Recent observations of meteotsunamis on the Finnish coast

We present four case studies of exceptional wave events of meteorological origin, observed on the Finnish coast in the summers of 2010 and 2011. Eyewitnesses report unusually rapid and strong sea-level variations (up to 1 m in 5–15 min) and strong oscillating currents during these events. High-resolution sea-level measurements confirm the eyewitness observations, but the oscillations recorded by tide gauges mostly have a considerably smaller amplitude. The oscillations coincide with sudden jumps in surface air pressure at coastal observation stations, related to the passage of squall lines or gust fronts. These fronts propagate above the sea at a resonant speed, allowing efficient energy transfer between the atmospheric disturbance and the sea wave that it generates. Thus, we interpret the observed sea-level oscillations as small meteotsunamis, long tsunami-like waves generated by meteorological processes and resonance effects.     

Physical Libration of the Moon: An Extended Problem

Astronomy Reports - The work is devoted to the study of the physical libration of the Moon. Interest in the traditional topic related to the rotation of the Moon is stirred up by the activity of...     

Sample Disturbance in Soft and Sensitive Clays: Analysis and Assessment

Despite the sophisticated methods employed to obtain high quality samples, they are prone to disturbance, due to stress release, let apart, due to sampling tools and techniques adopted. Critical reappraisal of different methods suggest that any method of sample quality assessment involving strength and deformation parameters would enable easier implementation and correct other engineering parameters for estimated sample disturbance. In this technical paper, sample disturbance index, using merely the slopes of compression paths, (representing mechanical response), in the pre- and post-yield stress regimes under odeometric loading conditions is proposed. This method is based on single oedometer test results on samples of unknown degrees of disturbance during sampling and handling. The unique feature of this approach is that the ideal rigid plastic material behavior is taken as reference. This eliminates the need for any additional experimental data or any calculations from the relationships formulated with any set of assumptions.     

Shoreline variability via empirical orthogonal function analysis: Part I temporal and spatial characteristics

Empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) or principal components were used to extract the significant modes of shoreline variability from several data sets collected at three very different locations. Although EOFs have proven to be a valuable tool in the analysis of nearshore data, most applications have focused on the ability of the technique to describe cross-shore or profile variability. Here however, EOFs were used to help identify the dominant modes of longshore shoreline variability at Duck, North Carolina, the Gold Coast, Australia, and at several locations within the Columbia River Littoral Cell in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. In part one of this analysis, characteristic patterns of shoreline variability identified by the EOF analysis are described in detail. At each site, the dominant modes consisting of the first four eigenfunctions were found to describe nearly 95% of the total shoreline variability. At both Duck and the Gold Coast, several interesting longshore periodic features suggestive of sand waves were identified, while boundary effects related to natural headlands and navigational structures/entrances dominated the Pacific Northwest data sets.     

Response behaviour of triangular tension leg platforms under impact loading

Excellent station keeping characteristics and relative insensitivity with increasing water depth make triangular tension leg platforms (TLPs) a proven concept in deep water oil exploration. TLPs are often subjected to less probable forces which arise due to collision of ships, icebergs or any other huge sea creature. Dynamic analysis of two triangular TLP models at water depths 1200 and 527.8 m is performed under regular waves along with impulse load acting at an angle of 45 degrees at the TLP column. Hydrodynamic forces on these TLPs are evaluated using modified Morison equation, based on water particle kinematics arrived at using Stokes’ fifth order wave theory. Based on numerical studies conducted, it is seen that impulse loading acting on corner column of TLP significantly affect its response while that acting on pontoons dose not affect TLPs behaviour.     

