Review of recent findings on the water masses and circulation in the East Sea (Sea of Japan)

Recent findings on water masses, biogeochemical tracers, deep currents and basin-scale circulation in the East/Japan Sea, and numerical modeling of its circulation are reviewed. Warming continues up to 2007 despite an episode of bottom water formation in the winter of 2000–2001. Water masses have definitely changed since the 1970s and further changes are expected due to the continuation of warming. Accumulation of current data in deep waters of the East/Japan Sea reveals that the circulation in the East/Japan Sea is primarily cyclonic with sub-basin scale cyclonic and anticyclonic cells in the Ulleung Basin (Tsushima Basin). Our understanding of the circulation of intermediate water masses has been deepened through high-resolution numerical studies, and the implementation of data assimilation has had initial success. However, the East/Japan Sea is unique in terms of the fine vertical structures of physical and biogeochemical properties of cold water mass measured at the highest precision and their rapid change with the global warming, so that full understanding of the structures and their change requires in-depth process studies with continuous monitoring programs.     

北部湾盆地涠西南凹陷C洼烃源岩热史及成熟史模拟

北部湾盆地涠西南凹陷C洼流沙港组烃源岩热史及成熟史研究,对C洼深水油气勘探具有指导意义。在恢复涠西南凹陷C洼地史和热史的基础上,利用EASY%Ro模型计算了流沙港组烃源岩的成熟度史。研究结果表明,在涠西南凹陷发展的裂陷阶段初始期热流值较高,最大值约为77mW/m2,其后热流值逐渐减小,现今热流值约为54mW/m2;涠西南凹陷C洼流沙港组烃源岩开始生烃(Ro=0.5%)时间为51MaBP,达到生烃高峰(Ro=1%)时间为42MaBP,达到高成熟演化阶段(Ro=1.3%)时间为17MaBP;对比涠1井流沙港组烃源岩演化特征,处于C洼深水勘探区的流沙港组烃源岩成熟度较高,生烃能力较强,拥有广阔的油气勘探前景。     

端元分析模型在长江口邻近海域沉积物粒度数据反演方面的应用

海洋沉积物粒度分布曲线往往同时具有多个峰,而且同一类型沉积物因时间和空间上的不同其粒度分布曲线峰的位置也不同,沉积物粒度分布多峰的特点反映了沉积物不同的输运形式和沉降过程[1,2].因此,在沉积物的粒度分布数据中保存了有关沉积物输运和沉降的信息,而获得这些信息对于揭示沉积区域水动力特性、沉积物输运和沉降规律具有重要的意义.     

鱼类摄食生态研究的理论及方法

综合分析了鱼类摄食生态研究的理论，方法及其应用中的诸多问题：胃含物分析法，营养生境及食物重叠，食物链与食物网，营养结构与营养级，摄食器官的形态特征与摄食行为的关系，食物选择以及生理生太因子对鱼类摄食的影响；提出了食物排序的概念、优势度指数Ｄ及其判定公式，并以此比较客观地建立了摄食生态相似的鱼类群落主次食物的划分标准。     

Ocean current estimation using a Multi-Model Ensemble Kalman Filter during the Grand Lagrangian Deployment experiment (GLAD)

In the summer and fall of 2012, during the GLAD experiment in the Gulf of Mexico, the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment (CARTHE) used several ocean models to assist the deployment of more than 300 surface drifters. The Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) at 1 km and 3 km resolutions, the US Navy operational NCOM at 3 km resolution (AMSEAS), and two versions of the Hybrid Coordinates Ocean Model (HYCOM) set at 4 km were running daily and delivering 72-h range forecasts. They all assimilated remote sensing and local profile data but they were not assimilating the drifter’s observations. This work presents a non-intrusive methodology named Multi-Model Ensemble Kalman Filter that allows assimilating the local drifter data into such a set of models, to produce improved ocean currents forecasts. The filter is to be used when several modeling systems or ensembles are available and/or observations are not entirely handled by the operational data assimilation process. It allows using generic in situ measurements over short time windows to improve the predictability of local ocean dynamics and associated high-resolution parameters of interest for which a forward model exists (e.g. oil spill plumes). Results can be used for operational applications or to derive enhanced background fields for other data assimilation systems, thus providing an expedite method to non-intrusively assimilate local observations of variables with complex operators. Results for the GLAD experiment show the method can improve water velocity predictions along the observed drifter trajectories, hence enhancing the skills of the models to predict individual trajectories.     

