A FINITE ELEMENT SHALLOW WATER CIRCULATION MODEL FOR TOLO HARBOUR, HONG KONG

Numerical solution of two-dimensional shallow water equations has been achieved by the finite element method. In this work, the governing equations were first converted into different equations suitable for explicit, forward marching, integration in the time domain. A second order Taylor's series expansion was used for the continuity equation and an "upwind" differencing was incorporated in the nonlinear convective terms in the momentum equations.The model was applied to Tolo Harbour in Hong Kong. Velocity vector plots and surface elevations obtained from the calculations are reasonably consistent with the expected tidal response of the systems.     

On the mechanisms producing the backscattered and the trapped electrons along auroral field lines

The production mechanisms of backscattered electrons and trapped electrons along auroral field lines are examined. The backscattered electrons are produced not only by electron-neutral collisions, but also by electrostatic turbulence predominantly in the ion-cyclotron and ion-acoustic modes. The trapped electrons can only be produced by electron wave turbulence, most likely in the whistler and upper hybrid modes known as the auroral hiss.     

Rapid computation of magnetic anomalies with demagnetization included, for arbitrarily shaped magnetic bodies

Summary. The potential function ø for a magnetic body of susceptibility μ in a medium of susceptibility μ* satisfies the integral equation
Here Φ* is the potential function for the region without the heterogeneity and R is the distance from the point of observation to the point on the surface, s , of the body. δΦ /δn is the normal derivative, in the direction of the outward normal. The equation allows for the effects of demagnetization. For numerical purposes the surfaces can be divided into N facets over which δΦ/δ n is a constant. The unknown quantities δΦ/δn_j can be found from the system of equations defined by:
The prime on the summation sign denotes that the summation does not include the i th element. The magnetic field in the direction of the unit vector P( P ₁, P ₂, P₃ ) is given by:      

SDINS/GPS in-flight alignment using GPS carrier phase rate

The alignments of the strapdown inertial navigation system (SDINS) utilizing GPS carrier phase rate measurements is introduced. In this paper, a measurement model of GPS carrier phase rate under two antenna configurations is derived in order to be used for the SDINS alignment process. For in-flight alignment, the performance of the proposed SDINS/GPS integration method is analyzed using the covariance analysis and the overall performance is briefly confirmed by the navigation result of a van test. Furthermore, we find that during in-flight alignment the proposed SDINS/GPS integrated system using GPS carrier phase rate measurements can be implemented in real time because the integer ambiguity problem resulting from carrier phase measurements is avoided.     

Challenges in global ballast water management

Ballast water management is a complex issue raising the challenge of merging international regulations, ship's specific configurations along with ecological conservation. This complexity is illustrated in this paper by considering ballast water volume, discharge frequency, ship safety and operational issues aligned with regional characteristics to address ecological risk for selected routes. A re-estimation of ballast water volumes gives a global annual level of 3500 Mton. Global ballast water volume discharged into open sea originating from ballast water exchange operations is estimated to approximately 2800 Mton. Risk based decision support systems coupled to databases for different ports and invasive species characteristics and distributions can allow for differentiated treatment levels while maintaining low risk levels. On certain routes, the risk is estimated to be unacceptable and some kind of ballast water treatment or management should be applied.     

Analysis of Wedge Stability Using Different Methods

Summary The stability problem of a rock slope containing a wedge resting on two intersecting discontinuities is of great interest in rock slope engineering. It is a statistically indeterminate problem with two extra unknowns according to the force (stress) equilibrium analysis. The widely used limit equilibrium methods in practice assume that the directions of the shear forces acting on the two discontinuities are parallel to their line of intersection. The validity of this assumption, however, has not been verified theoretically. This paper presents a general limit equilibrium method that determines the directions of the shear forces by using Pans Maximum principle and an upper bound method that applies the classic upper bound theorem of limit analysis to avoid making extra assumptions. The formulations of the two methods are derived. A non-symmetric wedge and a symmetric wedge are analyzed using the two derived methods. To further explore the influence on stability due to the direction of the shear force acting on the two discontinuities, three-dimensional finite-element analyses are also conducted. The results are compared and discussed.     

