Ediacaran mafic magmatism recorded in Cambrian eclogites of the Ross orogen,Antarctica: Implications for the Neoproterozoic rifting episodes along the Pacific-Gondwana margin

We report the first finding of Ediacaran mafic magmatism in northern Victoria Land of the Ross orogen, Antarctica, based on ca. 600–590 Ma magmatic zircon cores in Cambrian eclogites. The mafic magmatism could be either linked to ca. 615–590 Ma incipient convergent margin magmatism in central segment of the Ross orogen, or ca. 600–580 Ma continental rift-related volcanism widespread in eastern Australia. The latter is preferred based on the trace-element compositions distinctive from those of arc-related basalts and the depleted mantle-like Hf isotopic compositions of zircon. Our results suggest dual rifting episodes during both the Ediacaran and Cryogenian (ca. 670–650 Ma) in the East Antarctic margin, correlative with those in eastern Australia. A spatial distribution of coeval rifting and subduction along the Ediacaran margin of East Antarctica is readily accounted for by rift inheritance; the upper- and lower-plate geometry resulting from detachment and transform faulting.     

Spatially distributed long‐term hydrologic simulation using a continuous SCS CN method‐based hybrid hydrologic model

A continuous Soil Conservation Service (SCS) curve number (CN) method that considers time‐varied SCS CN values was developed based on the original SCS CN method with a revised soil moisture accounting approach to estimate run‐off depth for long‐term discontinuous storm events. The method was applied to spatially distributed long‐term hydrologic simulation of rainfall‐run‐off flow with an underlying assumption for its spatial variability using a geographic information systems‐based spatially distributed Clark's unit hydrograph method (Distributed‐Clark; hybrid hydrologic model), which is a simple few parameter run‐off routing method for input of spatiotemporally varied run‐off depth, incorporating conditional unit hydrograph adoption for different run‐off precipitation depth‐based direct run‐off flow convolution. Case studies of spatially distributed long‐term (total of 6 years) hydrologic simulation for four river basins using daily NEXRAD quantitative precipitation estimations demonstrate overall performances of Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (E_NS) 0.62, coefficient of determination (R²) 0.64, and percent bias 0.33% in direct run‐off and E_NS 0.71, R² 0.72, and percent bias 0.15% in total streamflow for model result comparison against observed streamflow. These results show better fit (improvement in E_NS of 42.0% and R² of 33.3% for total streamflow) than the same model using spatially averaged gauged rainfall. Incorporation of logic for conditional initial abstraction in a continuous SCS CN method, which can accommodate initial run‐off loss amounts based on previous rainfall, slightly enhances model simulation performance; both E_NS and R² increased by 1.4% for total streamflow in a 4‐year calibration period. A continuous SCS CN method‐based hybrid hydrologic model presented in this study is, therefore, potentially significant to improved implementation of long‐term hydrologic applications for spatially distributed rainfall‐run‐off generation and routing, as a relatively simple hydrologic modelling approach for the use of more reliable gridded types of quantitative precipitation estimations.     

Intercomparison of snow water equivalent observations in the Northern Great Plains

In the Northern Great Plains, melting snow is a primary driver of spring flooding, but limited knowledge of the magnitude and spatial distribution of snow water equivalent (SWE) hampers flood forecasting. Passive microwave remote sensing has the potential to enhance operational river flow forecasting but is not routinely incorporated in operational flood forecasting. We compare satellite passive microwave estimates from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System (AMSR‐E) to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Water Prediction (OWP) airborne gamma radiation snow survey and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) ground snow survey SWE estimates in the Northern Great Plains from 2002 to 2011. AMSR‐E SWE estimates compare favourably with USACE SWE measurements in the low relief, low vegetation study area (mean difference = ?3.8 mm, root mean squared difference [RMSD] = 34.7 mm), but less so with OWP airborne gamma SWE estimates (mean difference = ?9.5 mm, RMSD = 42.7 mm). An error simulation suggests that up to half of the error in the former comparison is potentially due to subpixel scale SWE variability, limiting the maximum achievable RMSD between ground and satellite SWE to approximately 26–33 mm in the Northern Great Plains. The OWP gamma versus AMSR‐E SWE comparison yields larger error than the point‐scale USACE versus AMSR‐E comparison, despite a larger measurement footprint (5–7 km² vs. a few square centimetres, respectively), suggesting that there are unshared errors between the USACE and OWP gamma SWE data.     

Assimilation of sea surface temperature in the Northwest Pacific Ocean and its marginal seas using the ensemble Kalman filter

Satellite-borne sea surface temperature (SST) data were assimilated with the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) in a Northwest Pacific Ocean circulation model to examine the effect of data assimilation. The model domain included the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean and its marginal seas, such as the Yellow Sea and East/Japan Sea. The performance of the data assimilation was evaluated by comparing the simulated ocean state with that observed. Spatially averaged root-mean-squared errors in the SST and sea surface height (SSH) decreased by 0.44 °C and 4 cm, respectively, by the assimilation. The results of the numerical experiments substantiated the effectiveness of the SST assimilation via the EnKF for all marginal seas, as well as the Kuroshio region. The benefit of the data assimilation depended on the characteristics of each marginal sea. The variation of the SST in the East/Japan Sea and the Kuroshio extension (KE) region were improved 34% and those in the Yellow Sea 12.5%. The variation of the SSH was improved approximately 36% in the KE region. This large improvement was achieved in the deep-water regions because assimilation of SST data corrected the separation point of the western boundary currents, such as the Kuroshio and the East Korea Warm Current, and the associated horizontal surface currents. The SST assimilation via the EnKF also improved the subsurface temperature profiles. The effectiveness of SST assimilation was seasonally dependent, with the improvement being relatively larger in winter than in summer, which was related to the seasonal variation of the vertical mixing and stratification in the ocean surface layer.     

