Lateral friction in the oceans as an effect of potential vorticity mixing

Abstract

Applying a mixing-length calculation to potential vorticity rather than to momentum a new type of lateral friction appears in the oceanic mass transport equations. This friction is evaluated for the special case of horizontally homogeneous, quasi-geostrophic turbulence. The main effect is a westward force arising from the so-called β-term. This produces an additional southward interior transport and a strengthening of the western boundary current. A turbulent exchange coefficient K^H = 10⁸ em²s^?1 is sufficient to give a Gulf Stream transport twice that obtained by the classical Sverdrup model.     

Sampling strategy and climatic implications of tree-ring stable isotopes on the southeast Tibetan Plateau

We explore the potential of tree-ring cellulose δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C records for reconstructing climate variability in the southeast Tibetan Plateau. Our sampling strategy was designed to investigate intra and inter-tree variability, and the effects of the age of tree on δ¹⁸O variation. We show that intra-tree δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O variability is negligible, and inter-tree coherence is sufficient to build robust tree-ring δ¹⁸O or δ¹³C chronologies based on only four trees. There is no evidence of an age effect regarding δ¹⁸O, in contrast with tree-ring width. In our warm and moist sampling site, young tree δ¹³C is not clearly correlated with monthly mean meteorological data. Tree-ring δ¹⁸O appears significantly anti-correlated with summer precipitation amount, regional cloud cover, and relative humidity. Simulations conducted with the ORCHIDEE land surface model confirm the observed contribution of relative humidity to tree cellulose δ¹⁸O, and explain the weak correlation of δ¹³C with climate by the non-linear integration linked with photosynthesis. Altogether, the tree-ring cellulose δ¹⁸O is shown to be a promising proxy to reconstruct regional summer moisture variability prior to the instrumental period.     

Export and degassing of terrestrial carbon through watercourses draining a temperate podzolized catchment

We measured spatial and temporal variations in carbon concentrations, isotopic compositions and exports during a complete hydrological cycle in nine watercourses draining a lowland forested podzolized catchment, flowing into the Arcachon lagoon (France). In addition, integrated fluxes of CO₂ across the water-atmosphere interface were estimated to assess the relative importance of CO₂ evasion versus lateral carbon transport at the catchment scale. Watercourse similarities and specificities linked to the local catchment characteristics are discussed and compared with other riverine systems. Low concentrations of suspended particulate matter and particulate organic carbon (POC) were generally measured in all the watercourses (8.4 ± 3.4 and 1.6 ± 0.6 mg L^?1, respectively), reflecting limited mechanical soil erosion. The generally high POC content in the suspended matter (20 %), low Chl a concentrations (1.3 ± 1.4 μg L^?1) and the relatively constant δ¹³C-POC value (near ?28 ‰) throughout the year reveal this POC originates from terrestrial C₃ plant and soil detritus. The presence of podzols leads to high levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC; 6.6 ± 2.2 mg L^?1). Similarly, high dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations were measured in the Arcachon lagoon catchment (5.9 ± 2.2 mg L^?1). The δ¹³C-DIC value around ?20 ‰ throughout the year in many small watercourses reveals the predominance of terrestrial carbon mineralisation and silicate rock weathering in soils as the major DIC source. With pCO₂ between 1,000 and 10,000 ppmv, all watercourses were a source of CO₂ to the atmosphere, particularly during the low river stage. Organic carbon parameters remained relatively stable throughout the year, whereas DIC parameters showed strong seasonal contrasts closely linked to the hydrological regime and hyporheic flows. In total, the carbon export from the Arcachon watershed was estimated at 15,870 t C year^?1 or 6 t C km^?2 year^?1, mostly exported to the lagoon as DOC (35 %), DIC (24 %) and lost as CO₂ degassing to the atmosphere (34 %).     

