Morphodynamics of a bar-trough surf zone

A field study was made of the distinguishing morphodynamic processes operating in a surf zone which perennially exhibits accentuated bar-trough topography (the “longshore-bar-trough” and “rhytmic-bar-and-beach” states as described by Wright and Short, 1984). Characteristic features of the morphology include a shallow bar with a steep shoreward face, a deep trough, and a steep beach face. This morphology, which is favored by moderate breaker heights and small tidal ranges, strongly controls the coupled suite of hydrodynamic processes. In contrast to fully dissipative surf zones, the bar-trough surf zone is not at all saturated and oscillations at incident wave frequency remain dominant from the break point to the subaerial beach. The degree of incident wave groupiness does not change appreciably across the surf zone. Infragravity standing waves which, in dissipative surf zones, dominate the inshore energy, remain energetically secondary and occur at higher frequencies in the bar trough surf zone. Analyses of the field data combined with numerical simulations of leaky mode and edge wave nodal—antinodal positions over observed surf-zone profiles, indicate that the frequencies which prevail are favored by the resonant condition of antinodes over the bar and nodes in the trough. Standing waves which would have nodes over the bar are suppressed. Sediment resuspension in the surf zone appears to be largely attributable to the incident waves which are the main source of bed shear stress. In addition, the extra near-bottom eddy viscosity provided by the reformed, non-breaking waves traversing the trough significantly affects the vertical velocity profile of the longshore current. Whereas the bar is highly mobile in terms of onshore—offshore migration rates, the beach face and inner regions of the trough are remarkably stable over time.     

Nature and composition of shore-zone sediments between Jeddah and Yanbu, eastern Red Sea

The shore-zone sediments between Jeddah and Yanbu, west coast of Saudi Arabia, are composed mostly of skeletal carbonate sands. The nearshore sediments containing benthic foraminifera, algal fragments and molluscs are multimodal, the mean grain size varying between 0.76 and 2.35 ø. The beach sediments, except samples dominated by cerithid gastropods in some localities, are relatively finer than the nearshore sediments. Although the beaches to a great extent comprise sand-sized material, fine lime muds and coarse clastic gravels occur in certain areas. The dune sediments comprising mostly algal grains and ooids are very fine with 50 percent of the material in the 0.25–0.18 mm size grade. Except a general northward decrease in mean grain size, regional trends in the textural parameters of the sediments between Jeddah and Yanbu are not quite apparent. Lateral variations in the textural characteristics suggest a landward migration of the sediments in the shore zone under the influence of northerly and northwesterly winds. The carbon and oxygen (δ ¹³C + 4.80 to 4.84‰ PDB) (δ ¹³O − 0.04 to + 0.53‰ PDB) isotopic ratios of the lime muds occurring in certain shallow margins in the shore-zone, which are much higher than those of the green algae, indicate that the fine carbonates are at least in part inorganic in origin.

Like the shallow-water carbonates in tropical seas, aragonite and high Mg-calcite are the dominant carbonate minerals in the shore-zone sediments. There is a landward increase in aragonite contents caused by the landward migration of fine material from the nearshore. The dominant clay mineral in the nearshore sediments is kaolinite with subordinate swelling chlorite and little illite. Kaolinite is contributed by the coastal regions under the sub-tropical humid climate. Swelling chlorite is considered to have been formed in the nearshore by mechanical mixture of chlorite and montmorillonite derived from the metamorphic and igneous terrains of the Tertiary mountains bordering the coastal plain.     

Artificial upwelling induced by ocean currents —Theory and experiment

A submerged apparatus, which consists of a buoy, several horizontal contraction and expansion tubes (Venturi-type tubes) and a long pipe, is expected to be used to pump the subsurface sea-water (200–300 meter depth) containing abundant nutrients to surface layer (50–100 m) by the dynamic of ocean currents. i.e. an artificial upwelling without energy cost. A preliminary experiment and analysis are undertaken and shows that the capacity of pumping the nutrient-rich sea-water is worth to build a pilot prototype model.     

