Bioerosion by chemosynthetic biological communities on Holocene submarine slide scars

Geomorphic, stratigraphic, and faunal observations of submarine slide scars that occur along the flanks of Monterey Canyon in 2.0–2.5 km water depths were made to identify the processes that continue to alter the surface of a submarine landslide scar after the initial slope failure. Deep-sea chemosynthetic biological communities and small caves are common on the sediment-free surfaces of the slide scars, especially along the headwall. The chemosynthetic organisms observed on slide scars in Monterey Canyon undergo a faunal succession based in part on their ability to maintain their access to the redox boundaries in the sediment on which they depend on as an energy source. By burrowing into the seafloor, these organisms are able to follow the retreating redox boundaries as geochemical re-equilibration occurs on the sole of the slide. As these organisms dig into the seafloor on the footwall, they often generate small caves and weaken the remaining seafloor. While chemosynthetic biological communities are typically used as indicators of fluid flow, these communities may be supported by methane and hydrogen sulfide that are diffusing out of the fresh seafloor exposed at the sole of the slide by the slope failure event. If so, these chemosynthetic biological communities may simply mark sites of recent seafloor exhumation, and are not reliable fluid seepage indicators.     

Seagrass landscape-scale changes in response to disturbance created by the dynamics of barrier-islands: A case study from Ria Formosa (Southern Portugal)

This study documents long-term changes of a Zostera noltii landscape induced by a natural cyclic event in a coastal lagoon. The barrier-islands forming this system are very dynamic with drifting movements controlling ecological patterns and processes occurring in this area. Changes in the areal extent of the Z. noltii meadows were assessed using historical aerial photographs from 1940, 1980, 1989, 1996 and 1998. Landscape indices such as total patch area (TA), mean patch size (MPS), number of patches (NP), mean shape coefficient of variation (CV) and landscape fractal dimension (D) were calculated for each year and related to an index of disturbance intensity. The spatial distribution of the Z. noltii meadows varied greatly during the studied period and changes observed were related to the disturbance created by the barrier-islands' spatial dynamics. After an artificial inlet relocation the Z. noltii area, number of patches, patch mean size and coefficient of variation decreased. The fractal dimension of the Z. noltii landscape increased by 50% showing that besides a decrease in total area, number of patches, and patch mean area, patch fragmentation was an important consequence of this anthropogenic disturbance.Seagrass natural distribution patterns changed in response to natural and human-induced activities. This study emphasizes the importance of the landscape approach and the historical perspective when studying seagrass changes and the importance of taking into consideration long-term changes in seagrass landscapes to avoid confusion between man-induced effects with natural cyclic events.     

Application of wavelet transforms to the decoupling of free-roll decay data

This study presents the results of the decoupling of a free-roll decay test by wavelet transforms. A free-roll decay test was performed to determine the coefficients of damping terms in equations of motion. No motion of the model was restricted during the experiment. A slight yaw motion was found while the model was in the free-roll decay motion. It was necessary to extract a pure roll motion from the experimental data. Wavelet transforms were applied to the signals to extract the pure roll motion. The results were compared to those found through the Fourier transform. Discrete wavelet transforms were able to efficiently decouple the test signals, while the continuous wavelet transform and the Fourier transform could not.     

Cyclic inelastic behavior and analytical modelling of pile–leg interaction in jacket type offshore platforms

Structures in locations susceptible to severe seismic disturbances should be designed properly in order to resist lateral forces induced by earthquake motions. Steel offshore platforms are some of those structures which are built to withstand environmental and accidental loads during oil exploitation operation. Particular attention is being paid to earthquake loads in seismic active areas because it directly influences the capacity of the offshore installations.

In this paper, a small-scaled planar platform has been modelled analytically using nonlinear finite element program, based on an experimental test, conducted simultaneously in order to assess the local and global behavior of pile–leg interaction in Jacket Type Offshore Platforms (JTOPs). A combination of nonlinear beam column elements and fatigue affected elements are used to capture the inelastic cyclic behavior of planar frame as accurately as possible. Results of analytical tests are to be compared with experiments and it is concluded that an analytical approach can be best used for modelling JTOPs with reasonable accuracy regardless of the type and scale of the structure. Moreover, a special study on joints has been carried out and the best model has been selected to simulate brittle behavior of joints resulting from heat affected zone.     