Composition and exhalation flux of gases from mud volcanoes in Taiwan

Many mud volcanoes are distributed along the tectonic sutures in southern Taiwan and can be divided into five zones based on their relative positions in different tectonic domains. Most active mud volcanoes are exhaling methane-dominated gases. Nevertheless, some gases show unusual carbon dioxide-dominated and/or nitrogen-excess compositions. This implies that there are multiple sources for the gas compositions of mud volcanoes in Taiwan.For better understanding the total amount of exhalation gases and its flux, the gas flow and compositions were continuously measured in the interval of two minutes at Chung-lun (CL) bubbling mud pool for a few months. The major compositions of gases exhaling from this site were 75~90% of CO₂ and 5~12% of CH₄. The amount of gases exhaling from the mud pool can be estimated to be about 1.4 ton/year for CH₄ and 28 ton/year for CO₂, respectively. The preliminary results of exhaling gas flux from the major vents of representative active mud volcanoes, yielded an estimated total CH₄ output of the mud volcanoes in Taiwan of ca. 29 ton/year during quiescent period.     

A sediment quality triad assessment of the impact of copper mine tailings disposal on the littoral sedimentary environment in the Atacama region of northern Chile

A sediment quality triad (SQT) assessment was made of the impact of copper mine tailings disposal on littoral meiofaunal assemblages in the Atacama region of northern Chile. This situation is unusual in that the disposal is direct into the high-energy coastal system and not via a river estuary or other low-energy environment. This situation also allows for the examination of the impact of copper mine tailings in the absence of confounding effects from other pollutants. The three components of the SQT were: 1. an analysis of the bioavailable metals in both the sedimentary porewater and the adjacent seawater, 2. a microcosm bioassay of both sediments and seawaters using meiofaunal assemblages, and 3. quantitative field samples of the meiofaunal assemblages. Twelve study sites with varying degrees of impact were used, including three reference sites. The study identified that both the meiofaunal assemblage densities and taxa diversities decrease with increasing levels of bioavailable copper, that the Foraminifera and Harpacticoida are sensitive to copper, and that otoplanid Turbellaria are often characteristic of impacted sites; tailings also have both chemical and physical impacts on the environment. In some cases the physical impact of tailings is more important in excluding some organisms e.g. the interstitial polychaete, Saccocirrus sonomacus, from a site than is their chemical impact.     

Factors affecting outbreaks of high-density Cochlodinium polykrikoides red tides in the coastal seawaters around Yeosu and Tongyeong, Korea

Red tides caused by the dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides occur annually in coastal waters of Korea, causing significant damage. A distinguishing characteristic of C. polykrikoides red tides is that they develop and persist in the open sea, where the water is comparatively clean with little contamination from the shore. We examined the causes of and key nutrients involved in high-density C. polykrikoides red tide outbreaks in the coastal seawaters around Yeosu and Tongyeong, Korea. High-density C. polykrikoides red tides occur in the coastal areas of Geomo Island, where freshwater flows into the sea after heavy rainfall events. Red tides are widespread in years when rainfall is heavy. The maximum concentration of C. polykrikoides and the duration of the red tides increase with increasing rainfall. Adding nitrogen and Seomjin River water to cultures of C. polykrikoides also increases biomass production and cell density of C. polykrikoides remarkably increased after heavy rainfall events. The occurrence of high concentrations of C. polykrikoides along the shores of Yeosu and Tongyeong seems to result from rainfall-initiated inflows of high concentrations of nitrate secondarily, after a conducive physical and chemical open-water environment has been established for C. polykrikoides to spread initially.     

Laboratory investigation of the effects of mineral size and concentration on the formation of oil-mineral aggregates

Controlled laboratory studies of the formation of oil-mineral aggregates (OMA) in seawater demonstrate that sediment concentration and sediment size are key variables for determining the quantity of oil droplets stabilised by OMA formation. Experiments with a single sediment size and a range of sediment concentrations show that as sediment concentration increases, the quantity of oil trapped in OMA increases abruptly. In experiments with a single sediment concentration and a range of sediment sizes, the quantity of oil trapped in OMA decreases as sediment size increases. These results provide direct support to the hypothesis that there is a critical sediment concentration for OMA formation. Below this concentration, stabilisation of oil droplets by OMA decreases rapidly, while above this concentration, stabilisation is extensive. The results also support simple geometric models of OMA formation that predict that the critical sediment mass concentration increases linearly with sediment particle diameter. These results will help to place quantitative constraint on predictions of where and when OMA formation will be a factor in the natural dispersal of oil accidentally spilled into the ocean.