Behaviour of particle-laden flows into the ocean: experimental simulation and geological implications

The behaviour of subaerial particle-laden gravity currents (e.g. pyroclastic flows, lahars, debris flows, sediment-bearing floods and jökulhlaups) flowing into the sea has been simulated with analogue experiments. Flows of either saline solution, simple suspensions of silicon carbide (SiC) in water or complex suspensions of SiC and plastic particles in methanol were released down a slope into a tank of water. The excess momentum between subaerial and subaqueous flow is dissipated by a surface wave. At relatively low density contrasts between the tank water and the saline or simple suspensions, the flow mixture enters the water and forms a turbulent cloud involving extensive entrainment of water. The cloud then collapses gravitationally to form an underwater gravity current, which progresses along the tank floor. At higher density contrasts, the subaerial flow develops directly into a subaqueous flow. The flow slows and thickens in response to the reduced density contrast, which is driving motion, and then continues in the typical gravity current manner. Complex suspensions become dense flows along the tank floor or buoyant flows along the water surface, if the mixtures are sufficiently denser or lighter than water respectively. Flows of initially intermediate density are strongly influenced by the internal stratification of the subaerial flow. Material from the particulate-depleted upper sections of the subaerial flow becomes a buoyant gravity current along the water surface, whereas material from the particulate-enriched lower sections forms a dense flow along the tank floor. Sedimentation from the dense flow results in a reduction in bulk density until the mixture attains buoyancy, lifts off and becomes a secondary buoyant flow along the water surface. Jökulhlaups, lahars and debris flows are typically much denser than seawater and, thus, will usually form dense flows along the seabed. After sufficient sedimentation, the freshwater particulate mixture can lift off to form a buoyant flow at the sea surface, leading to a decoupling of the fine and coarse particles. Flood waters with low particulate concentrations (<2%) may form buoyant flows immediately upon entering the ocean. Subaerial pyroclastic flows develop a pronounced internal stratification during subaerial run-out and, thus, a flow-splitting behaviour is probable, which agrees with evidence for sea surface and underwater flows from historic eruptions of Krakatau and Mont Pelée. A pyroclastic flow with a bulk density closer to that of sea water may form a turbulent cloud, resulting in the deposition of much of the pyroclasts close to the shore. Dense subaqueous pyroclastic flows will eventually lift off and form secondary buoyant flows, either before or after the transformation to a water-supported nature.     

An extended variable-grid global ocean circulation model and its preliminary results of the equatorial Pacific circulation

1IntroductionThetropicalPacificOceanplaysanimpor-tantroleintheclimatevariabilitiessuchasElNi-no-SouthernOscillation(ENSO)phenomenon(Chao,1993).ManystudieshavefoundthatthetropicalPacificvariabilitiescanhavesignifi-cantinfluenceontheoceancirculationintheseasadjacenttoChina(Yu,1985;Chaoetal.,1996;Wangetal.,2002).TheseaareaadjacenttoChinaischaracterizedbyitscomplextopog-raphyandnumerousnarrowstraits,andthusre-quiresafinegridtoresolve.Tostudytheinter-actionbetweenthetropicalPacificandChinas…     

海岸裂流的研究进展及其展望

近岸裂流是海岸工程和海岸演变中非常重要的动力因素,对污染物排放和游泳者安全有很重要的意义。详细回顾了国内外对海岸裂流方面的研究与进展,具体包括对裂流的实验室实验和现场观测测量技术、理论分析、裂流的形成机理以及数值模拟等方面,概述了该领域的研究现状与发展趋势。总结了已有研究存在的不足,提出了需要进一步研究的课题。     

Fragmentation of the Current Sheet,Anomalous Resistivity,and Acceleration of Particles

The evolution of the current sheet in the electric current direction (in the guiding magnetic field direction) is studied numerically in the 3-D particle-in-cell model with two current sheets and periodic boundary conditions. In the regime with (where v _D and are the electric current drift and electron thermal velocities, respectively) the current sheets are unstable owing to the Buneman and kink instabilities and become strongly fragmented. During their evolution, in addition to an increase of the energy of the electric field component in the guiding magnetic field direction, the energies of the electric field components in the perpendicular direction are even more enhanced. In the current sheet the anomalous resistivity (η _anom/η _C∼7×10⁵, where η _C is the classical resistivity) is generated and thus the magnetic field dissipates. Most of the dissipated magnetic energy is transformed into the electron kinetic energy in the direction of the electric current. The associated electric field accelerates the electrons from the tail of the distribution function.     

