The eastern slope of the southern Adriatic basin: a case study of submarine landslide characterization and tsunamigenic potential assessment

Marine Geophysical Research - The southern Adriatic basin is the current foredeep of the Albanide fold-and-thrust belt that runs along the eastern boundary of the Adriatic basin and partly owes its...     

Two phase modal analysis of nonlinear sloshing in a rectangular container

Sloshing, or liquid free surface oscillation, in containers has many important applications in a variety of engineering fields. The modal method can be used to solve linear sloshing problems and is the most efficient reduced order method that has been used during the previous decade. In the present article, the modal method is used to solve a nonlinear sloshing problem. The method is based on a potential flow solution that implements a two-phase analysis on sloshing in a rectangular container. According to this method, the solution to the mass conservation equation, with a nonpenetration condition at the tank walls, results in velocity potential expansion; this is similar to the mode shapes used in modal method. The kinematic and dynamic boundary conditions create a set of two-space-dimensional differential equations with respect to time. The numerical solution of this set of differential equations, in the time domain, predicts the time response of interfacial oscillations. Modal method solutions for the time response of container sloshing due to lateral harmonic oscillations show a good agreement with experimental and numerical results reported in the literature.     

Long lifetimes of β-glucosidase,leucine aminopeptidase,and phosphatase in Arctic seawater

The active lifetime of extracellular enzymes is a critical determinant of the effectiveness of enzyme production as a means for heterotrophic marine microbes to obtain organic substrates. Here, we report lifetimes of three classes of extracellular enzyme in Arctic seawater. We also investigated the relative importance of photochemical processes and particle-associated processes in inactivating extracellular enzymes. Enzyme inactivation in filtered seawater was slow, with apparent half-lives of enzyme activities on the order of hundreds of hours. The presence of particles (including cells) did not significantly change inactivation rates, suggesting that the long half-lives observed in filtered seawater were realistic for enzymes in unfiltered seawater. Phosphatase and leucine aminopeptidase were susceptible to photoinactivation, but only under high intensity UV-B and UV-C illumination; there was no evidence for increased inactivation rates under natural illumination at our study site in Ny Ålesund, Svalbard. Comparison of inactivation rates of commercially-obtained enzymes from non-marine sources with the extracellular enzymes naturally present in Arctic seawater suggests that the natural enzymes contain structural features that confer longer lifetimes, consistent with observations reported by others from a range of field sites that cell-free enzymes can contribute a substantial fraction of total hydrolytic activity in the water column.     

Sea Levels and Coastal Inundation Due to Tropical Cyclones in Indian Coastal Regions of Andhra and Orissa

Coastal inundation associated with extreme sea levels is the main factor which leads to the loss of life and property whenever a severe tropical cyclonic storm hits the Indian coasts. The Andhra and Orissa coasts are most vulnerable for coastal inundation due to extreme rise in sea levels associated with tropical cyclones. Loss of life may be minimized if extreme sea levels and associated coastal flooding is predicted well in advance. Keeping this in view, location specific coastal inundation models are developed and applied for the Andhra and Orissa coasts of India. Several numerical experiments are carried out using the data of past severe cyclones that struck these regions. The simulated inland inundation distances are found to be in general agreement with the reported flooding.     

Numerical Simulation of North Indian Ocean State Prior to the Onset of SW Monsoon Using SSM/I Winds

The Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) and currents are simulated over the north Indian Ocean, during the onset phase of southwest monsoon for the three years 1994, 1995, and 1996, using daily Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) winds and National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) heat fluxes as forcings in the 2½ layer thermodynamic numerical ocean model. The results are discussed for the 30-day period from 16 May to 13 June for all the three years, to determine the ocean state during the onset phase of SW monsoon. The maximum variability in the simulated SST is found along the Somali coast, Indian coasts, and equatorial regions. The maximum SST in the North Arabian Sea is found to be greater than 30°C and minimum SST in the west equatorial region is 25°C during the onset phase of all three years. Model SSTs are in agreement with Reynolds SST. SST gradients in the north-south as well as in the east-west directions, west of 80°E are found to change significantly prior to the onset. It can be inferred from the study that the SST gradient of 2.5°C/2000 km is seen due north and due west of the region 2° - 7°S, 60° - 65°E, about 8 to 10 days prior to the arrival of SW monsoon near Kerala coast. Upper and lower layer circulation fields do not show prominent interannual variability.     

