Globalising New Zealand : Fonterra Co-operative Group, and shaping the future

New Zealanders have little collective vision of their position and future in a globalising world. Recent developments in New Zealand's primary sector show potential pathways to the future. We explore two claims: thinking about New Zealand is to think about the emergence of Fonterra Co-operative Group in New Zealand's globalising economy. Thinking about Fonterra is to think about New Zealand and the implications that spring from globalising activities. Fonterra is a lens to understand better the possibilities and development options and the challenges that are arising as New Zealand forges its place in a globalising world.     

Developments in storm tide modelling and risk assessment in the Australian region

An overview is provided of some of the significant storm tide modelling and risk assessment studies undertaken over the past few years within Australia and the nearby oceanic regions for government and industry. Emphasis is placed on the need for integrated planning and forecasting approaches for storm tide risk assessment. The importance of the meteorological forcing and the appropriate modelling of each of the storm tide components, namely, astronomical tide, storm surge, breaking wave setup and coastal inundation is discussed. The critical role of tropical cyclone “best track” datasets for risk assessment studies and the potential impacts on design criteria and risk assessment studies is highlighted, together with the challenge of developing credible enhanced-greenhouse climate change scenarios. It is concluded that storm tide modelling needs to be undertaken in a holistic framework that considers the relative uncertainties in each of the various elements—atmospheric, hydrodynamic and data, as well as addressing operational forecasting, design and planning needs.     

Spinning particles in Saturn's C ring from mid-infrared observations: Pre-Cassini mission results

Saturn's C ring thermal emission has been observed in mid-infrared wavelengths, at three different epochs and solar phase angles, using ground based instruments (CFHT in 1999 and VLT/ESO in 2005) and the Infrared Radiometer Instrument Spectrometer (IRIS) onboard the Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1980. Azimuthal variations of temperature in the C ring's inner region, observed at several phase angles, have been analyzed using our new standard thermal model [Ferrari, C., Leyrat, C., 2006. Astron. Astrophys. 447, 745-760]. This model provides predicted ring temperatures for a monolayer ring composed of spinning icy spherical particles. We confirm the very low thermal inertia (on the order of 10 ) found previously by Ferrari et al. [Ferrari, C., Galdemard, P., Lagage, P.O., Pantin E., Quoirin, C., 2005. Astron. Astrophys. 441, 379-389] that reveals the very porous regolith at the surface of ring particles. We are able to explain both azimuthal variations of temperature and the strong asymmetry of the emission function between low and high phase angles. We show that large particles spinning almost synchronously might be present in the C ring to explain differences of temperature observed between low and high phase angle. Their cross section might represent about 45% of the total cross section. However, their numerical fraction is estimated to only ∼0.1% of all particles. Thermal behavior of other particles can be modeled as isothermal behavior. This work provides an indirect estimation of the particle's rotation rate in Saturn's rings from observations.     

Infrared observations of Saturn's rings by Cassini CIRS : Phase angle and local time dependence

Since the Saturn orbit insertion (SOI) of the Cassini spacecraft, in July 2004, the Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) has obtained a large number of thermal infrared spectra of Saturn's rings. Over the two and a half years of observations to date, ring temperatures were retrieved for a large range of unique geometries, inaccessible from Earth. Understanding their dependencies with phase angle and local time is a clue to understanding the thermal properties and dynamics of Saturn's ring particles.Azimuthal scans of rings, which have been obtained by CIRS at constant radial distance from the planet, have been planned to measure ring temperature variations with local hour angle. Over 47 azimuthal scans for Saturn's main rings (A, B, C and Cassini Division) have been retrieved to date, on both lit and unlit sides, at different phase angles and spacecraft elevations. The first measurements of the transient thermal episode of eclipse cooling in the planetary shadow have also been obtained for all three rings.In this paper, we present an overview of all azimuthal scans obtained by the Cassini/CIRS instrument so far and the dependencies of the temperature and the filling factor with the phase angle and the local hour angle. The ring temperature varies with longitude as the input heating flux coming from Saturn and the Sun changes. The decrease in temperature with the increasing phase angle on both the lit and the unlit sides and for most of the local time also suggests the presence of slowly rotating particles. The crossing of the planet's shadow generates drastic azimuthal variations in temperature, up to 20 K in the C ring. The strong anisotropy of emission observed outside the shadow between low and high phase angles decreases when ring particles cross the shadow, suggesting that particles are almost isothermal in the shadow. This suggests a thermal inertia associated with a rotating rate of particles low enough to have a thermal contrast on their surface.The temperature in the B ring is less sensitive to the phase angle effect on the lit side, suggesting that particles are close enough to form a flat layer at a scale larger than the particle's radius. On the unlit side, particles in the B ring are less sensitive to the lack of solar input than in the C ring or in the A ring. Azimuthal variations of the filling factor in the A ring are also detected with changing ring local time. This effect might be created by the presence of gravitational instabilities (wakes).     

