Coastal sea level variability in the US West Coast Ocean Forecast System (WCOFS)

Sea level variability along the US West Coast is analyzed using multi-year time series records from tide gauges and a high-resolution regional ocean model, the base of the West Coast Ocean Forecast System (WCOFS). One of the metrics utilized is the frequency of occurrences when model prediction is within 0.15 m from the observed sea level, F. A target level of F?=?90% is set by an operational agency. A combination of the tidal sea level from a shallow water inverse model, inverted barometer (IB) term computed using surface air pressure from a mesoscale atmospheric model, and low-pass filtered sea level from WCOFS representing the effect of coastal ocean dynamics (DYN) provides the most straightforward approach to reaching levels F>80%. The IB and DYN components each add between 5 and 15% to F. Given the importance of the DYN term bringing F closer to the operational requirement and its role as an indicator of the coastal ocean processes on scales from days to interannual, additional verification of the WCOFS subtidal sea level is provided in terms of the model-data correlation, standard deviation of the band-pass filtered (2–60 days) time series, the annual cycle amplitude, and alongshore sea level coherence in the range of 5–120-day periods. Model-data correlation in sea level increases from south to north along the US coast. The rms amplitude of model sea level variability in the 2–60-day band and its annual amplitude are weaker than observed north of 42 N, in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) coast region. The alongshore coherence amplitude and phase patterns are similar in the model and observations. Availability of the multi-year model solution allows computation and analysis of spatial maps of the coherence amplitude. For a reference location in the Southern California Bight, relatively short-period sea level motions (near 10 days) are incoherent with those north of the Santa Barbara Channel (in part, due to coastal trapped wave scattering and/or dissipation). At a range of periods around 60 days, the coastal sea level in Southern California is coherent with the sea surface height (SSH) variability over the shelf break in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, more than with the coastal SSH at the same latitudes.     

Finite element analysis for a finite conductivity fracture in an infinite poroelastic medium

In the technology of oil recovery, oil production rate can be increased by generation of a vertical conductive fracture adjacent to the well-bore. In this paper the seepage flow and isothermal deformation in both the oil formation and the fracture are studied by modelling the formation as a two-dimensional infinite poroelastic medium and the conductive fracture as a one-dimensional poroelastic material, saturated by a one-phase compressible fluid. The plane strain condition is employed. Solutions for a growing conductive fracture and a stationary conductive fracture in the infinite medium are obtained by means of the finite element method based on a variational principle for the formation which can impose the governing equations of the fracture. Infinite elements are used outside the finite element domain. Numerical results indicate that the injection rate, the applied pressure and the crack mouth opening displacement at the well-bore oscillate during the propagation of the conductive fracture. The production rate of a well with the conductive fracture is compared with that of a well without the conductive fracture. Finally, a new definition of the conductivity coefficient for the conductive fracture is presented. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

不同树龄桐花树茎上白条地藤壶分布特征的研究

研究了广西英罗港红树林区向海林带不同树龄的桐花树茎上白条地藤壶的分布特征。结果表明，白条地藤壶在茎上的附着高度（h)随树龄和树高增大而增大。在最大树龄17龄植株上平均达到182cm，此高度为潮高约512cm海水才能浸及，在一年中约有将近90％的时间暴露在空气中。附着高度（h)与树高（H）比值h/H以5龄树最大，达91．9％。树层最大密度达46600Ind/m^2，最小为172Ind/m^2。在同一树龄的不同树层，密度表现为先随树高增大逐渐增大，达到最大密度后又下降。在不同树龄的同一树层，密度高低变化，分布一般出现多个峰。白条地藤壶最适宜附着和生长在桐花树茎上100－120cm树层（浸及此树层的海水潮高约为430－450cm)。树层最大生物量为1719．05g/m^2，最小为5．39g/m^2。生物量分布与密度的相似。     

Origin and evolution of oilfield brines from Tertiary strata in western Qaidam Basin: Constraints from <Superscript>87</Superscript>Sr/<Superscript>86</Superscript>Sr, δD, δ<Superscript>18</Superscript>O, δ<Superscript>34</Superscript>S and water chemistry

