Interference of Multiple Strip Footings on Sand Using Small Scale Model Tests

By using small scale model tests, the interference effect on the vertical load-deformation behavior of a number of equally spaced strip footings, placed on the surface of dry sand, was investigated. At any stage, all the footings were assumed to (i) carry exactly equal magnitude of load, and (ii) settle to the same extent. No tilt of the footing was permitted. The effect of clear spacing (s) among footings on the results was explored. A new experimental setup was proposed in which only one footing needs to be employed rather than a number of footings. The bearing capacity increases continuously with decrease in spacing among the footings. The interference effect becomes further prominent with increase in soil friction angle. In contrast to an increase in the bearing capacity, with decrease in spacing of footings, an increase in the footing settlement associated with the ultimate state of shear failure was observed. The present experimental observations were similar to those predicted by the available theory, based on the method of characteristics. As compared to the theory, the present experimental data, however, indicates much greater effect of interference especially for larger spacing among footings.     

Modelling and forecasting long-term dynamics of Western Baltic macrobenthic fauna in relation to climate signals and environmental change

Long-term macrobenthos data from Kiel Bight in the Western Baltic collected between 1968 and 2000 have been correlated with the winter NAO index (North Atlantic Oscillation Index) and other environmental data such as temperature, salinity and oxygen content in the bottom water in order to detect systematic patterns related to so far unexplained abiotic signals in the dynamics of zoobenthic species assemblages. The benthos data come from a cluster of five stations (Süderfahrt/ Millionenviertel) in Kiel Bay. Our investigations concentrated on the macrobenthic dynamics with a focus on the number of species m^− 2 (species richness). Using logarithms and the time series analysis approach of Box/Jenkins (ARIMA modelling, transfer function modelling) it was shown that species richness was strongly influenced by the winter NAO (adjusted for a linear time trend within the 1968-2000 period) and salinity (with a shift/lag of four years). Bootstrapping experiments (i.e. sampling from the error process) and analysis of prediction power (by means of the one- or more-years leaving-out method) showed that the parameter estimates behaved in a stable way, leading to a relatively robust model.     

Developing a Marine Information System by Integrating Existing Ocean Models Using Object-Oriented Technology

Information systems developed for different applications within the environmental domain have common characteristics, which can potentially be abstracted for sharing and reuse of design and software modules. This article presents an approach to designing for reuse by abstracting commonalities in the design of a Marine Information System (MIS), facilitating data management in a prototype operational monitoring, forecasting, and management system for the North Atlantic and the Nordic Seas. A detailed study of the requirements and data analysis was carried out, and Object-Oriented Technology (OOT) is employed to encapsulate abstractions and to promote reuse of code and design. This article identifies the Object-Oriented Frameworks (OOFW) required to build the MIS. It also provides guidelines to environmental scientists for restructuring legacy software and employing modern programming techniques.     

Depth distribution of radiolarians from the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, western Arctic

The depth distributions of the radiolarian fauna in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, marginal seas of the western Arctic Ocean, were examined quantitatively in depth-stratified plankton tows from 4 or 5 intervals above 500 m and in surface sediments from various depths between 163 and 2907 m. The radiolarian assemblage from the water column in September 2000 was dominated by Amphimelissa setosa and followed by the Actinomma boreale/leptoderma group, Pseudodictyophimus gracilipes and Spongotrochus glacialis. These species are related to the Arctic Surface Water shallower than 150 m. This assemblage is similar to that in the Greenland Sea relating to the ice edge, but did not contain typical Pacific radiolarians in spite of the flow of water of Pacific origin in this region. The living depth of Ceratocyrtis historicosa was restricted to the relatively warm water between 300 and 500 m corresponding to the upper Arctic Intermediate Water (AIW) originating from the Atlantic Ocean. Radiolarian assemblages in the surface sediments are similar to those in the plankton tows, except for common Cycladophora davisiana in sediment samples below 500 m. C. davisiana is probably a deep-water species adapted to the lower AIW or the Canadian Basin Deep Water ventilated from the shelves.     

