Grain size trend and hydrodynamic condition of tirumalairajan River estuary,east coast of India

The estuary can be considered as environments characterized by high productivity and uncommensurable ecological value. However, marine ecosystems are also subjected to high human pressures that increase their vulnerability. The aim of this work is to analyze grain size trend of sediment due to the action of the main hydrodynamic condition. The spatial distribution patterns of sediments were monitored according to season. The grain-size trend of surficial sediments revealed a dominant sediment transport trend towards the eastern and south eastern part of study area. This study shows that there is an agreement among sediments path ways, hydrodynamic condition and the sediment spatial distribution in the estuarine environment. The agitation by waves is an important sorting mechanism in the study area. The findings are based on the grain size trend and also corroborated by short term observations of the estuarine sediment dynamics and transport during the monsoon, postmonsoon, summer and premonson seasons in Tirumalairajan River estuary.     

Analysis of EMD algorithm for identification and extraction of an acoustic signal in underwater channel against wind driven ambient noise

Sonar generated acoustic signals transmitted in underwater channel for distant communications are affected by numerous factors like ambient noise, making them nonlinear and non-stationary in nature. In recent years, the application of Empirical Mode Decomposition （EMD） technique to analyze nonlinear and non-stationary signals has gained much attention. It is an empirical approach to decompose a signal into a set of oscillatory modes known as intrinsic mode functions （IMFs）. In general, Hilbert transform is used in EMD for the identification of oscillatory signals. In this paper anew EMD algorithm is proposed using FFT to identify and extract the acoustic signals available in the underwater channel that are corrupted due to various ambient noises over a range of 100 Hz to 10 kHz in a shallow water region.Data for analysis are collected at a depth of 5 m and 10 m offshore Chennai at the Bay of Bengal. The algorithm is validated for different sets of known and unknown reference signals. It is observed that the proposed EMD algorithmidentifies and extracts the reference signals against various ambient noises. Significant SNR improvement is alsoachieved for underwater acoustic signals.     

Down-scaled regional ocean modeling system (ROMS) for high-resolution coastal hydrodynamics in Korea

A down-scaled operational oceanographic system is developed for the coastal waters of Korea using a regional ocean modeling system(ROMS).The operational oceanographic modeling system consists of atmospheric and hydrodynamic models.The hydrodynamic model,ROMS,is coupled with wave,sediment transport,and water quality modules.The system forecasts the predicted results twice a day on a 72 h basis,including sea surface elevation,currents,temperature,salinity,storm surge height,and wave information for the coastal waters of Korea.The predicted results are exported to the web-GIS-based coastal information system for real-time dissemination to the public and validation with real-time monitoring data using visualization technologies.The ROMS is two-way coupled with a simulating waves nearshore model,SWAN,for the hydrodynamics and waves,nested with the meteorological model,WRF,for the atmospheric surface forcing,and externally nested with the eutrophication model,CE-QUAL-ICM,for the water quality.The operational model,ROMS,was calibrated with the tidal surface observed with a tide-gage and verified with current data observed by bottom-mounted ADCP or AWAC near the coastal waters of Korea.To validate the predicted results,we used real-time monitoring data derived from remote buoy system,HF-radar,and geostationary ocean color imager(GOCI).This down-scaled operational coastal forecasting system will be used as a part of the Korea operational oceanographic system(KOOS) with other operational oceanographic systems.     

The marine and coastal access act—A hornets' nest?

The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 is now enacted into law. This paper looks at predictions made about new law by one of the authors, Peter Jones, in his paper The Marine Bill: Cornucopia or Pandora's Box [1] and assesses how successful the Act has been in turning aspirations into law. The paper focuses on the following areas: ecosystem protection, stakeholder engagement, marine spatial planning and the provision of a network of highly protected marine reserves, and raises concerns that the ecosystem approach has progressively been dropped in the drafting process of the legislation. Concerns are raised that the new Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities have similar inherent conflicts of interest to those exhibited by Sea Fisheries Committees, which they sought to replace. The effectiveness of marine planning is questioned, as there appear to be inbuilt loopholes for public authorities to avoid complying with the marine plans. The draft marine policy statement (MPS), published in July 2010, includes appropriate environmental safeguards, but the MPS has not yet been formally adopted. The absence of a concrete target for highly protected marine reserves means there is a danger that designations under the Act may have little effect on the ground. In conclusion the Act provides some new mechanisms for marine protection, but arguably does not yet provide a framework for implementing the ecosystem approach and is not an end in itself.     