Chemistry of major and minor elements, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, δD, δ¹⁸O and δ³⁴S of brines were measured from Tertiary strata and Quaternary salt lakes in the western Qaidam Basin. The water chemistry data show that all oilfield brines are CaCl₂ type. They were enriched in Ca²⁺, B³⁺, Li⁺, Sr²⁺, Br⁻, and were depleted in Mg²⁺, SO₄ ²⁻, which indicated that these brines had the characteristics of deeply circulated water. The relationship between δD and δ¹⁸O shows that all data of these brines decline towards the Global Meteoric Water Line (GWL) and Qaidam Meteoric Water Line (QWL), and that the intersection between oilfield brines and Meteoric Water Lines was close to the local spring and fresh water in the piedmont in the western Qaidam Basin. The results suggest that oilfield brines has initially originated from meteoric water, and then might be affected by water-rock metamorphose, because most oilfield brines distribute in the range of metamorphosing water. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values of most oilfield brines range from 0.71121 to 0.71194, and was less than that in salt lake water (>0.712), but close to that of halite in the study area. These imply that salt dissolution occurred in the process of migration. In addition, all oilfield brines have obviously much positive δ³⁴S values (ranging from 26.46‰ to 54.57‰) than that of salt lake brines, which was caused by bacterial sulfate reduction resulting in positive shift of δ³⁴S value and depleteed SO₄ ²⁻ in oilfield brines. Combined with water chemical data and δD, δ¹⁸O, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, δ³⁴S values, we concluded that oilfield brines mainly originate from the deeply circulated meteoric waters, and then are affected by salt dissolution, water-rock metamorphose, sulfate reduction and dolomitization during the process of migration. These processes alter the chemical compositions of oilfield brines and accumulate rich elements (such as B, Li, Sr, Br, K and so on) for sustainable utilization of salt lake resources in the Qaidam Basin.     

On the sampling of airborne measurements of radiative properties of cloud fields: Results from International Cirrus Experiment (ICE), 1987

Summary During the first pilot phase of the International Cirrus Experiment (ICE) in September/October 1987 radiation measurements were carried out above and below broken cloud fields over the German Bight. Analyses of the measurements of 25.9.1987 (broken cumulus cloud field) showed an unexpected high absorption of solar radiation but not those of 28.9.1987 (stratocumulus/stratus cloud field). This might be explained by a partial negligence of cloud side factor under the viewing geometry of the pyranometer and other reasons. The light guide effect (leakage) within holes can account for the depletion of cloud reflectance and the enhancement of cloud transmittance at large cloud cover, as observed during the measurements on 28.9.1987. The fluctuation of the irradiances, which can be characterized by the intermittency parameter, has been related to the corresponding cloud cover by a regression equation. On the condition of similarity, this scaling parameter derived from sample measurements could be extrapolated to that of the whole cloud field. Thus, the estimation of the irradiance spectrum for the whole cloud field may be possible, from samples taken with aircraft and imaging data.With 5 Figures     

1901-2007年澳门地面气温变化的分析

 利用澳门的气温观测资料, 分析了澳门1901-2007年地面气温变化的基本特征。结果表明：近107 a的升温率为0.066℃/10a, 明显低于全球平均升温率。季节平均气温的年代际变化有明显的季节差异,最大的增暖发生在春季和冬季,夏季的增暖最小;冬、夏季的变化分别有明显的时间尺度约为60 a和30 a的振动。年平均最高气温的升温率仅为最低气温的一半左右。最高气温的年代际变化呈缓慢的气候波动现象,20世纪80年代中期以后的升幅与历史上的增暖大致相当;最低气温近20多年来的增暖趋势可能是其长期（变暖）趋势的延续。年平均日较差整体来说是趋于减少的,但近30 a却趋于增加。     

An examination of the validation of a model of the hydro/thermo/mechanical behaviour of engineered clay barriers

This paper focuses attention on the development of a numerical model of the hydro/thermo/mechanical behaviour of unsaturated clay and its consequent verification and validation. The work presented describes on-going collaboration between the Cardiff School of Engineering and Atomic Energy of Canada. The model development, which was carried out at Cardiff, can be described as being based on a mechanistic approach to coupled heat, moisture and air flow. This is then linked to a deformation analysis of the material within a ‘consolidation’ type of model. The whole is solved via the finite element method to yield a computer software code named COMPASS (COde for Modelling PArtly Saturated Soil). Some aspects of verification and validation of the model have been addressed in-house. However, the purpose of current AECL work is to provide an independent, rigorous, structured programme of validation and the paper will also explore the further validation of COMPASS within this context. © 1998 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Persistence of mantle lithospheric Re–Os signature during asthenospherization of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle: insights from in situ isotopic analysis of sulfides from the Ronda peridotite (Southern Spain)