层状介质高频电磁场响应及位移电流影响

所讨论的电磁场频率介于传统的低频电磁法和雷达频率之间。在这个频率范围内,传导电流和位移电流都是不可忽略的。采用高密度采样算法计算水平层状磁偶线圈模型的电磁响应,通过对归一化的电磁响应在不同地电情况的模拟,比较分析了高频电磁场响应特征以及位移电流对高频电磁响应的贡献。     

Tide,Wind, and River Forcing of the Surface Currents in the Fraser River Plume

A long-term record of surface currents from a high-frequency radar system, along with near-surface hydrographic transects, moored current meter records, and satellite imagery, are analyzed to determine the relative importance of river discharge, wind, and tides in driving the surface flow in the Fraser River plume. The observations show a great deal of oceanographic and instrumental variability. However, averaged quantities yielded robust results. The effect of river flow, which determines buoyancy and inertia near the river mouth, was found by taking a long-term average. The resulting flow field was dominated by a jet with two asymmetric gyres; the anticyclonic gyre to the north had flow speeds consistent with geostrophy. The mean flow speed near the river mouth was 14.3?cm?s^–1, while the flow further afield was 5?cm?s^–1 or less. Wind stress and surface currents were highly coherent in the subtidal frequency band. Northwesterly winds drive a surface flow to the southeast at speeds of nearly 30?cm?s^–1. Southeasterly winds drive a surface flow to the northwest at speeds reaching 20?cm?s^–1; however, there is more spatial variability in speed and direction relative to the northwesterly wind case. A harmonic analysis was used to extract the tidally driven flows. Ellipse parameters for the major tidal constituents varied considerably in both alignment and aspect ratio over the radar domain, in direct contrast to a barotropic model which predicted rectilinear flow along the Strait of Georgia. This is a result of water filling and draining the shallow mud flats north of the Fraser's main channel. The M₂ velocities at the surface were also weaker than their barotropic counterparts. However, the shallow water constituent MK₃ was enhanced at the surface and nearly as strong as the mean flow, implying that non-linear interactions are important to surface dynamics.     

INVESTIGATION ON GEOSTROPHIC ADJUSTMENT,FRONTOGENESIS AND OSCILLATIONS

Geostrophic adjustment and frontogenesis are examined by means of the 2-D ARPS model.The simulation shows that.without the large-scale forcing,both the frontogenesis and frontolysisare observed during the geostrophic adjustment process and the intensity of the front oscillates inthe case of no discontinuity.The convergence (divergence) induced by the secondary circulation isthe most important factor for frontogenesis (frontolysis) at the top and bottom boundaries.Theamplitude and period of oscillation are dependent on the initial atmospheric stratification and theCoriolis frequency,and they are related to the inertio-gravity wave.     

Observations of wave pump efficiency

Currently available data on wave pump efficiency is reviewed. The obtainable efficiency is an important consideration in the design of practical devices for the extraction of wave energy and the analysis of natural systems (e.g., coral flats and rip currents). We find that the peak efficiency is 0.5 for very steep (∼ 40–45°) ramps where the waves break over the top of the ramp. For flatter (< 30°) ramps, the breaking process is more gradual and the peak efficiency is less than 0.1. We have identified natural atoll lagoon systems where the flushing is wave driven and successfully modeled it as driven by a wave pump. The same is the case for rip currents. For both of these natural systems, the pump efficiency is around 0.035. In addition a numerical swash model is used to estimate wave pump efficiency and is seen to match the experimental results for natural systems or breaking wave scenario.