A Density Correction for Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Models

Current Lagrangian particle dispersion models, used to simulate the dispersion of passive tracers in the turbulent planetary boundary layer (PBL), assume that the density is constant within the PBL. In deep PBLs, where the density at the boundary-layer top may be lower by more than 20% than at the surface, this assumption leads to errors in the tracer concentrations on the order of 10%. In the presence of a vertical wind shear, this also leads to inaccurate calculations of the horizontal tracer transport. To remove this deficiency, a Langevin equation is presented that contains a density correction term. The effect of the density correction is studied using data from a large-scale tracer experiment. It is found that for this experiment, the main effect of the density correction is an increase in the surface tracer concentrations, whereas the horizontal tracer transport patterns remain largely unaffected.     

Smart Sediment Particle: A novel approach to investigating fluvial bed entrainment using instrumented sensors

The Smart Sediment Particle(SSP) instrumented with multiple sensors to obtain tri-axial linear accelerations is used for studying the mechanism of coarse grain entrainment. Three bed arrangements are tested to examine their influences on entrainment processes and the threshold force and impulse conditions. The SSP shows satisfactory precision to capture the imperceptible movement tendencies immediately(e.g., 0.15 s) after the dislodgement. The experimental results show that bed packing can signi...     

Experimental study of the settling of twin spherical particles released side by side: The impact of particle size,fluid viscosity,initial spacing,and particle density

The settling of solid particles in a fluid is an important process that needs to be considered in many fields of research. For example, the interactions among particles and between particles and the surrounding fluid are important topics in studying suspended sediment transport and water clarification. In this paper, the settling processes and interactions of twin spherical particles released side by side were experimentally studied. The Reynolds number varied in the range of 1-300, which is wit...     

Summer phytoplankton blooms in the oligotrophic North Pacific Subtropical Gyre: Historical perspective and recent observations

The export of organic matter from the oceanic euphotic zone is a critical process in the global biogeochemical cycling of bioelements (C, N, P, Si). Much of this export occurs in the form of sinking particles, which rain down into the unlit waters of the deep sea. Classical models of oceanic production and export balance this gravitational loss of particulate bioelements with an upward flux of dissolved nutrients, and they describe reasonably well those areas of the ocean where deep winter mixing occurs. The surface waters of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG), however, are strongly stratified and chronically nutrient-depleted, especially in summer. Nevertheless, there is ample evidence that blooms of phytoplankton and subsequent pulses of particle export occur during the height of summer stratification in these waters, especially to the northeast of the Hawaiian Islands. These blooms impact regional bioelemental cycling and act as a food source to the deep-sea benthos. We review here numerous published observations of these events in the NPSG, and present new data collected at Station ALOHA (22.75°N, 158°W) during the first 176 cruises of the Hawaii Ocean Time-series program (1988-2005), along with results from transect cruises conducted in the region in 1996 and 2005. We suggest that the summer phytoplankton bloom can be considered a frequent, perhaps annual feature in the northeastern NPSG, and that its perceived stochastic nature is a manifestation of chronic undersampling in time and space. The bloom is typically dominated by only a few genera of large diatoms and the cyanobacterium Trichodesmium. It appears to be consistently supported by dinitrogen fixation, but the fate of the organic matter produced during the summer depends critically on the species composition of the responsible diazotrophs. We estimate that the summer bloom is responsible for up to 38% of N₂ fixation and up to 18% of N-based new production annually at Station ALOHA. We hypothesize that the spatial distribution, timing and magnitude of the bloom may be determined largely by the physical and biological processes controlling new phosphorus delivery into the euphotic zone during the summer and the preceding winter.     