The western part of the Ronda peridotite massif (Southern Spain) consists mainly of highly foliated spinel-peridotite tectonites and undeformed granular peridotites that are separated by a recrystallization front. The spinel tectonites are interpreted as volumes of ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle and the granular peridotites as a portion of subcontinental lithospheric mantle that underwent partial melting and pervasive percolation of basaltic melts induced by Cenozoic asthenospheric upwelling. The Re–Os isotopic signature of sulfides from the granular domain and the recrystallization front mostly coincides with that of grains in the spinel tectonites. This indicates that the Re–Os radiometric system in sulfides was highly resistant to partial melting and percolation of melts induced by Cenozoic lithospheric thermal erosion. The Re–Os isotopic systematics of sulfides in the Ronda peridotites thus mostly conserve the geochemical memory of ancient magmatic events in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Os model ages record two Proterozoic melting episodes at ~1.6 to 1.8 and 1.2–1.4 Ga, respectively. The emplacement of the massif into the subcontinental lithospheric mantle probably coincided with one of these depletion events. A later metasomatic episode caused the precipitation of a new generation of sulfides at ~0.7 to 0.9 Ga. These Proterozoic Os model ages are consistent with results obtained for several mantle suites in Central/Western Europe and Northern Africa as well as with the Nd model ages of the continental crust of these regions. This suggests that the events recorded in mantle sulfides of the Ronda peridotites reflect different stages of generation of the continental crust in the ancient Gondwana supercontinent.     

Nature of the small main belt Asteroid 3169 Ostro

We present a set of rotational lightcurve measurements of the small main belt Asteroid 3169 Ostro. Our observations reveal an unambiguous, double-peaked rotational lightcurve with a peak-to-peak variation up to 1.2±0.05 mag and a synodic period of 6.509±0.001 h. From the large flux variation and the overall shape of the lightcurves, we suggest that 3169 Ostro could be a tightly bound binary or a contact binary, similar to the Trojan Asteroid 624 Hektor. A shape model of this system is proposed on the assumption that 3169 Ostro is a Roche binary described by a pair of homogeneous elongated bodies, with a size ratio of 0.87, in hydrostatic equilibrium and in circular synchronous motion around each other. The direction of the spin axis is determined modulo 180° by its J2000 ecliptic coordinates λ₀=50±10°, β₀=±54±5°. The binary interpretation and the pole solution adequately fit the earlier photometric observations made in 1986 and 1988. However, additional supporting lightcurves are highly desirable especially in the next mutual events occurrence of 2008 and 2009 in order to remove the pole ambiguity and to confirm unambiguously the binary nature of 3169 Ostro.     

Experimental determination of argon solubility in silicate melts: An assessment of the effects of liquid composition and temperature

The argon solubility of 38 liquids in the system Na₂O-CaO-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ (NCMAS) has been determined at 1873 K and 1 bar, the argon concentration of presaturated glasses being measured using a static mass spectrometer. For compositions in the subsystem diopside (CaMgSi₂O₆), nepheline (NaAlSiO₄), albite (NaAlSi₃O₈), anorthite (CaAl₂Si₂O₈), argon solubility is generally a linear function of the relative proportion of each end member, solubility being lowest in diopside melt (1.53 10⁻⁵ cm³ STP · g⁻¹ · bar⁻¹) and highest in albite melt (2.88 10⁻⁴ cm³ STP · g⁻¹ · bar⁻¹). For the tectosilicate joins studied (SiO₂-Na₂Al₂O₄, SiO₂-CaAl₂O₄, SiO₂-MgAl₂O₄) solubility decreases with decreasing silica content in all cases, being highest for Na-bearing liquids and lowest for Mg-bearing liquids at constant molar silica content. Where comparison is possible our results are in good agreement with data from the literature. When our data are considered in isolation we find that argon solubility shows an excellent correlation with calculated ionic porosity. The covariation of argon solubility and liquid density is also reasonable, that with molar volume less convincing and that with polymerization state (as defined by the ratio of the number of nonbridging oxygens and tetrahedral network forming cations; NBO/T) nonexistent. However, when our data are combined with those from the literature no well constrained correlation between argon solubility and ionic porosity is apparent. Based upon this observation and consideration of the temperature dependence of noble gas solubility it is concluded that ionic porosity is not a universally applicable parameter which may be used to predict noble gas solubility as a function of composition, temperature and pressure. Two new models for calculating argon solubility are proposed, both employing the notion of partial molar argon solubilities. The first uses oxide components, for which partial molar argon solubility is directly proportional to partial molar ionic porosity calculated at 1873 K, irrespective of the temperature of experimental equilibration. The second model, which offers the best fit to the available data, employs tetrahedral units rather than oxides as the proposed melt components. This latter model successfully accounts for reported argon solubilities in simple Al-free systems, in simple Al-bearing systems and in natural liquids. This is interpreted to infer that argon is incorporated in large sites in the liquid structure (such as the space within rings of n-tetrahedra) although further work is required to understand the quantitative links between melt structure and noble gas solubility.