Numerical study of the meridional overturning circulation with “mixing hotspots” in the Pacific Ocean

Using an idealized ocean general circulation model, we examine the effect of “mixing hotspots” (localized regions of intense diapycnal mixing) predicted based on internal wave-wave interaction theory (Hibiya et al., 2006) on the meridional overturning circulation of the Pacific Ocean. Although the assumed diapycnal diffusivity in the mixing hotspots is a little larger than the predicted value, the upwelling in the mixing hotspots is not sufficient to balance the deep-water production; out of 17 Sv of the downwelled water along the southern boundary, only 9.2 Sv is found to upwell in the mixing hotspots. The imbalance as much as 7.8 Sv is compensated by entrainment into the surface mixed layer in the vicinity of the downwelling region. As a result, the northward transport of the deep water crossing the equator is limited to 5.5 Sv, much less than estimated from previous current meter moorings and hydrographic surveys. One plausible explanation for this is that the magnitude of the meridional overturning circulation of the Pacific Ocean has been overestimated by these observations. We raise doubts about the validity of the previous ocean general circulation models where diapycnal diffusivity is assigned ad hoc to attain the current magnitude suggested from current meter moorings and hydrographic surveys.     

Investigation of drag crisis phenomenon using CFD methods

When fluid flow passes a cylinder, the drag crisis phenomenon occurs between the sub-critical and the super-critical Reynolds numbers. The focus of the present studies was on the numerical prediction of the drag crisis based on CFD methods. In this work, block structured meshes with refined grids near the cylinder surface and in the downstream were employed. Both 2D and 3D simulations were performed using various turbulence models, including the SST k − ω model, the k − ϵ model, the SST with LCTM, the DES model, and the LES model. In the convergence studies, the effects of the grid size, the time step, the first grid size and the aspect ratio (for 3D simulations) on the solutions were examined. The errors due to spatial and time discretizations were quantified according to a V&V procedure. Validation studies were carried out for various Reynolds numbers between Re = 6.31 × 10⁴ and 7.57 × 10⁵. The averaged drag force, the RMS of lift force and the Strouhal number were compared with experimental data. The studies indicated that standard 2D and 3D RANS methods were inadequate to capture the drag crisis phenomenon. The LES method however has the potential to address the problem.     

Experimental Investigation and Numerical Analysis to Develop Low-Energy Large-Midwater Trawls

Fuel consumption in fisheries is a primary concern because of its effects on the environment and the costs incurred by fishermen. Many studies have been conducted to reduce the fuel consumption in fishing operations. Fuel consumption due to fishing gear during a fishing operation is generally related to the hydrodynamic resistance on the gear. This means that fuel consumption is proportional to the drag created by the towing speed. Based on numerical methods, this study suggests a new approach to reduce fuel consumption in fisheries. The results of the simulation are in good agreement with those of model experiments. The total as well as partial resistance forces on the gear are calculated by simulation. The simulation results suggest improved materials and gear structure for reducing the hydrodynamic forces on the gear while maintaining gear performance. The method for assessing the gear performance involves measuring the height and width of the net mouth. Furthermore, this study investigates the efficiency of a low-energy trawl from an economic point of view. The findings of this study will be useful in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in fishing operations, and thereby contribute toward lowering fishing costs by saving fuel.     

Numerical investigation of the uplift performance of prestressed fiber-reinforced polymer floating piles

Finite element analyses of prestressed fiber-reinforced polymer floating piles subjected to uplift force have been conducted in this paper. First, parameters of the modified BPE model (bond–slip model at the fiber-reinforced polymer–concrete interface) were calibrated using existing pullout testing data on fiber-reinforced polymer rebars embedded in concrete. Nonlinear spring elements were used in numerical modeling to characterize the bond–slip behavior at the fiber-reinforced polymer–concrete interface. A parametric study was performed to assess the influence of rebar diameter, fiber-reinforced polymer material, embedment length, and concrete strength on the mobilized bond stress. Upon the successful modeling of the pullout performance of fiber-reinforced polymer rebars in concrete, numerical models were developed to investigate the dependence of the uplift performance of floating piles on the prestress level, uplift force, fiber-reinforced polymer type, and compressive strength of concrete.