Geodetic determination of the surface topography of the Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea Level Project is an international scientific observation program to unify the vertical datums of the countries of the Baltic Sea with GPS measurements. In total, 35 tide gauges on shores and islands of the Baltic were occupied with GPS in 1993. After computing a new gravimetric geoid over the Baltic Sea, it was possible to unify the datums as well as to calculate the orthometric heights and the sea surface topography values for the tide gauge stations. The results obtained are shown.     

RTM Gravity Forward-Modeling Using Topography/Bathymetry Data to Improve High-Degree Global Geopotential Models in the Coastal Zone

We apply the residual terrain modeling (RTM) technique for gravity forward-modeling to successfully improve high-resolution global gravity fields at short spatial scales in coastal zones. The RTM scheme is combined with the concept of rock-equivalent topography, allowing to use a single uniform constant mass-density in the RTM forward-modeling, both at land and sea. SRTM30_PLUS bathymetry is merged with higher-resolution SRTM V4.1 land topography, and expanded into spherical harmonics to degree 2160, yielding a new and consistent high-degree RTM reference surface. The forward-modeling performance is demonstrated in coastal zones of Greece and Canada using ground-truth vertical deflections, gravity from land and shipborne gravimetry, and geoid heights from GPS/leveling, with improvements originating from bathymetry clearly identified. We demonstrate that the SRTM30_PLUS bathymetry carries information on gravity field structures at spatial scales less than 5 arc minutes, which can be used to augment EGM2008 in (rugged) coastal zones, both over land and marine areas. This may be of value (i) to partially reduce the signal omission error in EGM2008/GOCE-based height transfer in areas devoid of dense gravity data, (ii) to fill the gap between land gravity and shipborne gravity along rugged coastlines, and (iii) for the development of next-generation altimetric gravity fields.     

Constraints on the current rate of deformation and surface uplift of the Australian continent from a new seismic database and low-T thermochronological data

Estimates of the current rate of deformation and surface uplift for the Australian continent are derived by integration of a new seismic database and show that parts of the continent are currently experiencing deformation at a rate of 1– 5 × 10^?16/s and uplifting at a rate of 10–50 m/Ma. In the east, these regions coincide with the regions of maximum topography, suggesting that, if this uplift rate is long-term, up to 50% of the present-day topographic relief in the southeastern Highlands and Flinders Ranges has formed in the last 10 Ma, i.e. the time we estimate for the onset of the present-day stress field experienced by the Indo-Australian Plate. These estimates are supported by fission-track data from the Snowy Mountains, which indicate that a non-negligible proportion of the present-day relief is the remnant of a much older topography formed during the various accretion or breakup events along the eastern margin of the continent in Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic time and that younger relief growth (i.e. younger than 100 Ma) must be limited to less than a kilometer in amplitude. By contrast, in the western part of the continent no such correlation exists between present-day topography and uplift predicted by integrating seismic strain rate over 10 Ma. This suggests that the apparently high level of seismic activity observed in the southwestern part of the Yilgarn Craton and along Proterozoic mobile belts, such as the Albany–Fraser Province of southeastern Western Australia and the Fitzroy Trough of northern Western Australia, is transient or that, contrary to what is happening in the east, erosional processes are able to remove surface relief created at the relatively slow rate of 10 m/Ma, potentially because there existed no finite amplitude topography prior to the onset of the present-day compressional stress field.     

The scattering of Rossby waves from finite abrupt topography

The scattering of first mode linear baroclinic Rossby waves by a top-hat ridge in a continuously stratified ocean, with Brunt-Väisälä frequency that decays exponentially with depth below a surface mixed layer, is the subject of this study. A numerical mode matching technique is used to calculate the transmission coefficients for the propagating modes over the ridge. It is found that the scattered field depends crucially upon the stratification. For example, when the majority of the density variation is confined to a thin thermocline, corresponding to a small e-folding scale, gamma ^?1, for the Brunt-Väisälä frequency, a large amount of the incident wave energy is reflected by a small amplitude ridge. Appreciable energy conversion between the propagating barotropic and baroclinic modes takes place in this case. An asymptotic analysis for a small amplitude ridge is presented that confirms these numerical results. In the limit gamma ^?1→ 0, it is demonstrated that the scattered field in the continuously stratified ocean model differs markedly from the two-layer solution. The latter does not exhibit appreciable reflection of the incident wave energy for a small amplitude ridge. In conclusion, the application of a two-layer ocean model to describe Rossby wave scattering by ridges in place of a continuously stratified model cannot be recommended.     