First observations of jelly-falls at the seafloor in a deep-sea fjord

Faunal communities at the deep-sea floor mainly rely on the downward transport of particulate organic material for energy, which can come in many forms, ranging from phytodetritus to whale carcasses. Recently, studies have shown that the deep-sea floor may also be subsidized by fluxes of gelatinous material to the benthos. The deep-sea scyphozoan medusa Periphylla periphylla is common in many deep-sea fjords in Norway and recent investigations in Lurefjorden in western Norway suggest that the biomass of this jellyfish currently exceeds 50000 t here. To quantify the presence of dead P. periphylla jellyfish falls (hereafter termed jelly-falls) at the deep seafloor and the standing stock of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) deposited on the seafloor by this species, we made photographic transects of the seafloor, using a ‘Yo-Yo’ camera system during an opportunistic sampling campaign in March 2011. Of 218 seafloor photographs taken, jelly-falls were present in five, which resulted in a total jelly-fall abundance of 1×10^-2 jelly-falls m⁻² over the entire area surveyed. Summed over the entire area of seafloor photographed, 1×10^-2 jelly-falls m⁻² was equivalent to a C- and N-biomass of 13 mg C m⁻² and 2 mg N m⁻². The contribution of each jelly-fall to the C- and N-amount of the sediment in the immediate vicinity of each fall (i.e. to sediment in each 3.02 m² image in which jelly-falls were observed) was estimated to be 568±84 mg C m⁻² and 88±13 mg N m⁻². The only megafaunal taxon observed around or on top of the jelly-falls was caridean shrimp (14±5 individuals jelly-fall⁻¹), and shrimp abundance was significantly greater in photographs in which a jelly-fall was found (14±5 individuals image⁻¹) compared to photographs in which no jelly-falls were observed (1.4±0.7 individuals image⁻¹). These observations indicate that jelly-falls in this fjord can enhance the sedimentary C- and N-amount at the deep-sea floor and may provide nutrition to benthic and demersal faunas in this environment. However, organic enrichment from the jelly-falls found in this single sampling event and associated disturbance was highly localized.     

Grazing suppression of dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) accumulation in iron-fertilised, sub-Antarctic waters

The impact of in situ iron fertilisation on the production of particulate dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSPp) and its breakdown product dimethyl sulphide (DMS) was monitored during the SOLAS air-sea gas exchange experiment (SAGE). The experiment was conducted in the high nitrate, low chlorophyll (HNLC) waters of the sub-Antarctic Southern Ocean (46.7°S 172.5°E) to the south-east of New Zealand, during March-April, 2004. In addition to monitoring net changes in the standing stocks of DMSPp and DMS, a series of dilution experiments were used to determine the DMSPp production and consumption rates in relation to increased iron availability. In contrast to previous experiments in the Southern Ocean, DMS concentrations decreased over the course of the 15-d iron-fertilisation experiment, from an integrated volume-specific concentration in the mixed layer on day 0 of 0.78 nM (measured values 0.65-0.91 nM) to 0.46 nM (measured values 0.42-0.47 nM) by day 15, in parallel with the surrounding waters. DMSPp, chlorophyll a and the abundance of photosynthetic picoeukaryotes exhibited indiscernible or only moderate increases in response to the raised iron availability, despite an obvious physiological response by the phytoplankton. High specific growth rates of DMSPp, equivalent to 0.8-1.2 doublings d⁻¹, occurred at the simulated 60% light level of the dilution experiments. Despite the high production rates, DMSPp accumulation was suppressed in part by microzooplankton grazers who consumed between 61% d⁻¹ and 126% d⁻¹ of the DMSPp production. Temporal trends in the rates of production and consumption illustrated a close coupling between the DMSP-producing phytoplankton and their microzooplankton grazers. Similar grazing and production rates were observed for the eukaryotic picophytoplankton that dominated the phytoplankton biomass, partial evidence that picoeukaryotes contributed a substantial proportion of the DMSP synthesis. These rates for DMSPp and picoeukaryotes were considerably higher than for chlorophyll a, indicating higher cycling rates of the DMSP-producing taxa than for the bulk phytoplankton community. When compared to the total phytoplankton community, there was no evidence of selection against the DMSP-containing phytoplankton by the microzooplankton grazers; the opposite appeared to be the case. SAGE demonstrated that increased iron availability in the HNLC waters of the Southern Ocean does not invariably lead to enhanced DMS sea-air flux. The potential suppression of DMSPp accumulation by grazers needs to be taken into account in future attempts to elevate DMS emission through in situ iron fertilisation and in understanding the hypothesised link between levels of Aeolian iron deposition in the Southern Ocean, DMS emission and global albedo.     

Runup of the surface waves of various shapes on a sloping beach

In the long-wave approximation, we perform the numerical analysis of the plane problem of runup of waves of various shapes on a sloping beach. We study transformations of the shape of waves flooding the beach and in the course of their subsequent rundown. The dependence of maximum elevations and lowerings of the sea level on the parameters of the waves approaching the beach, the depth of the shelf, and the slope of the bottom are investigated. It is shown that the shape of waves affects the amplitude characteristics of oscillations of the coastline. The heights of the vertical runup of waves incident on a sloping beach can be several times higher than the amplitude of waves entering the shelf zone.     

Tank wall effects on broadside current forces on barge models

Three different barge sizes were tested in uniform current in a tank of limited width. One of the barges was tested with and without bilge keels. Tests were conducted in both deep and shallow water. The barges were placed broadside to the current flow and the lateral forces on the barges were measured. The effect of the tank walls on these forces is clearly shown.