Double-averaged velocity and stress distributions for hydraulically-smooth and transitionally-rough turbulent flows

We analyse experimental measurements of turbulent open-channel flow over hydraulically-smooth and transitionally-rough beds using the double-averaging methodology. Oil with a viscosity of 15×10^?6 m2/s is used instead of water so that transitional-range roughness Reynolds numbers can be achieved with large (11.1 mm) roughness elements, allowing spatial variations in the mean velocity field to more easily be measured. Distributions of double-averaged velocities, turbulence intensities, form-induced intensities, and viscous, Reynolds, form-induced and total shear stresses are studied with comparisons made between distributions for hydraulically-smooth, transitionally-rough, and fully-rough boundaries. Measured streamwise turbulence intensities for all experiments peaked at a constant distance from the bed (z ⁺+d ⁺ = 15) when elevation scale is adjusted using the zero-plane displacement d for the logarithmic velocity distribution. This collapse suggests that turbulence intensity distributions may be useful in assessing appropriate values of d for transitionally-rough and fully-rough boundaries. Form-induced normal and shear stresses above the roughness tops were found to collapse towards a common curve independent of roughness Reynolds number.     

A Tsunami Detection and Warning-focused Sea Level Station Metadata Web Service

Currently information used to describe sea-level stations (such as location, collection and transmission capabilities, operator identification, etc.) is distributed among databases held by multiple agencies, institutions and organizations. Such information could be used to support detection and warning. However, the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 26 December, 2004 made it clear that such information is not readily accessible, is difficult to use, and is often incomplete. In addressing this issue, agencies within the Pacific region are collaborating to develop a web service to expose station metadata enabling various types of real-time data mining client applications that support decision-making and strategic planning at Tsunami Warning Centers. Because information about sea levels has a broad range of applications, integration of this information in a way that is comprehensive, and enhances its access and use, would have a tremendous impact on lives and livelihoods.     

Milankovitch forcing of bioturbation intensity in deep-marine thin-bedded siliciclastic turbidites

Trace fossils have been used to infer a Milankovitch-type control on pelagic and hemipelagic sediments, but there have been no comparable studies in deep-marine siliciclastic turbidite successions. Here, we present the results of a quantitative analysis of trace-fossil abundance and intensity in an essentially continuous, Middle Eocene, 230-m-long (Well A6) core, comprising very thin- and thin-bedded siliciclastic turbidites in the deep-marine Ainsa basin, Spanish Pyrenees. After removing the sediment slides and debris flow deposits, as these represent geologically instantaneous events approximately two orders of magnitude thicker than the typical laminated turbiditic sediments in the core, spectral analysis was conducted on the bioturbation intensity data. Spectral analysis of bioturbation intensity in the A6 core suggests, for the first time from a siliciclastic turbidite succession at a tectonically active plate margin (thrust-top basin in a foreland basin), a cyclicity that is interpreted to reflect the 41-kyr and an ~ 112-kyr (possibly an average of the 95- and 125-kyr) Milankovitch frequencies. We propose that this drove environmental changes in bottom-water conditions in the Ainsa basin, most likely leading to critically varying levels of oxygenation (stratification) of bottom waters. Our age model for the Ainsa basin (~ 4 km of deep-marine sediments in ~ 10 Myr) yields an average sediment accumulation rate of ~ 40 cm kyr^− 1, that is consistent with that inferred from the spectral analysis (~ 30 cm kyr^− 1) for fine-grained sedimentation. An implication of these results is that global environmental change, probably glacio-eustasy, acted as a driver on deep-marine siliciclastic sedimentation patterns during the Middle Eocene.     

Photosynthetic responses of subtidal seagrasses to a daily light cycle in Torres Strait: A comparative study

In this study, we examined the photosynthetic responses of five common seagrass species from a typical mixed meadow in Torres Strait at a depth of 5–7 m using pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry. The photosynthetic response of each species was measured every 2 h throughout a single daily light cycle from dawn (6 am) to dusk (6 pm). PAM fluorometry was used to generate rapid light curves from which measures of electron transport rate (ETR_max), photosynthetic efficiency (α), saturating irradiance (E_k) and light-adapted quantum yield (ΔF/F′_m) were derived for each species. The amount of light absorbed by leaves (absorption factor) was also determined for each species. Similar diurnal patterns were recorded among species with 3–4 fold increases in maximal electron rate from dawn to midday and a maintenance of ETR_max in the afternoon that would allow an optimal use of low light by all species. Differences in photosynthetic responses to changes in the daily light regime were also evident with Syringodium isoetifolium showing the highest photosynthetic rates and saturating irradiances suggesting a competitive advantage over other species under conditions of high light. In contrast Halophila ovalis, Halophila decipiens and Halophila spinulosa were characterised by comparatively low photosynthetic rates and minimum light requirements (i.e. low E_k) typical of shade adaptation. The structural makeup of each species may explain the observed differences with large, structurally complex species such as Syringodium isoetifolium and Cymodocea serrulata showing high photosynthetic effciciencies (α) and therefore high-light-adapted traits (e.g. high ETR_max and E_k) compared with the smaller Halophila species positioned lower in the canopy. For the smaller Halophila species these shade-adapted traits are features that optimise their survival during low-light conditions. Knowledge of these characteristics and responses improves our understanding of the underlying causes of changes in seagrass biomass, growth and survival that occur when modifications in light quantity and quality arise from anthropogenic and climatic disturbances that commonly occur in Torres Strait.