A comparative study of the breathing and clearing characteristics of different types of snorkels

This article presents a comparative study of the breathing resistance and clearing characteristics of several types of commercially available snorkels in an attempt to device quantitative means that enable the divers to select the best snorkel and the designers to see the possible directions and modifications necessary for improving the performance of such important life support devices.Two test stands have therefore been built, the first to measure the breathing resistance and the second to monitor the clearing efficiency and speed of some of the commonly used snorkels.The tested snorkels varied from the simple J-type to the sophisticated wrap-around snorkels with convoluted flexible hoses and flared ends.The results obtained show that large diameter snorkels of the wrap-around design with sweeping barrels and flared ends (as the AMF Swimmaster snorkel number 2S55) offer the least breathing resistance. As for the clearing characteristics snorkels with small diameters and of the simple J-type (as the Spanish Aquasub snorkel: The Canarias) or with large diameters and sweeping barrels (as the Power Tuned snorkel of U.S. divers) possess the best clearing figure of merit.     

Hypothesis for a submarine landslide and cohesionless sediment flows resulting from a 17th century earthquake-triggered landslide in Quebec,Canada

Textural isotopic and microfossil data from two gravity cores obtained in Saguenay Fjord, Quebec, suggest that a distinctive sandy clay bed was deposited as the result of a major landslide in the Saguenay River basin. Pb-210 dating of the cores indicate that the bed is of similar age to the magnitude 7 earthquake of February 5, 1663. The slide involved sensitive marine clays and may have occurred in two stages. Slide sediments carried into the Saguenay River channel were probably reworked and subsequently transported down the Fjord basin as two distinct cohesionless mass flows. Fine clay laminae that overlie the older mass flow bed record the modulation of depositional processes by tidal currents for several weeks after this event.     

Wave forces on submarine pipelines near a plane boundary

Forces induced by regular waves on submarine pipelines resting on as well as near a plane boundary and aligned parallel to wave fronts of the oncoming waves are investigated experimentally. The inline hydrodynamic coefficients of drag and inertia are evaluated through the use of Morison equation and the least squares method. The transverse force is analysed in terms of maximum transverse force and transverse root mean square (r.m.s.) coefficients. The resulting inline and transverse hydrodynamic coefficients are correlated with the period parameter or Keulegan-Carpenter number and relative clearance of the pipeline from the plane boundary. The effect of depth parameter on these coefficients and the correlation between maximum transverse force and transverse r.m.s. coefficients are also reported.     

Influence of structural flexibility and wave interference on dynamic behavior of idealized offshore platform

An approximate method is presented to estimate the hydrodynamic loading and structural response of an idealized offshore platform subjected to a regular train of linear surface waves. The platform is taken to consist of four bottom-mounted, flexible, circular cylinders supporting a rigid deck and is assumed to be aligned parallel to the incident wave direction. The response of each column is assumed to be one-dimensional and to be governed by linear beam theory. The solution technique for the fluid velocity potential involves replacing scattered waves by equivalent plane waves together with non-planar, first-correction terms, and can be shown to be a large spacing approximation.Numerical results are presented which show the effect of hydrodynamic interference and structural flexibility on the platform response.     

Abundance, distribution and patch formation of zooplankton

The goal of studies described here was to determine the responses of zooplankton taxa to phytoplankton patches which develop in and near intrusions of cold, nutrient-rich Gulf Stream water. To achieve this goal we determined the horizontal and vertical distributions of abundant mesozooplankton taxa on the south-eastern continental shelf of the USA between 29°30′ and 31°N. The study period was from June 23 to August 16, 1981. Highest concentrations of zooplankton usually occurred in and near patches of phytoplankton. Increased phytoplankton appeared to trigger the formation of patches of the calanoid copepod Temora turbinata and the cyclopoid copepods Oithona spp. and Oncaea spp. The patches of zooplankton had greater alongshore than cross-shelf dimensions. T. turbinata responded rapidly to increased concentrations of phytoplankton by reproducing and aggregating in and above intruded waters. Oithonidae which were often, but not always, abundant in phytoplankton patches eventually attained high concentrations over most of the middle and part of the inner shelf. Their concentration and that of Oncaeidae increased steadily. Oncaeidae were not abundant in recently upwelled waters, as was T. turbinata but reached high concentrations in older intrusions when the abundance of T. turbinata remained level or decreased slowly. Both cyclopoid taxa are thought to reproduce slowly (egg sacs) compared to T. turbinata. Another taxon, the doliolids, became abundant far more rapidly in intruded waters (by asexual reproduction) than did the other three taxa. Doliolids were the most opportunistic intrusion zooplankton form. They do not regularly occur in low abundance on the shelf, as do the three copepod taxa, but develop in pulses in regions where T. turbinata and Oncaea are not abundant. Of the four taxa studied the abundance of doliolids increased and decreased most rapidly, whereas Oithona and Oncaea increased slowly and did not decrease during the study period. T. turbinata and Oncaea were most abundant at 60% of all stations in the intruding water. Doliolids and Oithona on the other hand, were mostly in the thermocline and intrusion. Whereas phytoplankton patches, which developed in intrusions, were physically induced (PAFFENHÖFER and LEE, 1988), patches of zooplankton were biologically induced.     