The effects of the M/V Sea Prince accident on maritime safety management in Korea

The Sea Prince accident was the first VLCC accident in Korea and a shock to the general public and government. Before the accident, any oil-spill management plan, such as National contingency plan (NCP) and regional contingency plans (RCPs), was not available and the resources for oil spills were lacking for the Sea Prince accident. About 5000 tons of oil spilled, polluting large areas of southern coastal waters, damaging the fisheries, including aquaculture. After the Sea Prince accident, Korea's government established various alternatives for dealing with oil spills, such as the NCP, RCPs, Typhoon Refuge Management Plan, and resources for oil-spill response. However, port safety management in emergency situations such as typhoons has not been solved.     

Real-time acceleration monitoring-based rapid earthquake response for ports in Korea

To establish viable earthquake counterplans for ports in Korea, data regarding earthquake motion on the ground and in buildings must be collected using acceleration monitoring systems. Acceleration monitoring-based strategies for port facilities are useful not only for ensuring rapid responses during and after earthquakes but also for regional data collection to assist reliable seismic design. Acceleration monitoring systems were installed at coastal facility sites in target ports, including a soil site to represent the facility and a rock site as a reference. The systematic earthquake alert software was designed to help them in decision-making about a possible seismic hazard and its reporting. The earthquake alert system was composed of two sequential functional software systems sharing an acceleration monitoring database applied to the target ports. The earthquake response software system triggers an alarm based on the peak ground acceleration per second computed from the monitored data. Then, the earthquake hazard estimation software system evaluates possible earthquake-induced site-specific geotechnical hazards linked to the peak ground acceleration. The integrated system was successfully operated and was able to rapidly provide an emergency report containing event records and geotechnical earthquake hazards during the September 2016 Gyeongju earthquake, the largest recorded earthquake in Korea.     

Acidification at the Surface in the East Sea: A Coupled Climate-carbon Cycle Model Study

This modeling study investigates the impacts of increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentration on acidification in the East Sea. A historical simulation for the past three decades (1980 to 2010) was performed using the Hadley Centre Global Environmental Model (version 2), a coupled climate model with atmospheric, terrestrial and ocean cycles. As the atmospheric CO₂ concentration increased, acidification progressed in the surface waters of the marginal sea. The acidification was similar in magnitude to observations and models of acidification in the global ocean. However, in the global ocean, the acidification appears to be due to increased in-situ oceanic CO₂ uptake, whereas local processes had stronger effects in the East Sea. pH was lowered by surface warming and by the influx of water with higher dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from the northwestern Pacific. Due to the enhanced advection of DIC, the partial pressure of CO₂ increased faster than in the overlying air; consequently, the in-situ oceanic uptake of CO₂ decreased.     

Impact test simulations of stiffened plates using the micromechanical porous plasticity model

This paper first reviews the physical meanings and the expressions of two representative strain rate models: CSM (Cowper–Symonds model) and JCM (Johnson–Cook model). Since it is known that the CSM and JCM are suitable for low-intermediate and intermediate-high rate ranges, many studies regarding marine accidents such as ship-to-ship collisions, ship-to-rock groundings, and explosions in FPSO have employed the former in particular. A formula to predict the material constant of the CSM is introduced from a literature survey. The validity of the formula is proved by comparing with strain rate test results of high strength marine structural steels of DH-36. Numerical simulations with two different material constitutive equations, the classical metal plasticity model based on the von Mises yield function and the micromechanical porous plasticity model based on the Gurson yield function, have been carried out for stiffened plates under impact loading. It is concluded that the porous plasticity model with the porosity fracture criterion can quantitatively predict plastic deformation process and final fracture under impact loading if the material constants are properly chosen.     

Analytical solutions for long waves over a circular island

In this study, we derive an analytical solution for long waves over a circular island which is mounted on a flat bottom. The water depth on the island varies in proportion to an arbitrary power, γ, of the radial distance. Separation of variables, Taylor series expansion, and Frobenius series are used to find the solutions, which are then validated by comparing them with previously developed analytical solutions. We also investigate how different wave periods, radii of the island toe, and γ values affect the solutions. For a circular island with a small value of γ (e.g. γ = 2/3, as in the equilibrium beach (Bruun, 1954)), the wave rays approaching near the island center reach the coastline, whereas the rays approaching away from the center bend away from the coastline, leading to smaller wave amplitudes along the coast. However, for a circular island with a large value of γ, e.g. γ = 2, all the rays on the island reach the coast, giving large coastline wave amplitudes. If the island domain is small compared to the wavelength, the wave amplitudes on the coastline do not increase significantly; however, when the island domain is not small, the wave amplitudes increase significantly. If γ is also large, the amplitudes can be so large as to cause a disaster on the island.