Interactions among waves,current, and mud: Numerical and laboratory studies

Interactions between waves, current, mud and turbulence are very complicated in the coastal and estuarine turbid waters. It is still necessary to improve our understanding of the fundamental physical processes governing the cohesive sediment transport in the coastal and estuarine waters. A numerical model is developed to study the interactions among waves, current, and mud. An eddy viscosity model for wave and current is proposed in order to close the equations of wave motion or of current motion in a combined flow, respectively. The equations of mud transport are derived based on the visco-elastic properties of mud. Coupling the equations of wave motion or of current motion for water layer with those of mud layer can give (1) wave height; (2) distributions of current velocities in the water layer; (3) distributions of transport velocities at the water–mud interface; and (4) distributions of mass transport velocities within the mud layer. These modeled results are in a reasonable agreement with experimental results. Results suggest that (1) the rate of wave attenuation increases in the opposing currents (currents against in the direction in which the waves propagate) and decreases in the following currents (currents in the same direction as that in which the waves propagate); (2) the opposing currents would have more significant effects on the rate of wave height attenuation than the following currents; (3) the effect of current on the rate of wave attenuation on the muddy bottom is larger than that on the rigid bottom; (4) mud transport rate increased in the following currents but decreased in the opposing currents; and (5) the rate of wave height attenuation on the mud bottom is one order of magnitude larger than that on the rigid bottom.     

Atmospheric variability and binary homogeneous nucleation: A parametrisation and conditions required for a significant effect

The binary water–sulphuric acid nucleation has long been considered an important path for new particle formation in the atmosphere. The formation rate depends nonlinearly on temperature and vapour concentrations. We aim to find out if atmospheric small scale and mesoscale spatial and temporal variability can increase the nucleation rate significantly. Simultaneous and separate effects of variation in temperature, humidity and sulphuric acid concentration on the mean nucleation rate have been modelled. We have assumed that the distributions of variables are Gaussian and compare the mean of simulated nucleation rates with the nucleation rate in mean conditions without variation. According to our studies the atmospheric variability can increase the mean nucleation rate by orders of magnitude but the significant effect is limited to specific conditions. The effect seems to be more important in the lower troposphere than in the upper troposphere, where temperature and sulphuric acid concentrations are lower. In addition, our model simulations indicate that the atmospheric variability can only explain part of the difference between measured and theoretically required sulphuric acid concentrations in conditions where particle formation has been observed. We have parametrised the effect of atmospheric variability as a simple correction factor for the effect of temperature and humidity variation.     

地磁脉动Pc5在2000年7月15～16日磁暴期间的特征

采用IMAGE链22个台站的地磁脉动10 s数据，分析了2000年6月15～16日磁暴期间Pc5地磁脉动的频率、振幅、位相和极化特征：（1）磁暴初相和主相期间Pc5脉动的主频率随纬度的升高而降低，但是恢复相期间主频率随纬度的升高而升高，主相期间Pc5的主频率比初相和恢复相期间的低；（2）Pc5脉动初相期间的振幅有一个主峰在64°N附近，主相期间在66°N附近，恢复相期间在71°N附近；位相在主峰两侧随着纬度变化了大约180°， 从初相到恢复相主峰位置向高纬地区大约移动了7°；（3）Pc5地磁脉动的偏振极化椭圆初相期间在PEL站（6346°N）接近线偏振，主相期间在MAS站（6607°N）接近线偏振，恢复相期间在BJN站（7133°N）接近线偏振，并分别在这几个台站两侧的偏振椭圆的旋转方向反向.     