Low-degree partial melting trends recorded in upper mantle minerals

The study of glass inclusions inside mantle minerals provides direct information about the chemistry of naturally occurring mantle-derived melts and the fine-scale complexity of the melting process responsible for their genesis. Minerals in a spinel lherzolite nodule from Grande Comore island contain glass inclusions which, after homogenization by heating, exhibit a continuous suite of chemical compositions clearly distinct from that of the host basanitic lava. The compositions range from silicic, with nepheline–olivine normative, 64 wt% SiO₂ and 11 wt% alkali oxides, to almost basaltic, with quartz normative, 50 wt% SiO₂ and 1–2 wt% alkali oxides. Within a single mineral phase, olivine, the inferred primary melt composition varies from 54 to 64 wt% SiO₂ for MgO content ranging from 8 to 0.8 wt%. An experimental study of the glass and fluid inclusions indicates that trapped melts represent liquids that are in equilibrium with their host phases at moderate temperature and pressure (T≈1230°C and P≈1.0 Gpa for melts trapped in olivine). Quantitative modelling of the compositional trends defined in the suite shows that all of the glasses are part of a cogenetic set of melts formed by fractional melting of spinel lherzolite, with F varying between 0.2 and 5%. The initial highly silicic, alkali-rich melts preserved in Mg-rich olivine become richer in FeO, MgO, CaO and Cr₂O₃ and poorer in SiO₂, K₂O, Na₂O, Al₂O₃ and Cl with increasing melt fractions, evolving toward the basaltic melts found in clinopyroxene. These results confirm the connection between glass inclusions inside mantle minerals and partial mantle melts, and indicate that primary melts with SiO₂ >60 wt%, alkali oxides >11%, FeO <1 wt% and MgO <1 wt% are generated during incipient melting of spinel peridotite. The composition of the primary melts is inferred to be dependent on pressure, and to reflect both the speciation of dissolved CO₂ and the effect of alkali oxides on the silica activity coefficient in the melt. At pressures around 1 GPa, low-degree melts are characterized by alkali and silica-rich compositions, with a limited effect of dissolved CO₂ and a decreased silica activity coefficient caused by the presence of alkali oxides, whereas at higher pressures alkali oxides form complexes with carbonates and, consequently, alkali-rich silica-poor melts will be generated.     

A seasonal dipolar eddy near Ras Al Hamra (Sea of Oman)

Trajectories and hydrological data from two Argo floats indicate that warm and salty water at 200–300-m depths was ejected from the coast of Oman, near Ras al Hamra, in spring 2008, 2011, and 2012. This warm and salty water, Persian Gulf Water (PGW), once ejected from the coast, recirculated cyclonically in the western Sea of Oman, but also flowed eastward along the Iranian and Pakistani coasts. There, it was expelled seaward by mesoscale eddies as shown by other float data. Seasonal maps of salinity were computed from all available Argo floats; they showed that, in spring, PGW is present in the middle and north of the Sea of Oman, contrary to fall, when the salinity maxima lie southeast of Ras al Hadd. The ejection of PGW from Ras al Hamra is related here to the influence of a mesoscale dipolar eddy which often appears near this cape in spring. The time-averaged and empirical orthogonal functions of altimetric maps over 11 years for this season confirm the frequent presence and the persistence of this feature. From surface currents and hydrology, deep currents were computed via thermal wind balance, and the associated shear and strain fields were obtained. This deformation field is intense near Ras al Hamra, with an offshore direction. This flow structure associated with the mesoscale dipole explains PGW ejection from the coast. This observation suggests that PGW distribution in the Northern Arabian Sea can be strongly influenced by seasonal mesoscale eddies.     