Jason-1 Precision Orbit Determination by Combining SLR and DORIS with GPS Tracking Data

With the implementation of the Jason-1 satellite altimeter mission, the goal of reaching the 1-cm level in orbit accuracy was set. To support the Precision Orbit Determination (POD) requirements, the Jason-1 spacecraft carries receivers for DORIS (Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite) and GPS (Global Positioning System), as well as a retroreflector for SLR (Satellite Laser Ranging). The overall orbit accuracy for Jason will depend on the quality and the relative weighting of the available tracking data. In this study, the relative importance of the SLR, DORIS, and GPS tracking data is assessed along with the most effective parameterization for accounting for the unmodeled accelerations through the application of empirical accelerations. The optimal relative weighting for each type of tracking data was examined. It is demonstrated that GPS tracking alone is capable of supporting a radial orbit accuracy for Jason-1 at the 1-cm level, and that including SLR tracking provides additional benefits. It is also shown that the GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) gravity model GGM01S provides a significant improvement in the orbit accuracy and reduction in the level of geographically correlated orbit errors.     

Vulnerability Assessment at Village Level Due to Tides,Surges and Wave Setup

An assessment of cyclone risk and vulnerability at the village level has evolved, which is an important component of the information system for local level development action plans for preparedness and mitigation. Here, a case study for the Nellore district along the east coast of India is considered. Using maximum probable surges along the coast, total water level (TWL) due to the combined effect of surge, tide, and wind wave is computed for the most vulnerable coastal villages of the Nellore district due to any tropical cyclones. The computations suggest that the TWL along the Nellore coast varies from 2 m in the south to 4 m in the north.     

Role of Vertical Resolution in Numerical Models Towards the Intensification,Structure and Track of Tropical Cyclones

The impact of vertical resolution on the evolution and movement of tropical cyclones was studied using NCAR MM5 model with a horizontal resolution of 9 km. Four numerical experiments were performed with different vertical resolutions, that is, with 23 vertical levels as control experiment, and 36 vertical levels with high resolution in the lower troposphere, 33 vertical levels with high resolution in the upper troposphere and 46 vertical levels with increased vertical resolution throughout the troposphere as relative to base experiment. The results indicate that increased vertical resolution in the lower troposphere produces efficient intensification and better structure in terms of eye and eyewall. Increased vertical resolution at lower levels improves the prediction of vertical shear of horizontal wind. Experiments with high resolution in the lower troposphere and high resolution throughout the troposphere simulate better track up to 72 hours.     

A Dynamical Statistical Model for Prediction of a Tropical Cyclone

A dynamical statistical method is applied for operational forecasting of the Bay of Bengal tropical cyclone “Nargis” of April–May 2008. The method consists of three forecast components, namely (a) analysis of Genesis Potential Parameter (GPP) and maximum potential intensity, (b) track prediction, and (c) 12 hourly intensity prediction for forecasts up to 72 hours. The results of the study showed that GPP could provide necessary predictive signal at early stages of development on the further intensification of the low pressure system into a tropical cyclone. The landfall forecast position errors by different operational numerical models (NWP) showed landfall position errors ranging from 10 km to 150 km and landfall time error ranges from 6 hours early to 6 hours delay. The dynamical statistical model is capable to provide 12 hourly nearly realistic intensity forecasts up to 60 hours of forecast.     

Hydrothermal Metalliferous Sediments and Waters Off the Lesser Antilles

Abstract

Considerable metal enrichments have been found in hydrothermal fluids and metalliferous sediments off the central Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc. The elements variably enriched in the fluids as a result of the hydrothermal activity are Fe, Mn, As, Si, B, Li and in the sediments, Fe, P, Mo, As, Sb, Hg, Cu and Pb. Variations in the concentrations of these elements in both fluids and sediments along the arc result from a number of factors, the most important of which is the stage that each island's volcano has reached in its eruptive cycle. Although hydrothermal mineralization on the sea floor off the islands is only low grade, phase separation in the hydrothermal fluids at depth could be leading to higher grade stockwork mineralization below the vent fields or the discharge of metal rich brines on the lower flanks of the volcanic islands.