Barrier destruction and Lagrangian predictability at depth in a meandering jet

Numerical simulations of a jet with large amplitude meanders are used to explore chaotic advection processes and underlying geometry changes as functions of the ambient potential vorticity gradient β. Variations in β in the 2D model qualitatively simulate changes in depth in 3D, surface-intensified jets such as the Gulf Stream. As β is reduced, corresponding to motion on increasingly deep isopycnal surfaces, a number of geometrical transitions take place in the flanges and across the core of the jet. The most important is a joining (or separatrix reconnection) of heteroclinic cat’s eyes structures lying to the north and south of the jet core. The jet core acts as a barrier to transport, but this barrier is breached when the cat’s eyes merge. The subsequent chaotic transport across the jet is demonstrated by calculations of effective invariant manifolds (EIMs) originating in hyperbolic regions to the north and south of the core. Destruction of the central barrier occurs as β is lowered through a narrow window W about β=0 and is marked by transitions form a meandering jet through a vortex street with no central meandering flow to a vortex street with a retrograde meander. Such small values of β are deemed reasonable in view of measurements of low potential vorticity gradients in the deep Gulf Stream. The strength of the central barrier for β outside W is tested by varying β about a mean value β₀ and detecting the minimum amplitude of fluctuation necessary for destruction of the barrier. It is found that the barrier is stronger for β₀>0, at least by this measure. A striking difference is that, for β<0, some disturbances may destroy the barrier without oscillating across W; whereas for β>0, destruction of the barrier may only occur when β passes through W. Changes in underlying geometry also occur in the flanges of the jet and these changes alter the locations in which fluid is preferentially stirred and mixed. Float trajectories can be regular or irregular depending upon where the instrument is launched and this is demonstrated by plotting trajectories from inside and outside regions of chaotic advection.     

北部湾防城港沿岸土壤137Cs背景值及表层分布特征

在北部湾防城港沿岸采集土壤样品,通过测量样品¹³⁷Cs比活度及有机质含量,确定了¹³⁷Cs背景值,分析表层土壤中¹³⁷Cs分布特征,并探讨样品中¹³⁷Cs活度与有机质含量的关系。结果表明：研究区土壤中¹³⁷Cs背景值为626±15 Bq/m²,自然因素和人为活动对¹³⁷Cs在海岸带表层土壤中的再分配起到重要作用,不同表层样中¹³⁷Cs比活度高低表现为：自然林地>水稻田>旱田>草地>河口海湾。把研究区土壤表层样及P01剖面样中¹³⁷Cs含量与有机质含量进行相关性分析,结果表明：两者相关性显著,相关系数分别为0.414和0.732。通过探讨研究区¹³⁷Cs背景值及沿岸表层土壤¹³⁷Cs分布特征,可为进一步定量研究北部湾沿岸土壤侵蚀和堆积状况以及评价防城港红沙核电站运行后对环境的影响提供科学依据。     

Ca. 13 Ma strike-slip deformation in coastal Sonora from a large-scale,en-echelon,brittle-ductile,dextral shear indicator: implications for the evolution of the California rift

