Determination of Ocean Wave Period from Altimeter Data Using Wave-Age Concept

This study makes use of the concept of wave age in estimating ocean wave period from space borne altimeter measurements of backscattering coefficient and significant wave height. Introduction of wave age allowed better accounting of the difference between swells and wind waves. Using two years (1998 and 1999) data of TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter and ocean data buoy observations in the Indian Ocean, coefficients were generated for wave period, which were subsequently tested against data for the years 2000 and 2001. The results showed the wave period accuracy to be of the order of 0.6 sec (against 1.3 sec obtained with the semiempirical approach, reported earlier).     

Simultaneous Ocean Wave Measurements by the Jason and Topex Satellites,with Buoy and Model Comparisons Special Issue: Jason-1 Calibration/Validation

The verification phase of the Jason-1 satellite altimeter mission presents a unique opportunity for comparing near-simultaneous, independent satellite measurements. Here we examine simultaneous significant wave height measurements by the Jason-1 and TOPEX/Poseidon altimeters. These data are also compared with in situ measurements from deep-ocean buoys and with predicted wave heights from the Wave Watch III operational model. The rms difference between Jason and TOPEX wave heights is 28 cm, and this can be lowered by half through improved outlier editing and filtering of high-frequency noise. Noise is slightly larger in the Jason dataset, exceeding TOPEX by about 7 cm rms at frequencies above 0.05 Hz, which is the frequency at which the coherence between TOPEX and Jason measurements drops to zero. Jason wave heights are more prone to outliers, especially during periods of moderate to high backscatter. Buoy comparisons confirm previous reports that TOPEX wave heights are roughly 5% smaller than buoy measurements for waves between 2 and 5 m; Jason heights in general are 3% smaller than TOPEX. Spurious dips in the TOPEX density function for 3- and 6-m waves, a problem that has existed since the beginning of the mission, can be solved by waveform retracking.     

Jason-1: Assessment of the System Performances Special Issue: Jason-1 Calibration/Validation

On 7 December 2001, Jason-1 was successfully launched by a Boeing Delta II rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The Jason-1 satellite will maintain the high accuracy altimeter service provided since 1992 by TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P), ensuring the continuity in observing and monitoring the Ocean Dynamics (intraseasonal to interannual changes, mean sea level, tides, etc.). Despite one-fourth the mass and power, the Jason-1 system has been designed to have basically the same performance as T/P, measuring sea surface topography at a centimetric level. This new CNES/NASA mission also provides near real-time data for sea state and ocean forecast. The first two months of the Jason-1 mission have been dedicated to the assessment of the overall system. The goals of this assessment phase were: 1. To assess the behavior of the spacecraft at the platform and payload levels (Jason-1 being the first program to call on the PROTEUS versatile multimission platform for Low and Medium Earth Orbit Missions developed in partnership between Alcatel Space and CNES); 2. To verify that platform performance requirements are met with respect to Jason-1 requirements; 3. To verify that payload instruments performance requirements evaluated at instrument level are met; 4. To assess the performance of the Jason-1 Ground System. This article will display the main outputs of the assessment of the system. It will demonstrate that all the elements of the onboard and ground systems are within the specifications. Provision of data to the Jason-1 Science Working Team started at the end of March 2002. This is the goal of a six-month phase after closure of the initial assessment phase to derive the error budget of the system in terms of altimetry user products.     

台湾岛附近海洋对0908号台风“莫拉克”的响应特征

在模拟2009年登陆我国东部沿海的台风"莫拉克"的基础上,利用AVHRR/AMSR和SODA再分析数据和模拟结果,初步评估了GRAPES-ECOM海-气耦合模式(上海台风研究所基于GRAPES-TCM区域台风模式和ECOM海洋模式开发而成)模拟台风期间海洋响应的能力,并分析了台风期间台湾岛周围海域的海温、上升流、中尺度冷涡等的变化特点。分析结果表明,GRAPES-ECOM耦合模式较好地模拟了表层海温对台风的响应,与深水海洋响应比较,揭示了近海对台风响应的一些新特征:(1)在台湾以东海域,台风活动改变了黑潮海域海水的垂直运动,诱导黑潮南部沿岸上升流,而北部先于台风存在的上升流减弱,导致不同水深海温的最大降温位置都出现在路径左侧,与深海偏向路径右侧不同;(2)位于台湾岛东北面的彭佳屿冷涡因其形成与大陆架和黑潮有关,当台风在台湾以东洋面活动时,冷涡位于台风右前方,黑潮表层海水辐合流向大陆架,冷涡中心温度上升,强度减弱,当台风转折北上,冷涡位于台风东南侧,表层海水辐散,加强底层冷水上涌,从而增强了该冷涡的强度;(3)台风不仅加深了台湾海峡的混合层深度,还使得海水的垂直热力结构改变,并使整层海温趋于一致。     