Gravity torques for surface waves

The effects of the gravity torques acting on the angular momentum of surface gravity waves are calculated theoretically. For short crested waves the gravity torque is caused by the force of gravity on the orbiting fluid particles acting down the slopes of the crests and troughs and in the direction parallel to the crests and troughs. The gravity torque tries to rotate the angular momentum vectors, and thus the waves themselves, counterclockwise in the horizontal plane, as viewed from above, in both hemispheres. The amount of rotation per unit time is computed to be significant assuming reasonable values for the along-crest and trough slopes for waves in a storm area. The gravity torque has a frequency which is double the frequency of the waves. For long crested waves the gravity torque acts in the vertical plane of the orbit and tries to decelerate the particles when they rise and accelerate them when they fall. By disrupting the horizontal cyclostrophic balance of forces on the fluid particles (centrifugal force versus pressure force) the gravity torque accounts qualitatively for the three characteristics of breaking waves: that they break at the surface, that they break at the crest, and that the crest breaks in the direction of wave propagation.     

有风浪太湖水体的光照传输模式

根据辐射传输方程的近似解方法和光照传输的累加原理,建立了包括水面风浪效应、水中悬浮粒多次散射和底泥反射的垂直分层水体的光照传输数值模式。利用该模式和太湖悬浮粒实测资料,计算和讨论了太湖水体中光照随水深的变化以及悬浮粒浓度、风浪和太阳高度的影响。结果表明,悬浮粒的多次散射所形成的漫射光是湖水中光照不可忽视的重要部分。在水体的下层,漫射光甚至是光照的主要构成部分。风浪对水中光照的影响则主要在天顶角大于70°时才明显地表现出来,此时风浪水体对太阳直接辐射和全辐射的反射率比平静水面都有明显的减小。     

鳗弧菌(Vibrio anguillarum)M3菌株生长条件及其对蛋白酶产量的影响

采用体外测定细菌浓度、胞外产物(ECP)蛋白含量和蛋白酶活力的方法，进行了鳗弧菌M3菌株在2216E培养基中的培养条件研究。结果表明，该菌株用固体培养基培养至24h左右，可得到较高的菌体浓度、ECP蛋白含量和蛋白酶活力。采用响应面分析方法设计实验，用SAS统计软件分析数据，得到NaCl浓度、pH值和温度对菌体生长及蛋白酶产量影响的回归模型。在2216E培养基的基础上，添加不同氮源、碳源物质以及不同浓度蛋白胨进行生长研究。结果表明，胰大豆蛋白胨能促进菌体生长及ECP蛋白分泌；NH4Cl与酪蛋白水解物可抑制蛋白酶的产生；牙鲆肌肉匀浆对菌体、ECP蛋白产量和蛋白酶产生有不同程度的促进作用；培养基中蛋白胨浓度为4％时菌体量与ECP蛋白含量达最高值，在蛋白胨浓度为2％时蛋白酶分泌量已稳定；1％的葡萄糖、蔗糖、甘油均能显著地提高菌体及ECP蛋白产量，却抑制了蛋白酶的产生。     

冲绳海槽北部表层沉积物中的钙质超微化石及其环境特征

为探讨冲绳海槽表层沉积物中钙质超微化石的分布规律及其影响因素 ,对海槽北部槽坡区 ( 2 9°5 8.33′— 31°31 .2 3′N ,1 2 7°39.5 5′— 1 2 8°5 9.61′E) 34个表层样品进行了分析和研究。共发现 35种钙质超微化石 ,其中优势种为Gephyrocapsaoceanica、Emilianiahuxleyi和Florisphaeraprofun da ;G .oceanica、E .huxleyi等的百分含量变化和特征属种U .tenuis的出现 ,表明该区钙质超微化石组合面貌与东海外陆架相似 ,和东海及南海都属于北太平洋中央水团组合。G .oceanica的含量与海水营养盐存在一定的关系 ,但两者之间并不存在明显的正相关性 ;暖水分子U .irregularis、U .sibogae和O .fragilis的较高含量和冷水分子G .caribbeanica和Calcidiscusleptoporus的较低含量 ,进一步反映该区钙质超微化石的分布受到黑潮及对马暖流的影响 ,其中温度、盐度和表层海水结构性质 ,如海水透明度等因素可能为主要控制因素。     