Change of multifractal thermal characteristics in the western Philippine sea upper layer during internal wave-soliton propagation

The upper layer (above 140 m depth) temperature in the western Philippine Sea near Taiwan was sampled using a coastal monitoring buoy (CMB) with 15 attached thermistors during July 28–August 7, 2005. The data were collected every 10 min at 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 m using the CMB sensors, and every 15 sec at 15 different depths between 25 m and 140 m. Internal waves and solitons were identified from the time-depth plot of the temperature field. Without the internal waves and solitons, the power spectra, structure functions, and singular measures (representing the intermittency) of temperature field satisfy the power law with multi-scale characteristics at all depths. The internal waves do not change the basic characteristics of the multifractal structure. However, the internal solitons change the power exponent of the power spectra drastically, especially in the low wave number domain; they also break down the power law of the structure function and increase the intermittency parameter. The physical mechanisms causing these different effects need to be explored further.     

Copper, lead and cadmium in coastal waters of the western North Sea

Cadmium, lead and copper have been determined in both dissolved and particulate phases for 130 surface-water samples from the coastal zone of Scotland and England in the western North Sea. The concentrations reported are, in general, lower than those published previously for the same area.The distribution of total metal concentration between the dissolved and particulate phases varies for the three elements. The lead distribution is dominated by its associations with particulate material while cadmium shows the reverse behaviour, existing almost totally in the dissolved phase. Copper is intermediate in behaviour, with the dissolved phase generally being dominant.An inverse relationship between salinity and dissolved copper concentration suggests a freshwater origin for this element. It is suggested that sedimentary and/or anthropogenic sources affect dissolved copper concentrations in coastal waters. The dissolved lead distribution reveals plumes of contaminated coastal water. The lead distribution is, however, dominated by associations with particulate material and sediments which produce a sharp concentration gradient close to the coast. The Humber estuary is identified as a significant source of cadmium to the North Sea.     

Nature of the connection between the Northern and Southern Zechstein Basins across the Mid North Sea High

The seismic expression of a salt-filled channel which cuts across the Mid North Sea High in Quadrant 37 is described, with features interpreted as being produced by salt-edge dissolution forming both eastern and western margins of the channel. The apparent half-graben nature of the channel is shown to be only superficial, and due to complex faulting associated with, but not defining, its western margin. The shallower faulting here is a Mesozoic to early Tertiary growth fault related to local dissolution of Zechstein salt. The dissolution effect appears in turn to have been localized by the presence of a deeper fault that was already downthrown to the east in Zechstein times, when it seems to have limited the eastward progradation of Zechstein shelf carbonates and anhydrites, and had probably ceased to move significantly before the onset of the Late Cimmerian erosional phase. The origin of this arcuate fault is tentatively ascribed to subsidence around a granite batholith. Zechstein salt originally spread some distance to the east and west of the channel; it was dissolved from the edges inwards, mainly before the Late Cretaceous, giving rise to a thicker Mesozoic sequence on parts of the flanks of the channel than in the middle. Besides providing an interesting structural case history, the features described have implications regarding Zechstein sedimentation, reservoir potential, the tectonic history of the North Sea, and the nature of the Mid North Sea High itself.     

Performance of hemi-cylindrical and rectangular submerged breakwaters

A parametric experimental study is conducted to compare the reflection and transmission characteristics of submerged hemi-cylindrical and rectangular rigid and water-filled flexible breakwater models. The results show that, for the rigid breakwaters, rectangular models are more effective than hemi-cylindrical ones in terms of reduction of transmitted waves. As for the flexible breakwaters, the hemi-cylindrical models may give better wave reflection than rectangular ones. However, the energy loss induced by the rectangular breakwaters is much larger and more significant to result in an overall better efficiency in terms of reduction in wave transmission. The effects of internal pressure show that the lowest pressurized flexible models considered in this work are the most effective in the reduction of the transmitted wave height. Higher wave reflection, lower wave transmission and higher energy loss are obtained consistently at the lower submergence depth ratio.