南海西北部陆架区沿岸流和上升流对中华哲水蚤分布的影响

中华哲水蚤(Calanus sinicus)是广泛分布于西北太平洋大陆架水域的浮游桡足类,在海洋生态系统的物质循环和能量流动中具有重要作用。根据2006年7月至2007年10月4个季节使用网目孔径为0.505mm的浮游生物网采集的样品,分析了南海西北部陆架区中华哲水蚤的水平、季节和昼夜垂直分布以及与季风、海流和温度的关系。中华哲水蚤丰度季节变化显著,整个调查海域春季的平均达(22.30±77.78)个/m3,夏季的降低,平均为(13.74±45.10)个/m3,秋季消失,冬季调查期间仍未出现。中华哲水蚤的区域分布差异十分显著,将调查海域划分为粤西近海、琼东近海、粤西-琼东外海三个亚区,在粤西近海亚区春、夏季中华哲水蚤的平均丰度分别为(115.63±145.93),(68.12±84.00)个/m3,远高于另外两个亚区。夏季琼东沿岸上升流区的中华哲水蚤没有昼夜垂直移动行为,呈底层分布,以躲避表层高温的伤害。南海西北部陆架区是中华哲水蚤的季节分布区,冬春季东北季风期间由广东沿岸流从东海沿岸携带而来,出现的时间从北往南逐渐推迟;夏季西南季风期间雷州半岛东部近海的冷涡和琼东沿岸上升流区成为中华哲水蚤度夏的避难所;秋季季风转换时期上升流减弱或消失,中华哲水蚤因耐受不了高温(>27℃)死亡而消失。因此,中华哲水蚤对东北季风时期的沿岸流和西南季风时期的上升流均具有良好的指示作用。     

Assessment of Risk Due to Debris Flow and Its Application to a Marine Environment

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the behavior and mechanism of a debris flow on various slopes through numerical simulation. The numerical simulation consisted of using equations related to mass conservation and momentum conservation in order to consider erosion and deposition, and the Finite Difference Method was applied. As the inflow water discharge in the upstream of the channel increases, the curve of the water discharge exhibits instability and, as time passes, the fluctuation of the high water discharge continues. In regions where the mountain areas and the ocean are connected, it is deduced that the high level of sediment concentration can greatly affect the environment surrounding the ocean. The numerical model of this study was applied in Kangwon Province of South Korea. The results show that when the debris flow reaches downstream, the flow discharge and water flow depth increase. Erosion occurs more than deposition and much of the sediment runs off downstream. The result of the simulation performed at point of sediment discharge runoff is 114,216 m³. This study will provide useful information in predicting disasters caused by debris flow and in planning for various countermeasures to prevent debris-flow-related disasters.     

从经验性技术走进科学性技术时代——海洋工程基础研究青年科学家论坛介绍

为进一步明确研究方向、理清研究思路,挖掘青年科研人才,国家自然科学基金委员会工程与材料科学部主办了"海洋工程基础研究青年科学家论坛"。近5年来国家自然科学基金资助的青年科学基金项目和答辩类重要项目负责人与会对海洋工程基础研究前沿的科学问题和创新(或特色)的研究思路与方法进行汇报和交流,讨论了大型海上浮式装备、海洋能源利用、船舶工程与系统、国防建设工程四个研究领域中的前沿科学问题,提出了未来五年海洋工程的五个重点研究方向。与会专家学者认为,海洋工程基础研究正从经验性技术走进科学性技术时代。     

2011年3月日本福岛核电站核泄漏在海洋中的传输

使用全球版本的迈阿密等密度海洋环流模式对2011年3月日本福岛核电站泄漏在海洋中的传输以及扩散进行了数值模拟。数值模式中核废料(示踪物)排放情景采取等通量连续排放,排放时间从3月25日开始,分别持续20 d以及1 a,两种情形分别积分20 a。为了减少海洋环流年际变化带来的数值模拟的的不确定性,20 a的模式积分分别用2010年、1991-2011年、1971-1991年以及1951-1971年4个不同时段的NCEP/NCAR逐日再分析资料作为大气强迫场,因此每种排放情形包含4个数值试验。模拟结果的分析表明,不同核废料排放情景及其在不同时段大气资料对海洋模式的驱动下,模拟的示踪物总体的传输扩散路径(包括表层以及次表层)、传输速率以及垂直扩展的范围没有显著的差异。集合平均数值模拟的结果显示:在两种排放情景下,日本福岛核泄漏在海洋的传输路径受北太平洋副热带涡旋洋流系统主导,其传输路径首先主要向东,到达东太平洋后,再向南向西扩散至西太平洋,可能在10~15 a左右影响到我国东部沿海海域,且海洋次表层的传输信号比表层信号早5 a左右。通过进一步分析模式积分过程中最大示踪物浓度随时间变化发现,在积分第20 a(2031年3月),海洋表层和次表层浓度的最高值分别只有模式积分第一年浓度的0.1%和1%。在积分的20 a里,排放的核废料主要滞留在北太平洋海域(超过86%±1.5%的核废料在积分结束时,滞留在北太平洋),而在积分的前10 a(2021年之前),几乎所有的核废料滞留在北太平洋;在核废料的垂直分布上,主要集中在海洋表层至600 m的深度,在积分的20 a时间里,没有核废料信号扩散至1 000 m以下的深度。数值模拟的结果也表明核废料浓度减弱的强度以及演变的时间特征主要受洋流系统的影响,与排放源的排放时间长短关系不大。值得指出的是,更加准确地评估一个真实的核泄漏事故对海洋环境所造成的可能影响,还需要考虑大气中的放射性物质的沉降以及海洋生态对核物质的响应。     

