Interference fringes on GLORIA side-scan sonar images from the Bering Sea and their implications

GLORIA side-scan sonographs from the Bering Sea Basin show a complex pattern of interference fringes sub-parallel to the ship's track. Surveys along the same trackline made in 1986 and 1987 show nearly identical patterns. It is concluded from this that the interference patterns are caused by features in the shallow subsurface rather than in the water column. The fringes are interpreted as a thin-layer interference effect that occurs when some of the sound reaching the seafloor passes through it and is reflected off a subsurface layer. The backscattered sound interferes (constructively or desctructively) with the reflected sound. Constructive/destructive interference occurs when the difference in the length of the two soundpaths is a whole/half multiple of GLORIA's 25 cm wavelength. Thus as range from the ship increases, sound moves in and out of phase causing bands of greater and lesser intensity on the GLORIA sonograph. Fluctuations (or wiggles) of the fringes on the GLORIA sonographs relate to changes in layer thickness. In principle, a simple three dimensional image of the subsurface layer may be obtained using GLORIA and bathymetric data from adjacent (parallel) ship's tracks. These patterns have also been identified in images from two other systems; SeaMARC II (12 kHz) long-range sonar, and TOBI (30 kHz) deep-towed sonar. In these, and other cases world-wide, the fringes do not appear with the same persistence as those seen in the Bering Sea.     

Radioelement distribution in river,beach, and offshore areas and their significance to Chavara placer deposit,Southern Kerala Coast of India

The radioelement and heavy mineral distribution in river, beach and innershelf areas of the southern Kerala coast is related to placer mineral concentration on the beaches at Chavara. Southern Kerala rivers—Neyyar, Karamana and Vamanapuram—transport higher amounts of radioactive elements than the larger Kallada River due to higher radioactive minerals in the hinterland rocks. Coastal configurations and the seasonal longshore current pattern seems to control along-shore distribution of minerals. The proposed model for placer concentration suggests that the energy difference and seasonal current direction along this coast is important.     

Dynamics of an elastically moored floating body by the three-dimensional infinite element method

The three-dimensional problem of the dynamics of a moored floating object under the action of regular waves is solved numerically as a boundary value problem by use of the finite-infinite element method. The cross-sectional shape of the floating body and the mooring arrangements may all be arbitrary. The mathematical formulations of the problem and procedures of the numerical method are presented in this paper. A corresponding computer program WALOAD has been developed, which is capable of computing wave forces on fixed and floating structures. Numerical computations using this program could give very accurate results, even though rather coarse meshes were used. The program is easy to use and is readily applicable in many practical situations.     

Descriptive Analysis and Classification of Benthic Communities in Some Mediterranean Coastal Lagoons (Central Italy)

Abstract. Benthic samples were taken seasonally at 32 stations in five coastal lagoons of Central Italy (Fogliano, Monaci, Caprolace, Fondi, and Lungo) during a two-year period (1982–1984). Composition and distribution of benthic populations in each lagoon as well as seasonal trends of species richness, density, diversity, and redundancy are presented and discussed.
The faunal differentiation appeared to be mainly due to the different degree of water exchange, both with marine and continental systems.     

Theoretical wind wave frequency spectra in shallow water

The method developed by Wen et al. (1988 a) for deriving theoretical wind wave frequency spectrum in deep water is extended to the case of water of finite depth, in which a parameter η=H/d is introduced, where H and d represent the average wave height and water depth respectively. The derived spectra reduce to those in deep water when η=0. The case of η=1/2 corresponds to waves impending to break because of the effect of the bottom. Simplified forms of spectra are given. The theoretical results agree with the observed spectra well.     

Trace metals in selected organisms from the Adriatic sea

Extensive surveys were made to establish the concentrations of several metals (Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu and Hg) in various marine organisms from different parts of the Adriatic Sea in the period from 1979 to 1985. The results obtained are based on analyses which were performed in conjunction with carefully tested procedures. Proper sampling, sample storage, treatment of samples and final analytical determination has excluded artefacts which would influence the accuracy, or cause contamination and/or trace metal losses.The metal concentrations in shellfish from the coastal areas of the Adriatic Sea are in the range of the lowest values obtained for similar organisms from other localities throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Special attention has been paid to the anthropogenic influence on trace metal concentrations in organisms living in the vicinity of domestic sewage and/or industrial waste-water outflows.     

海带的一个自然突变型

在多细胞藻的遗传学研究中,被发现的突变型很少[1].绿藻中有一些突变型,其中较多的是某种石莼(Ulva mutabilis)[2].三浦昭雄等在紫菜中发现突变型.在褐藻中未见有突变型的报道.这里所报道的是海带(Laminaria japonica)的一个突变型.     

Sea-structure interaction for tripod-type steel gravity platform

The paper deals with a numerical integrated procedure to calculate the effects of the interaction between sea waves and a tripod-type steel gravity platform. The main aspects to be taken into account for a reliable wave loading analysis of such a new type of platform are emphasized. Among them, the field perturbation effect due to the large bodies presence is analysed. Finally, some principal results in terms of structure global loads obtained by the numerical integrated procedure are presented.