An estimation of internal soliton forces on a pile in the ocean

Internal soliton forces on oil-platform piles in the ocean are estimated with the Morison Formula. Different from sur- face wave forces, which change only in magnitude along a pile, internal soliton forces can be distributed over the entire pile in the water and they change not only in magnitude but also in direction with depth. Our calculations show that the maximum total force caused by a soliton with its associated current of 2.1 m s-1 is nearly equal to the maximum total force exerted by a surface wave with a wavelength of 300 m and a wave-height of 18 m. The total internal soliton force is large enough to affect the operations of marine oil platforms and other facilities. Therefore, the influence of internal solitons should not be neglected in the design of oil platforms.     

Exopolysaccharide production by four cyanobacterial isolates and preliminary identification of these isolates

Four marine cyanobacterial isolates, named 104, 109, 113 and 115, from marine water off China＇s coast can release a large amount of exopolysaccharide （EPS） to medium. The effects of different components in medium on EPS production by the four isolates were investigated. Under the optimal condition, the EPS released by isolates 104,109, 113 and 115 reached 7.48 g L^-1, 8.33 g L^-1, 18.26 g L^-1, and 6.78 g L^-1 within 14 d,respectively. Based on the conventional identification methods for cyanobacteria,these isolates were assigned to genus Cyanothece.     

Nonlinear coupled analysis of a single point mooring system

Coupled effects on a single point mooring(SPM) system subjected to the combined action of wind,waves and current are studied in this paper. Due to the complicatedness of the sea state and the huge size of the vessel,physical experimental study is both time consuming and uneconomical,whereas the numerical study is cost-effective and DNV software provides powerful SESAM software in solving the issues. This paper focuses on the modeling process of the SPM system,catenary equilibrium calculation,static analysis of the vessel in three different scenarios,and dynamic response simulation of the SPM system under environmental excitations. The three scenarios in study are as follows:the SPM is under the combined function of(a) wind,waves and current,(b) wind and waves,(c) current and waves. They are so set that one can compare the contributions of different types of loads in both static and dynamic studies. Numerical study shows that wind and current are the two major factors contributing to the mooring line tension,and surge and sway are the two dominant motions of the moored vessel subjected to environmental excitations.     

Spherical integral transforms of second-order gravitational tensor components onto third-order gravitational tensor components

New spherical integral formulas between components of the second- and third-order gravitational tensors are formulated in this article. First, we review the nomenclature and basic properties of the second- and third-order gravitational tensors. Initial points of mathematical derivations, i.e., the second- and third-order differential operators defined in the spherical local North-oriented reference frame and the analytical solutions of the gradiometric boundary-value problem, are also summarized. Secondly, we apply the third-order differential operators to the analytical solutions of the gradiometric boundary-value problem which gives 30 new integral formulas transforming (1) vertical-vertical, (2) vertical-horizontal and (3) horizontal-horizontal second-order gravitational tensor components onto their third-order counterparts. Using spherical polar coordinates related sub-integral kernels can efficiently be decomposed into azimuthal and isotropic parts. Both spectral and closed forms of the isotropic kernels are provided and their limits are investigated. Thirdly, numerical experiments are performed to test the consistency of the new integral transforms and to investigate properties of the sub-integral kernels. The new mathematical apparatus is valid for any harmonic potential field and may be exploited, e.g., when gravitational/magnetic second- and third-order tensor components become available in the future. The new integral formulas also extend the well-known Meissl diagram and enrich the theoretical apparatus of geodesy.     

Oxygen isotopic composition of Central Sierra Nevada precipitation, I. Identification of ice-phase water capture regions in winter storms

Measurements of the stable isotopic ratios of oxygen and simultaneously observed ice crystal structure in freshly fallen snow, have been used to estimate the weighted mean altitudes of ice-phase precipitation formation in winter clouds over the Central Sierra Nevada.Observations of dominant, diffusionally grown ice-crystal habits were used to estimate relatively narrow ranges of temperatures of initial formation of the precipitation particles using the Nakaya (1954) ice-crystal classification techniques. The mean oxygen isotope ratio ¹⁸O/¹⁶O for each snow sample, together with local upper air soundings, were used to estimate ranges of temperature-altitude within the clouds where the precipitating particles had captured their ice-phase water. For this initial study, snow samples were collected each five (5) to ten (10) minutes during three snowfall periods on 27 January, 26 February and 28 February, 1983.For the 27 January case, the ice formation mechanism was predominantly vapor deposition and hence the narrow range of temperatures determined by the ice-crystal habits was directly relatable to the mean δ¹⁸O value.The 26 and 28 February cases were more complicated because the solid-phase precipitation was formed by vapor deposition and by freezing of drops and droplets (which occurs without isotopic fractionation). In these cases, the oxygen isotopic composition of the snow reaching the ground was representative of solid phase precipitation which had formed at warmer temperatures than those corresponding to the primary ice-crystal habits alone. There was no apparent relationship between δ¹⁸O values and surface temperature at the sampling site.If relationships between ¹⁸O/¹⁶O and temperature-altitude are established for this geograpic region for winter snowfall conditions, this crystal habit—isotopic composition technique can provide knowledge about the regions of the clouds in which the ice-phase precipitation is forming over the Central Sierra Nevada.     