Managing overcapacity in small-scale fisheries in Southeast Asia

It is now almost universally accepted that most of the nearshore fisheries in Southeast Asia are overfished. It is also accepted that overcapacity is one of the leading causes of this overfishing. The problem of addressing overcapacity in small-scale fisheries in Southeast Asia is much more complex than that of reducing overcapacity in industrial fleets. In order to manage capacity, managers need to measure and understand how much capacity currently exists in the fishery and what is the desirable level of capacity that best meets the set of management objectives. The only feasible solution to overcapacity may be based on a coordinated and integrated approach involving a mixed strategy of resource management, resource restoration and conservation, livelihoods and economic and community development, and restructured governance arrangements. The reduction of overcapacity implies an increased focus on people-related solutions and on communities.     

Assessment of Dynamic Characteristics for Compaction Piles with Geophysical Logging in Soft Ground

In this paper, a case study was performed on a sand compaction pile (SCP) and a gravel compaction pile (GCP) to estimate the dynamic characteristics and the improvement effect of soft ground. The dynamic elastic modulus, shear modulus, bulk modulus, and Poisson's ratio were estimated and the dynamic characteristics were analyzed using the compression and shear wave velocity of the improved ground based on the results of suspension P- and S-wave (PS) logging. The results revealed that the dynamic properties were increased in the order of unimproved subsoil and improved subsoil using SCP and GCP. The increase in the effects of dynamic properties with each replacement ratio of SCP was not large, whereas a good increase in the effects was observed in the case of the improved subsoil with GCP. Consequently, it was presented that the resistance characteristics against the seismic loading of GCP are excellent. As a result of analyzing the density distribution of the improved subsoil through density field logging, the overall density distribution gradually exhibits increasing trends in the order of unimproved subsoil and improved subsoil with SCP and GCP. Thus, the improvement effect of GCP was relatively high in comparison with the same replacement ratio of SCP.     

Global detailed gravimetric geoid

A 1 ° × 1 ° global detailed gravimetric geoid has been computed, using a combination of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) GEM‐8 potential field model and a set of 38,406 1° × 1° mean surface free air anomalies. Numerous short wavelength features are shown in the geoid contour map, e.g., the steep gradients associated with oceanic trenches. Comparison of this geoid with geoceiver derived and astrogeodetic geoid heights in the United States resulted in an r.m.s. difference of about 1.7 m. Comparisons with three GEOS‐3 altimeter derived geoidal profiles revealed that for areas with good surface data coverage, the relative agreement is generally better than 5 m.     

Computerized detection of seamounts from Seasat type geodetic data

Abstract

Geoid heights and vertical deflections derived from satellite radar altimetry contain characteristic signals that may be reproduced and explained by simple models for seamount gravitation acting on the sea surface. Computer algorithms capable of automatic operation and able to detect, approximately locate, and estimate parameters constraining the shape of actual sea‐mounts were written and tested. The computer program which utilized a digital high‐pass filter combined with a roughness sensor was effective in separating the seamount produced geoid undulation/vertical deflection pattern from the remaining data track features, simultaneously detecting and locating along the track such signals. Tests of the algorithm on several SEASAT passes over known bathymetry produced mixed results. Meaningful shape constraints were obtained by matching the geoid anomaly calculated from the seamount model to the actual mean sea level pattern for some seamounts. Results for other seamounts were poor and possible reasons for the failure are discussed. It is concluded that a computerized seamount detection program for radar altimetry data is feasible, but it will have to be more complex than the present one for fully successful operation.     

Winter ice experiment Beaufort Sea (Wiebs)—data collection

Abstract

Under a joint government/industry program called the Winter Ice Experiment Beaufort Sea (WIEBS), during November and December 1979 and April 1981, two data sets were acquired in the southeastern Beaufort Sea, for the purpose of developing and testing a dynamical/thermodynamical sea ice model. The data sets included meteorological, oceanographic, and sea ice parameters. Also, on a limited scale, ground truthing data were obtained. This paper deals with the data collection aspects of the experiment and their archival.