The role of the helicity spectrum function in turbulent dynamo theory

Abstract

It is shown that, for general homogeneous turbulence, the anti-symmetric part of the spectrum tensor can be expressed in terms of a single scalar function H(k,ω) (the helicity spectrum function). Under the first-order smoothing approximation, the coefficients α _ij β _ijk in the expansion of the mean electromotive force in terms of the mean magnetic field are determined; α _ij is a weighted integral of H(k,ω), and β _ijk contains a part β(a)ijk which is likewise a weighted integral of H(k, ω). When the turbulence is axisymmetric, β(a)ijk contains Rädler's (1969a) “Ω ∧ J-effect”. It is shown that when the turbulence is statistically symmetric about a plane perpendicular to the axis of symmetry, then βij = O but the Rädler effect is non-zero. Explicit expressions for αij and βijk are given when the velocity field is generated by random forcing in a rotating medium. Finally, it is shown by means of a local analysis that the Rädler effect, in conjunction with uniform mean shear, can give rise to non-oscillatory dynamo action, and it is argued that this effect may be significant in the well-mixed interior of a stellar convection zone, where by symmetry the α-effect may be weak.     

Nonlinear internal waves in ideal rotating basins

Abstract

Starting from Euler's equations of motion a nonlinear model for internal waves in fluids is developed by an appropriate scaling and a vertical integration over two layers of different but constant density. The model allows the barotropic and the first baroclinic mode to be calculated. In addition to the nonlinear advective terms dispersion and Coriolis force due to the Earth's rotation are taken into account. The model equations are solved numerically by an implicit finite difference scheme. In this paper we discuss the results for ideal basins: the effects of nonlinear terms, dispersion and Coriolis force, the mechanism of wind forcing, the evolution of Kelvin waves and the corresponding transport of particles and, finally, wave propagation over variable topography. First applications to Lake Constance are shown, but a detailed analysis is deferred to a second paper [Bauer et al. (1994)].     

求解二维弹性半空间散射问题的波函数组合法

提出了一种新的波函数组合法,将体波与面波特征函数组合求解不规则河谷地形在不同波型以不同角度入射的非一致位移输入问题.新方法严格满足不规则河谷散射表面自由条件,克服了目前波函数函数展开法不能完备表达二维不规则地形散射问题的缺点.数值算例表明波函数组合方法具有精确、稳定、计算量小的特点,可以应用于结构-地基动力相互作用的非一致输入问题.     

由GOCE引力场模型和CNES-CLS2010平均海面高计算的稳态海面地形

利用欧空局发布的三组GOCE引力场模型及CNES-CLS 2010平均海面高数据,计算得到了全球的稳态海面地形,进而得到了全球地转流速度图.在此基础上重点对黑潮进行了对比分析.结果表明:GOCE不同组解的稳定性较好,所计算的稳态海面地形的差异基本在厘米量级内,这间接表明了GOCE引力场模型提供的大地水准面的精度达到了厘米量级.此外,通过将GOCE与GRACE相应结果进行对比发现,GOCE可提供更多的局部信息,特别是对于流速快、水流窄的边界流,如黑潮、墨西哥湾流等,GOCE所得结果更加清晰,速度也更精确.     

Evidence of transient topographic disequilibrium in a landward passive margin river system: knickpoints and paleo‐landscapes of the New River basin,southern Appalachians

The upper New River basin of the southern Appalachian Mountains, a major tributary of the modern Ohio River, represents the unglaciated headwaters of the Tertiary Teays River system of eastern North America. Dating of relict fluvial gravels have suggested that New River incision may be outpacing lowering of the surrounding uplands, but physical evidence of transient topographic disequilibrium has yet to be identified. We use focused topographic analysis of the upper New River basin to delineate a perched, low‐relief paleo‐landscape that is experiencing transgressive dissection due to incision by the New River and its tributaries. Accelerated incision has decoupled hillslopes from the drainage network, generating knickpoints which represent the boundary between remnants of the paleo‐landscape and actively adjusting topography downstream. Steepening of hillslopes downstream of knickpoints suggests dynamic headward migration which, along with knickpoint occurrence throughout the drainage network, is inconsistent with the development of fixed stream profile convexities atop strike‐extensive geologic contacts. In the absence of tectonic forcing, we favor a climatically‐forced drop in external base level as driver of the incision pattern we observe. Plio‐Pleistocene glacial damming and diversion of the Teays River to form the modern Ohio River lowered regional base level for the study area, potentially forcing the paleo‐landscape developed during the Teays era to adjust to the modern drainage pattern. The upper New River may therefore represent the potential for glacially‐driven drainage rearrangement to drive transient topographic evolution hundreds of kilometers away from the ice margin, long after the disappearance of ice sheets. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

起伏地形条件下流动重力数据处理方法研究

以地震监测为目的流动重力重复测量获取的重力年变信号通常在十几到几十微伽量级.但由于重力测点所处的地形高程不同,将空间测点直接插值得到的重力异常空间图像会叠加由于地形起伏引起的异常畸变.本文通过6面体模型定量计算了不同规模和埋深场源的地形效应;对青藏高原东缘地区测网的重力观测数据进行了分析处理,并通过位场曲面延拓校正技术消除了地形影响.结果表明,位场曲面延拓校正技术可以有效地改善重力数据质量,有利于更准确地圈定和认识异常的空间形态特征.