Recent advances in accessibility research: Representation,methodology and applications

 In this article we examine recent advances in accessibility research and their implications for future studies. We base our discussion on three intersecting dimensions that are useful for evaluating the contribution of recent studies: representation, methodology and applications. Various examples are selected to show that research concerned with representation and methodological problem solving is often applied to issues of broad concern in policy and planning. It is, however, not clear that the simultaneous treatment of representation, methodological and application issues has ever been fully worked out. The questions raised in this article may serve as a foundation for addressing issues pertinent to accurate representation, improved model building, and more rigorous applications in accessibility research. Received: 9 December 2002 / Accepted: 10 February 2003     

柴达木盆地北缘大柴旦地区古生代花岗岩锆石SHRIMP定年

大柴旦地区是柴北缘古生代超高压带的重要组成部分,与超高压岩石相伴的花岗岩十分发育。这些花岗岩具有两类不同的岩石地球化学特征,Ⅰ类以 Na_2O/K_2O 比值小于1、明显的负 Eu 异常和低 Sr、高 Y 为特征,具有 S-型花岗岩的属性,Ⅱ类以 Na_2O/K_2O 比值大于1、弱负 Eu 异常到正 Eu 异常和高 Sr、低 Y 为特征,具有Ⅰ-型花岗岩的属性,反映了它们的源岩及成因上的差异。锆石 SHRIMP U—Ph 定年结果表明,大柴旦地区花岗岩的年龄可分为三组,第一组年龄为446.3±3.9Ma,第二组年龄分别为408.6±4.4Ma、403.3±3.8Ma、401.8±3Ma,第三组年龄分别为374.5±1.6Ma、372±2.1Ma。结合区域地质特征,我们认为,第一组年龄可能反映了柴达木陆块与中南祁连板块碰撞的时代,第二组年龄可能反映了深俯冲地下的板块由于拆沉而折返的时代,第三组年龄可能反映了碰撞隆起后造山带上不同块体之间的伸展、滑塌的时代。     

Climatic change and Chinese population growth dynamics over the last millennium

The climate–population relationship has long been conceived. Although the topic has been repeatedly investigated, most of the related works are Eurocentric or qualitative. Consequently, the relationship between climate and population remains ambiguous. In this study, fine-grained temperature reconstructions and historical population data sets have been employed to statistically test a hypothesized relationship between temperature change and population growth (i.e., cooling associated with below average population growth) in China over the past millennium. The important results were: (1) Long-term temperature change significantly determined the population growth dynamics of China. However, spatial variation existed, whilst population growth in Central China was shown to be responsive to both long- and short-term temperature changes; in marginal areas, population growth was only sensitive to short-term temperature fluctuations. (2) Temporally, the temperature–population relationship was obscured in some periods, which was attributable to the factors of drought and social buffers. In summary, a temperature–population relationship was mediated by geographic factors, the aridity threshold, and social factors. Given the upcoming threat posed by climate change to human societies, this study seeks to improve our knowledge and understanding of the climate–society relationship.     

TRMM-observed summer warm rain over the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean: Characteristics and regional differences

Based on the merged measurements from the TRMM Precipitation Radar and Visible and Infrared Scanner, refined characteristics (intensity, frequency, vertical structure, and diurnal variation) and regional differences of the warm rain over the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean (40ffiS-40ffiN, 120ffiE-70ffiW) in boreal summer are investigated for the period 1998-2012. The results reveal that three warm rain types (phased, pure, and mixed) exist over these regions. The phased warm rain, which occurs during the developing or declining stage of precipitation weather systems, is located over the central to western Intertropical Convergence Zone, South Pacific Convergence Zone, and Northwest Pacific. Its occurrence frequency peaks at midnight and minimizes during daytime with a 5.5-km maximum echo top. The frequency of this warm rain type is about 2.2%, and it contributes to 40% of the regional total rainfall. The pure warm rain is characterized by typical stable precipitation with an echo top lower than 4 km, and mostly occurs in Southeast Pacific. Although its frequency is less than 1.3%, this type of warm rain accounts for 95% of the regional total rainfall. Its occurrence peaks before dawn and it usually disappears in the afternoon. For the mixed warm rain, some may develop into deep convective precipitation, while most are similar to those of the pure type. The mixed warm rain is mainly located over the ocean east of Hawaii. Its frequency is 1.2%, but this type of warm rain could contribute to 80% of the regional total rainfall. The results also uncover that the mixed and pure types occur over the regions where SST ranges from 295 to 299 K, accompanied by relatively strong downdrafts at 500 hPa. Both the mixed and pure warm rains happen in a more unstable atmosphere, compared with the phased warm rain.