The Rancho Nuevo semi-circular structure is a geomorphological structure defined by drainage patterns in coastal Sonora, about 160 km NW of Hermosillo. The structure is about 15 by 30 km, and it is cored by felsic to intermediate plutons (granodiorite, monzogranite, quartz-porphyry) covered by Miocene volcanic rocks. This work is focused on the deformation of the intrusives which cover most of study area.The plutons are a co-magmatic suite dated between 71 ± 1.1 and 67.9 ± 1.0 Ma (U-Pb zircon, LA-ICPMS). The most voluminous unit is a granodiorite characterized by conspicuous sigmoidal fractures at the scale of high resolution satellite images, along which rhyolite dikes were emplaced about 13.2 Ma. Magnetic fabric (AMS) and paleomagnetic data were collected from 27 sites in the granodiorite. Magnetic fabrics are weak but well developed, and are characterized by steep foliation planes with strikes that follow the sigmoidal fracture pattern and suggest NE-SW to NW-SE flattening after emplacement. The characteristic magnetization is of dual polarity, but it is dominantly reverse consistent with emplacement during chron C31r. The prevalent magnetization is southwest and moderately steep negative (ten sites), a discordant direction rotated clockwise about 41 ° ± 11 with respect to the expected Late Cretaceous reference direction, also indicating gentle southward tilt. There is, however, paleomagnetic evidence suggesting that the structure did not rotate as a rigid body, but it deformed internally instead. These data are interpreted to indicate that the Rancho Nuevo semicircular structure is a large-scale, dextral, brittle-ductile shear indicator. The age of the dikes and the fact that they are covered discordantly by rocks assigned to the tuff of San Felipe indicate that northwest, srike-slip, motion of Baja California peninsula (and thus the Pacific plate relative to North America) was accommodated by faults in coastal Sonora about 13 Ma ago.     

Active segment of the 12 November 2003 Mw 5.6 earthquake at Salsipuedes oceanic basin,Gulf of California. Mexico

We analyzed records of eight seismic stations of the autonomous broadband seismograph network of a joint project between Utrecht University (the Netherlands), California Institute of Technology, and Centro de Investigación Científica y de Estudios Superiores de Ensenada (CICESE). These stations recorded the Mw 5.6 earthquake that occurred on 12 November 2003 at Salsipuedes basin in the middle of the Gulf of California 2 km west of the island Angel de la Guarda. This event was located at 29.16º N and 113.37º W, 30 km northeast of Bahia de los Angeles. A foreshock and hundreds of aftershocks were recorded in the 48 hours after its origin time. With the location of 29 earthquakes we identified the active segment, perpendicular to the main transform fault NW–SE of Canal de Ballenas, representing the transtensional boundary between the Pacific and North American plates. The direction of the active fault described is consistent with the normal fault mechanism reported by the National Earthquake Information Center (strike=39º, dip=34º, slip=–44º).From the duration magnitude of 456 aftershocks, we calculated a b-value of 1.14±0.28; furthermore, we calculated a seismic moment of (3.5 ±3.3) X10¹⁷Nm, a source radius of 3.7 ± 2.63 km, and a static stress drop of 3.94 ± 1.15 MPa (39.4 ± 11.5 bar.).     

Sea level rise in the north-western part of the Arabian Gulf

Relative sea level variations in the north-western part of the Arabian Gulf have been estimated in the past using no more than 10 to 15 years of observations. In this study, we have almost doubled the period to 28.7 years by examining all available tide gauge data in the area and constructing a mean gauge time-series from seven coastal tide gauges. We found for the period 1979–2007 a relative sea level rise of 2.2 ± 0.5 mm/year. Using the subsidence observed at 6 GPS stations within a radius of 100 km of the tide gauges as an indication of the vertical land motion, the corresponding absolute sea level rise is 1.5 ± 0.8 mm/year that is in agreement with the global estimate of 1.9 ± 0.1 mm/year (Church and White, 2011) for the same studied period. By taking into account the temporal correlations we conclude that previous published results underestimate the true sea level rate uncertainty in this area by a factor of 5–10.     

Distribution and dispersal pattern of clay minerals in surface sediments, eastern Beibu Gulf, South China Sea

Clay minerology of sediments are useful in determining distribution,sources and dispersal routes of fine-grained sediments.In the present paper,clay minerals of surface sediments throughout the eastern part of Beibu Gulf has been investigated to reveal sources and transport of detrital finegrained sediments.Four distinct clay mineral suites were observed from cluster analysis of clay mineral compositions of the samples.From the distribution pattern of clay minerals,we conclude that kaolinte in the eastern gulf is mainly derived from South China Landmass;Smectite could not be transported mainly by surface current from north-western Hainan Island,and maybe minor portion of it from Red River;Illite is mainly transported by the currents from South China Sea.Chlorite has two sources,namely South China Sea and South China Landmass.The Zhujiang River derived sediments could not be one of the sources for the clay mineral here,because of very different composition and ratios.The distribution pattern of clay minerals in the eastern Beibu Gulf is mainly controlled by fine-grained sediment source and local currents.The Silt/Clay,Smectite/Kaolinte,and Smetite/(Chlorite+Illite) ratios could be used as indicators of fine-grained sediment dispersal in the gulf.     