Impacts of climate change on coastal benthic ecosystems: assessing the current risk of mortality outbreaks associated with thermal stress in NW Mediterranean coastal areas

In the framework of climate change, the increase in ocean heat wave frequency is expected to impact marine life. Large-scale positive temperature anomalies already occurred in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea in 1999, 2003 and 2006. These anomalies were associated with mass mortality events of macrobenthic species in coastal areas (0–40 m in depth). The anomalies were particularly severe in 1999 and 2003 when thousands of kilometres of coasts and about 30 species were affected. The aim of this study was to develop a methodology to assess the current risk of mass mortality associated with temperature increase along NW Mediterranean continental coasts. A 3D regional ocean model was used to obtain the temperature conditions for the period 2001–2010, for which the model outputs were validated by comparing them with in situ observations in affected areas. The model was globally satisfactory, although extremes were underestimated and required correction. Combined with information on the thermo-tolerance of a key species (the red gorgonian P. clavata) as well as its spatial distribution, the modelled temperature conditions were then used to assess the risk of mass mortality associated with thermal stress for the first time. Most of the known areas of observed mass mortality were found using the model, although the degree of risk in certain areas was underestimated. Using climatic IPCC scenarios, the methodology could be applied to explore the impacts of expected climate change in the NW Mediterranean. This is a key issue for the development of sound management and conservation plans to protect Mediterranean marine biodiversity in the face of climate change.     

Modelling of local velocity anomalies: a cookbook

The determination of small-scale velocity anomalies (from tens to a few hundreds of metres) is a major problem in seismic exploration. The impact of such anomalies on a structural interpretation can be dramatic and conventional techniques such as tomographic inversion or migration velocity analysis are powerless to resolve the ambiguity between structural and velocity origins of anomalies. We propose an alternative approach based on stochastic modelling of numerous anomalies until a set of models is found which can explain the real data. This technique attempts to include as much a priori geological information as possible. It aims at providing the interpreter with a set of velocity anomalies which could possibly be responsible for the structural response. The interpreter can then choose one or several preferred models and pursue a more sophisticated analysis. The class of retained models are all equivalent in terms of data and therefore represent the uncertainty in the model space. The procedure emulates the real processing sequence using a simplified scheme. Essentially, the technique consists of five steps: 1 Interpretation of a structural anomaly in terms of a velocity anomaly with its possible variations in terms of position, size and amplitude. 2 Drawing a model by choosing the parameters of the anomaly within the acceptable range. 3 Modelling the traveltimes in this model and producing the imaging of the reflected interface. 4 Comparing the synthetic data with the real data and keeping the model if it lies within the data uncertainty range. 5 Iterate from step 2. In order to avoid the high computational cost inherent in using statistical determinations, simplistic assumptions have been made: ? The anomaly is embedded in a homogeneous medium: we assume that the refraction and the time shift due to the anomaly have a first-order effect compared with ray bending in the intermediate layers. ? We model only the zero-offset rays and therefore we restrict ourselves to structural problems. ? We simulate time migration and so address only models of limited structural complexity. These approximations are justified in a synthetic model which includes strong lateral velocity variations, by comparing the result of a full processing sequence (prestack modelling, stack and depth migration) with the simplified processing. This model is then used in a blind test on the inversion scheme.     

Sorption-desorption kinetics and toxic cell concentration in marine phytoplankton microalgae exposed to Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate

Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonates (LAS) are ubiquitous surfactants. Traces can be found in coastal environments. Sorption and toxicity of C₁₂-LAS congeners were studied in controlled conditions (2-3500 μg C₁₂LAS/L) in five marine phytoplanktonic species, using standardized methods. IC₅₀ values ranged from 0.5 to 2 mg LAS/L. Sorption of ¹⁴C₁₂-6 LAS isomer was measured at environmentally relevant trace levels (4 μg/L) using liquid scintillation counting. Steady-state sorption on algae was reached within 5 h in the order dinoflagellate > diatoms > green algae. The sorption data, fitted a L-type Freundlich isotherm, indicating saturation. Desorption was rapid but a low LAS fraction was still sorbed after 24 h. Toxic cell concentration was 0.38 ± 0.09 mg/g for the studied species. LAS toxicity results from sorption on biological membranes leading to non-specific disturbance of algal growth. Results indicate that LAS concentrations in coastal environments do not represent a risk for these organisms.