2011年3月日本福岛核电站核泄漏在海洋中的传输

使用全球版本的迈阿密等密度海洋环流模式对2011年3月日本福岛核电站泄漏在海洋中的传输以及扩散进行了数值模拟。数值模式中核废料(示踪物)排放情景采取等通量连续排放,排放时间从3月25日开始,分别持续20 d以及1 a,两种情形分别积分20 a。为了减少海洋环流年际变化带来的数值模拟的的不确定性,20 a的模式积分分别用2010年、1991-2011年、1971-1991年以及1951-1971年4个不同时段的NCEP/NCAR逐日再分析资料作为大气强迫场,因此每种排放情形包含4个数值试验。模拟结果的分析表明,不同核废料排放情景及其在不同时段大气资料对海洋模式的驱动下,模拟的示踪物总体的传输扩散路径(包括表层以及次表层)、传输速率以及垂直扩展的范围没有显著的差异。集合平均数值模拟的结果显示:在两种排放情景下,日本福岛核泄漏在海洋的传输路径受北太平洋副热带涡旋洋流系统主导,其传输路径首先主要向东,到达东太平洋后,再向南向西扩散至西太平洋,可能在10~15 a左右影响到我国东部沿海海域,且海洋次表层的传输信号比表层信号早5 a左右。通过进一步分析模式积分过程中最大示踪物浓度随时间变化发现,在积分第20 a(2031年3月),海洋表层和次表层浓度的最高值分别只有模式积分第一年浓度的0.1%和1%。在积分的20 a里,排放的核废料主要滞留在北太平洋海域(超过86%±1.5%的核废料在积分结束时,滞留在北太平洋),而在积分的前10 a(2021年之前),几乎所有的核废料滞留在北太平洋;在核废料的垂直分布上,主要集中在海洋表层至600 m的深度,在积分的20 a时间里,没有核废料信号扩散至1 000 m以下的深度。数值模拟的结果也表明核废料浓度减弱的强度以及演变的时间特征主要受洋流系统的影响,与排放源的排放时间长短关系不大。值得指出的是,更加准确地评估一个真实的核泄漏事故对海洋环境所造成的可能影响,还需要考虑大气中的放射性物质的沉降以及海洋生态对核物质的响应。     

Cotidal charts and tidal power input atlases of the global ocean from TOPEX/Poseidon and JASON-1 altimetry

The global distributions of eight principal tidal constituents, M₂ , S₂ , K₁ , O₁ , N₂ , K₂ , P₁ , and Q₁ , are derived using TOPEX/Poseidon and JASON-1（T/P-J） satellite altimeter data for 16 a. The intercomparison of the derived harmonics at 7000 subsatellite track crossover points shows that the root mean square （RMS） values of the tidal height differences of the above eight constituents range from 1.19 cm to 2.67 cm, with an average of about 2 cm. The RMS values of the tidal height differences between T/P-J solutions and the harmonics from ground measurements at 152 tidal gauge stations for the above constituents range from 0.34 cm to 1.08 cm, and the relative deviations range from 0.031 to 0.211. The root sum square of the RMS differences of these eight constituents is 2.12 cm, showing the improvement of the present model over the existing global ocean tidal models. Based on the obtained tidal model the global ocean tidal energetics is studied and the global distribution of the tidal power input density by tide-generating force of each constituent is calculated, showing that the power input source regions of semidiurnal tides are mainly concentrated in the tropical belt between 30 S and 30 N, while the power input source regions of diurnal tides are mainly concentrated off the tropic oceans. The global energy dissipation rates of the M₂ , S₂ , K₁ , O₁ , N₂ , P₁ , K₂ and Q₁ tides are 2.424, 0.401, 0.334, 0.160, 0.113, 0.035, 0.030 and 0.006 TW, respectively. The total global tidal dissipation rate of these eight constituents amounts to 3.5 TW.