Distribution of radioactive pollution of 238U, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in northwestern coasts of Persian Gulf, Iran

A reconnaissance study has been made of the distribution of 238U, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs and geochemical features in soils and sediments samples at various locations in the northwestern coast of Persian Gulf. Activity concentration levels due to radionuclides were measured in 30 soil and sediment samples collected from this region. From the measured spectra, activity concentrations were determined for 40K (range from 146 to 500 Bq kg(-1)), 137Cs (from 5 to 20 Bq kg(-1)), 238U (from 21 to 65 Bq kg(-1)) and 232Th (from 15 to 45 Bq kg(-1)) with lowest limit detection (LLD) of 68, 3.2, 4.3 and 4.3 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The dose rate from ambient air at the soil ranges was between 19 and 58 nGy h(-1) with an average of 37.41+/-9.66 nGy h(-1).     

Hydrodynamic accumulation of Karenia off the west coast of Florida

Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellates, Karenia spp. occur nearly annually in the eastern Gulf of Mexico with cell abundances typically >10⁵ cells L⁻¹. Thermal and ocean color satellite imagery shows sea surface temperature patterns indicative of upwelling events and the concentration of chlorophyll at fronts along the west Florida continental shelf. Daily cell counts of Karenia show greater increases in cell concentrations at fronts than can be explained by Karenia's maximum specific growth rate. This is observed in satellite images as up to a 10-fold greater increase in chlorophyll biomass over 1–2 d periods than can be explained by in situ growth. In this study, we propose a model that explains why surface blooms of Karenia may develop even when nutrients on the west Florida shelf are low. In the summer, northward winds produce a net flow east and southeast bringing water and nutrients from the Mississippi River plume onto the west Florida shelf at depths of 20–50 m. This water mass supplies utilizable inorganic and organic forms of nitrogen that promote the growth of Karenia to pre-bloom concentrations in sub-surface waters in the mid-shelf region. In the fall, a change to upwelling favorable winds produces onshore transport. This transport, coupled with the swimming behavior of Karenia, leads to physical accumulation at frontal regions near the coast, resulting in fall blooms. Strong thermal fronts during the winter provide a mechanism for re-intensification of the blooms, if Karenia cells are located north of the fronts. This conceptual model leads to testable hypotheses on bloom development throughout the Gulf of Mexico.     

Wind-wave transformations in an elongated bay

In order to determine wave transformations in an elongated bay, a numerical solution was used to interpret yearlong records of bottom pressure and wind velocity obtained at the mouth and head of Concepción Bay, on the Gulf of California side of the Baja California peninsula. Observed wind waves were predominantly produced by southeastward winds in the winter and north–northwestward winds in the summer. Typical mean wave periods at the bay entrance were between 3 and 5 s. In contrast, the waves at the head of the bay had predominant periods <3 s. The energetic long-period swell waves were dissipated somewhere in the bay as they were not observed at the head of the bay. This study centered in identifying the effects that caused swell waves to attenuate in the bay. The ‘Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN)’ model was used to determine the cause for such wave attenuation. Model results showed that swell waves were attenuated because of the combined effects of bottom friction, wave breaking, whitecapping, refraction and wave blocking by the coastline. Most of the attenuation (close to 90%), however, was caused by wave blocking owing to the change of coastline orientation of the bay. This wave blocking mechanism should therefore be explored further in embayments of complex coastline morphology.