Contaminant concentrations and toxicity of sea-surface microlayer near Los Angeles, California

Sea-surface microlayer samples were collected from six nearshore areas receiving different amounts of anthropogenic inputs. The samples were analyzed for selected trace metals, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The relative toxicities of the samples were determined with fish embryo bioassays.Contaminant concentrations generally increased from offshore to the inshore stations. Contaminant concentrations were several orders of magnitude higher in microlayer samples from the highly industrialized Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors compared to samples from a site 15km offshore. Microlayer samples from the inshore stations were significantly more toxic, and induced significantly more developmental abnormalities and chromosome aberrations, than samples from the offshore stations.     

Theoretical aspects of cap-rock and fault seals for single- and two-phase hydrocarbon columns

Cap-rock seals can be divided genetically into those that fail by capillary leakage (membrane seals) and those whose capillary entry pressures are so high that seal failure preferentially occurs by fracturing and/or wedging open of faults (hydraulic seals). A given membrane seal can trap a larger oil column than gas column at shallow depths, but below a critical depth (interval), gas is more easily sealed than oil. This critical depth increases with lower API gravity, lower oil GOR and overpressured conditions (for the gas phase). These observations arise from a series of modelling studies of membrane sealing and can be conveniently represented using pressure/ depth (P/D) profiles through sealed hydrocarbon columns. P/D diagrams have been applied to the more complex situation of the membrane sealing of a gas cap underlain by an oil rim; at seal capacity, such a two-phase column will be always greater than if only oil or gas occurs below the seal.These conclusions contrast with those for hydraulic seals where the seal capacity to oil always exceeds that for gas. Moreover, a trapped two-phase column, at hydraulic seal capacity will be less than the maximum-allowed oil-only column, but more than the maximum gas-only column. Unlike membrane seals, hydraulic seal capacity should be directly related to cap-rock thickness, in addition to the magnitude of the minimum effective stress in the sealing layer and the degree of overpressure development in the sequence as a whole.Fault-related seals are effectively analogous to membrane cap-rocks which have been tilted to the angle of the fault plane. Consequently, all of the above conclusions derived for membrane cap-rocks apply to both sealing faults sensu stricto (fault plane itself seals) and juxtaposition faults (hydrocarbon trapped laterally against a juxtaposed sealing unit). The maximum-allowed two-phase column trapped by a sealing fault is greater than for equivalent oil-only and gas-only columns, but less than that predicted for a horizontal membrane cap-rock under similar conditions. Where a two-phase column is present on both sides of a sealing fault (which is at two-phase seal capacity), a deeper oil/water contact (OWC) in one fault block is associated with a deeper gas/oil contact (GOC) compared with the adjacent fault block. If the fault seal is discontinuous in the gas leg, however, the deeper OWC is accompanied by a shallower GOC, whereas a break in the fault seal in the oil leg results in a common OWC in both fault blocks, even though separate GOC's exist. Schematic P/D profiles are provided for each of the above situations from which a series of fundamental equations governing single- and two-phase cap-rock and fault seal capacities can be derived. These relationships may have significant implications for exploration prospect appraisal exercises where more meaningful estimates of differential seal capacities can be made.The membrane sealing theory developed herein assumes that all reservoirs and seals are water-wet and no hydrodynamic flow exists. The conclusions on membrane seal capacity place constraints on the migration efficiency of gas along low-permeabiligy paths at depth where fracturing, wedging open of faults and/or diffusion process may be more important. Contrary to previous assertions, it is speculated that leakage of hydrocarbons through membrane seals occurs in distinct pulses such that the seal is at or near the theoretically calculated seal capacity, once this has been initially attained.Finally, the developed seal theory and P/D profile concepts are applied to a series of development geological problems including the effects of differential depletion, and degree of aquifer support, on sealing fault leakage, and the evaluation of barriers to vertical cross-flow using RFT profiles through depleted reservoirs. It is shown that imbibition processes and dynamic effects related to active cross-flow across such barriers often preclude quantitative analysis and solution of these problems for which simulation studies are usually required.