The transient oasis: Nutrient-phytoplankton dynamics and particle export in Hawaiian lee cyclones

Macronutrients, photosynthetic pigments, and particle export were assessed in two eddies during the E-Flux I and III cruises to investigate linkages between biogeochemical properties and export flux in Hawaiian lee cyclonic eddies. Cyclone Noah (E-Flux I), speculated to be in the ‘decay’ stage, exhibited modest increases in macronutrients and photosynthetic pigments at the eddy center compared to ambient waters. Cyclone Opal (E-Flux III) also exhibited modest increases in macronutrient concentrations, but a 2-fold enhancement in total chlorophyll a (TChl a) concentration within the eddy center. As indicated by fucoxanthin concentrations, the phytoplankton community in the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) of Opal was comprised mainly of diatoms. During an 8-day time series in the center of Opal, TChl a concentration and fucoxanthin in the DCM decreased by 50%, which was potentially triggered by silicic acid limitation. Despite the presence of a substantial diatom bloom, Opal did not deliver the expected export of particulate carbon and nitrogen, but rather a large biogenic silica export (4-fold increase relative to export in surrounding waters). Results suggest that controls on the life cycle of a Hawaiian lee cyclone are likely a combination of physical (eddy dynamics), chemical (nutrient limitation), and biological (growth and grazing imbalance) processes. Comparisons between Noah and Opal and previously studied cyclones in the region point to a relationship between the spin-up duration of a cyclone and the resulting biological response. Nonetheless, Hawaiian lee cyclones, which strongly influence the biogeochemistry of areas 100's of km in scale in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean, still remain an enigma.     

星内粒子探测器观测结果与辐射带模型的比较

我们将资源一号卫星星内粒子探测器的观测数据与辐射带模式AE8/AP8的预测结果进行了对比,发现在南大西洋异常区的高能电子和质子的通量与辐射带模型的预测结果基本相同,而在两极极光带的电子通量比AE8模型预测的低得多.根据NOAA卫星的观测结果,可以认为这一差异主要是因为在南大西洋异常区（内辐射带）和两极极光带（外辐射带）的粒子投掷角分布的差异造成的.在南大西洋异常区粒子倾向于各向同性分布,而在极光带粒子各向异性明显,投掷角接近90°的粒子通量比0°投掷角附近的粒子通量大得多.     

视应力方法在震群性质判定中的应用研究

利用视应力方法研究了1999～2004年辽宁地区发生的岫岩、 海城、 营口震群性质, 结果显示: 前震序列与其它震群视应力曲线变化形态是完全不同的, 视应力的大小能较好地反映出震源区应力场的大小。 利用视应力数值变化探讨区域震群性质, 与地震活动性参数判定震群性质的方法, 更能反映出每个震群应力场的变化过程, 在原方法不能准确确定震群性质的情况下, 根据应力场的变化过程可以进一步判定震群的性质。 文中还探讨了视应力与震级之间的关系。     

Swarm卫星星载GPS数据质量分析

从卫星可见性、DOP值、多路径误差、信噪比等方面对Swarm卫星星载GPS实测数据的质量进行分析,并将分析结果与GRACE卫星星载GPS数据质量进行对比。结果表明,Swarm卫星的多路径效应与伪距测量噪声比GRACE卫星大;DOP值两者基本相当;Swarm卫星接收机的通道数虽少,但是其跟踪能力强于GRACE卫星。最后,利用星载GPS数据进行Swarm卫星和GRACE卫星约化动力学定轨,表明Swarm卫星的伪距和载波相位残差均大于GRACE卫星。     

波浪冲击过程流场变化特性试验研究

利用瞬态全场测量技术———粒子图像测速(PIV)技术,研究了波浪对透空式建筑物上部结构冲击过程的流场变化特性。通过对采集到的CCD图像互相关分析,直观地显示了波浪冲击作用发生时结构物底面的流场状态,得到瞬间全场流体水质点速度矢量,并且应用概率分析法研究了冲击压力峰值与波浪水质点运动速度之间的关系。     

Porosity of bimodal sediment mixture with particle filling

The porosity of a bimodal sediment mixture is affected by the filling of fine particles in the voids of coarse particles when the particle size range is wide. The classical ideal packing models tend to overestimate the filling, and, thus, underestimate the porosity of the mixture. In this study, an existing random filling model is improved by considering a three-dimensional packing configuration, and a new model is developed by considering how many fine particles are required and how many are available to cover the surface of coarse particles in the sediment mixture. The developed models are validated using measured data and compared with existing models. The new model can reproduce well the variation trend of the mixture porosity as the fraction of fine particles varies.