Meanders in the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone and their impact on phytoplankton

The Antarctic Polar Front is a complex set of meandering jets, which appear to support enhanced primary productivity. The US Joint Global Ocean Flux Study conducted a series of survey and process studies in part to study the processes regulating primary productivity in this high nutrient, low chlorophyll region. We deployed a set of surface velocity drifters, some of which were equipped with bio-optical sensors, to study the temporal and spatial scales of biological and physical processes in the Antarctic Polar Frontal Zone. There were two primary sets of deployments: November 1997 before the spring bloom and January 1998 after the spring bloom. The November deployment revealed a strong spring bloom that lasted about 10 days. In late spring, when incoming solar radiation began to increase, the vertical motions associated with the meanders strongly affected the accumulation of phytoplankton biomass, primarily through their impact on light availability. Weaker meandering was observed in the January deployment, and chlorophyll values remained relatively constant. As the bloom began to decay, it appears that nutrient availability became more important in regulating phytoplankton photosynthesis. Some of the drifters in the November deployment were deployed in coherent clusters, thus allowing us to calculate vertical velocities associated with the meanders. Estimates of fluorescence/chlorophyll suggest that areas of upwelling and downwelling alternately decrease and increase photosynthetic stress, perhaps as a result of changes in the availability of iron or light during the formation of the bloom.     

Sedimentology of a subtidal,tide-dominated sand body in the Yellow Sea,southwest Korea

Odanam Satoe, a subtidal, tide-dominated sand body in the Yellow Sea, Korea, is linear in plan and asymmetrical in cross-section. It consists of fine- to medium-grained, well-sorted subangular sand. Bedforms consist of high-amplitude (1–2 m) sandwaves on the lower flanks of the gentler-sloping bar surface, and medium-amplitude (0.5-1 m) sandwaves on the sand body trough adjoining the steeper face, the bar crest and shallower parts of the gently sloping bar surface. Bedforms are absent on the relatively steeper bar surface, which is characterized by 2° slopes. Bedform orientation on the gentler slope is oblique by 30° to the bar crest, parallel to the sand-body crest on the crest itself, and opposite to the steeper sand-body face in the trough below the steeper slope of the bar.Bottom current velocity data show that tidal currents are semi-rotary with a flood time—velocity asymmetry over the gentler slope, and ebb time—velocity asymmetry over the steeper slope during most of the tidal cycle. Tidal-current flow parallels bar elongation over the steeper slope, whereas over the gentler slope, tidal-current flow is directed at 30° to the bar crest and changes to normal to the crest one hour prior to low tide. Bedform orientation mapped with side-scan sonar shows agreement with these flow directions.Sand dispersal around the sand body is controlled by time—velocity asymmetry and partial rotary flow directions of tidal currents. This circulation causes not only a trapezoidal mode of grain dispersal, but also westerly migration of the sand body documented from comparative bathymetric surveys in 1964 and 1980.     

The buckling of a corrugated carbon fibre cylinder under external hydrostatic pressure

A theoretical and an experimental investigation was carried out, where a carbon fibre corrugated circular cylinder was tested to destuction under external hydrostatic pressure. The theoretical investigation was via the finite element method, where the structure was modelled with several orthotropic axisymmetric thin-walled shell elements. The experimental observations were aided with strategically placed strain gauges. Comparison between theory and experiment showed that the experimentally observed buckling pressure was a little lower than the theoretical prediction. This may have been due to the fact that the model had slight initial geometrical imperfections in the circumferenential direction.     

Breaking wave impact on vertical and sloping coastal structures

The results of laboratory experiments on the maximum and bottom impact pressures from waves breaking directly on vertical and sloping faced coastal structures are presented. Direct wave breaking on a wall is classified as early, late, and perfect breaking. Although the present study is aimed at dealing with the type of impact resulting from the perfect breaking, to some extent the occurrence of early and late breaking are unavoidable. The wave impact pressures, therefore, have a random nature of variation from impact-to-impact under the same conditions. The maximum and bottom impact pressures on walls are treated statistically. The effects of the wall angle and foreshore slope on these two quantities are examined. The results show that for practical applications, the still-water level can be taken as the acting place for the maximum impact pressure on the wall. Simultaneous impact pressure distribution below and above still-water level may be approximated as parabolic and linear, respectively. Finally, using a wall deflection criterion, a water depth region in front of the wall is defined, where the breaking wave forces may reach a critical level.     

A time-dependent radiation condition for transient wave-structure interactions

An extrapolated version of a time-dependent nonreflecting boundary condition is developed for use at artificial boundaries to truncate infinite/semi-infinite domains for transient water wave problems. Test examples include single- and multiple-frequency flap wavemaker problems and free vibrations of a floating circular cylinder. The finite element results compare favorably to analytical solutions. It is shown that with the proposed boundary condition the numerical simulations have little reflections from the artificial boundaries.     

Harpacticoida taxocen diversity in the silty-sandy littoral zone of Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea

The fauna composition, ecological groups, and life forms of Harpacticoids of soft littoral grounds from 15 sites off the Karelian coast in Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea were studied. Six types of harpacticoid taxocens with different sets of dominating species are described. On silty sands with clear signs of desalination, the Stenchelia palustris taxocen is common; medium-grained sands are characterized by the Heterolaophonte minuta, Paraleptastacus kliei — Huntemannia jadensis, and Amphiascoides nanus — Scottopsyllus minor taxocens; while on coarse sands, the Ameira parvula and Ameira scotti — Mesochra lilljeborgi taxocens have developed. The diversity of the taxocens is partly explained by the differences in the grain-size composition and salinity at different sites. In addition, groups of various taxocens dwelling on the same type of the sediments were found in different minor bights of the coastline.