change on carbon and related element fluxes from the land to the Arctic Ocean. In order to test the temporal and spatial variability of element concentration in the Ob River (western Siberia) water during flood period and to quantify the contribution of spring flood period to the annual element export, we sampled the main channel year round in 2014–2017 for dissolved C, major, and trace element concentrations. We revealed high stability (approximately ≤10% relative variation) of dissolved C, major, and trace element concentrations in the Ob River during spring flood period over a 1‐km section of the river channel and over 3 days continuous monitoring (3‐hr frequency). We identified two groups of elements with contrasting relationship to discharge: (a) DIC and soluble elements (Cl, SO₄, Li, B, Na, Mg, Ca, P, V, Cr, Mn, As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ba, W, and U) negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with discharge and exhibited minimal concentrations during spring flood and autumn high flow and (b) DOC and particle‐reactive elements (Al, Fe, Ti, Y, Zr, Nb, Cs, REEs, Hf, Tl, Pb, and Th), some nutrients (K), and metalloids (Ge, Sb, and Te), positively correlated (p < 0.05) with discharge and showed the highest concentrations during spring flood. We attribute the decreased concentration of soluble elements with discharge to dilution by groundwater feeding and increased concentration of DOC and particle‐reactive metals with discharge to leaching from surface soil, plant litter, and suspended particles. Overall, the present study provides first‐order assessment of fluxes of major and trace elements in the middle course of the Ob River, reveals their high temporal and spatial stability, and characterizes the mechanism of river water chemical composition acquisition.