Geoacoustic Inversion via Genetic Algorithm and Its Application to Manganese Sediment Identification

An acoustic inversion method using a wide-band signal and two near field receivers is proposed and applied to multiple layered seabed models including a manganese sediment. The inversion problem can be formulated into a probabilistic model comprised of signals, a forward model, and additive noise. The forward model simulates wide-band signals, such as chirp signals, and is chosen to be the source-waveletconvolution plane wave modeling method. The wavelet matching technique, using weighted least-squares fitting, estimates the sediment sound-speed and thickness on which determination of the possible numerical ranges for a priori uniform distribution is based. The genetic algorithm is applied to a global optimization problem to find a maximum a posteriori solution for determined a priori search space. Here the object function is defined by an L 2 norm of the difference between measured and modeled signals. Not only the marginal pdf but also its statistics are calculated by numerical evaluation of integrals using the samples selected during importance sampling process of the genetic algorithm.     

Atmospheric forcing of the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

The increase in marine, land surface, atmospheric and satellite data during recent decades has led to an improved understanding of the air–sea interaction processes in the eastern tropical Pacific. This is also thanks to extensive diagnoses from conceptual and coupled ocean–atmosphere numerical models. In this paper, mean fields of atmospheric variables, such as incoming solar radiation, sea level pressure, winds, wind stress curl, precipitation, evaporation, and surface energy fluxes, are derived from global atmospheric data sets in order to examine the dominant features of the low level atmospheric circulations of the region. The seasonal march of the atmospheric circulations is presented to depict the role of radiative forcing on atmospheric perturbations, especially those dominating the atmosphere at low levels.In the tropics, the trade winds constitute an important north–south energy and moisture exchange mechanism (as part of the low level branch of the Hadley circulation), that determines to a large extent the precipitation distribution in the region, i.e., that associated with the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Monsoonal circulations also play an important role in determining the warm season precipitation distribution over the eastern tropical Pacific through a large variety of air–sea–land interaction mechanisms. Westward traveling waves, tropical cyclones, low latitude cold air intrusions, and other synoptic and mesoscale perturbations associated with the ITCZ are also important elements that modulate the annual rainfall cycle. The low-level jets of the Gulf of California, the Intra-Americas Sea (Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea) and Chocó, Colombia are prominent features of the eastern tropical Pacific low-level circulations related to sub-regional and regional scale precipitation patterns. Observations show that the Intra-Americas Low-Level Jet intensity varies with El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phases, however its origin and role in the westward propagation and development of disturbances that may hit the eastern tropical Pacific, such as easterly waves and tropical cyclones, are still unclear. Changes in the intensity of the trade winds in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico (associated with eastern tropical Pacific wind jets) exert an important control on precipitation by means of wind–topography interactions. Gaps in the mountains of southern Mexico and Central America allow strong wind jets to pass over the continent imprinting a unique signal in sea surface temperatures and ocean dynamics of the eastern tropical Pacific.The warm pools of the Americas constitute an important source of moisture for the North American Monsoon System. The northeastern tropical Pacific is a region of intense cyclogenetic activity, just west of the coast of Mesoamerica. Over the oceanic regions, large-scale properties of key variables such as precipitation, moisture, surface energy fluxes and wind stress curl are still uncertain, which inhibits a more comprehensive view of the region and stresses the importance of regional field experiments. Progress has been substantial in the understanding of the ocean and atmospheric dynamics of the eastern tropical Pacific, however, recent observational evidence such as that of a shallow meridional circulation cell in that region, in contrast to the classic concept of the Hadley-type deep meridional circulation, suggests that more in situ observations to validate theories are still necessary.This paper is part of a comprehensive review of the oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.