多道瞬态面波法在铁路路基测试中的应用

既有线路路基提速判识的关键在于对现有路基状况进行测试,测试路基力学参数沿深度的分布。然而,在铁路正常运营条件下,常规测试方法如K30试验、静力触探方法等很难实施。笔者提出直接在铁路石碴上采用瞬态面波(MSASW)测试路基的频散特性,反演路基的面波频散特性得出路基的力学参数分布,然后,根据实测的路基强度值进行提速判识。     

Impact of a simple parameterization of convective gravity-wave drag in a stratosphere-troposphere general circulation model and its sensitivity to vertical resolution

Systematic westerly biases in the southern hemisphere wintertime flow and easterly equatorial biases are experienced in the Météo-France climate model. These biases are found to be much reduced when a simple parameterization is introduced to take into account the vertical momentum transfer through the gravity waves excited by deep convection. These waves are quasi-stationary in the frame of reference moving with convection and they propagate vertically to higher levels in the atmosphere, where they may exert a significant deceleration of the mean flow at levels where dissipation occurs. Sixty-day experiments have been performed from a multiyear simulation with the standard 31 levels for a summer and a winter month, and with a T42 horizontal resolution. The impact of this parameterization on the integration of the model is found to be generally positive, with a significant deceleration in the westerly stratospheric jet and with a reduction of the easterly equatorial bias. The sensitivity of the Météo-France climate model to vertical resolution is also investigated by increasing the number of vertical levels, without moving the top of the model. The vertical resolution is increased up to 41 levels, using two kinds of level distribution. For the first, the increase in vertical resolution concerns especially the troposphere (with 22 levels in the troposphere), and the second treats the whole atmosphere in a homogeneous way (with 15 levels in the troposphere); the standard version of 31 levels has 10 levels in the troposphere. A comparison is made between the dynamical aspects of the simulations. The zonal wind and precipitation are presented and compared for each resolution. A positive impact is found with the finer tropospheric resolution on the precipitation in the mid-latitudes and on the westerly stratospheric jet, but the general impact on the model climate is weak, the physical parameterizations used appear to be mostly independent to the vertical resolution.     

The reflection of water waves by shear currents

The refraction and reflection of linear water waves entering a following jet-type current is considered. A short-wave asymptotic solution is presented and the reflection coefficient found. This varies continuously from zero when the waves are normal to the current to unity when they are very oblique to it. The trapping of waves by an opposing current is also considered.     

On wave motions in a tropical spectral experiment

An attempt is made to use the barotropic vorticity equation in spectral form in order to study barotropic instability when the basic current has east-west quasi-stationary asymmetries on the scale of long waves. This is done by expressing the spectral equations in three different ways. In the first experiment a 9-component system is integrated and the long waves are allowed to propagate freely. In the second experiment the long waves are constrained to propagate slowly and in the third experiment, they are removed altogether.The motivation behind the present investigation is due to observations made in the motion fields of the tropics. These are characterized by quasi-stationary long waves and very energetically active and propagating short waves.The presence of quasi-stationary long waves seems to enhance the energy exchanges between the short waves and the mean zonal current and also allow for larger energy values for the short waves. Long term integration (90 days) shows a 6-day mode in thev time spectra at latitude 10°N and a 15-day mode in theu time spectra at individual grid points in the equatorial latitudes. Any possible connection between this peak and the observed peak of 15 days in the completely different physics of Kelvin waves is left as a conjecture.     

The influence of the time change of static stability and wind shear on baroclinic waves

The effect of the time change of static stability and wind shear on a two-level quasigeostrophic baroclinic wave is considered. First, by keeping the wind shear as a constant the effect of the increase of static stability is that the amplitude of the temperature wave reaches a maximum first while that of the stream field is still amplifying and, as that of temperature wave reaches a minimum, that of the stream field becomes a maximum, and both are in phase. Next, by keeping the static stability as a constant, a life cycle of disturbance associated with the time change of wind shear is obtained. In this case the maximum amplitude of the wave appears at about 6 days and the life cycle is about 11 days for reasonable values of the model parameters. Finally, both effects are considered. The results show that as the wind shear decreases, the static stability increases, and the percentage change of wind shear is larger than that of static stability.This paper is not an entirely convincing analysis of the finite amplitude dynamics of an unstable wave in the two-level model, but rather a pedagogically useful approximate theory in which the retention of some terms rather than others is justified in view of the plausibility of the results.     

Advances in the Study of Moving Sediments and Evolving Seabeds

Sands and mud are continually being transported around the world’s coastal seas due to the action of tides, wind and waves. The transport of these sediments modifies the boundary between the land and the sea, changing and reshaping its form. Sometimes the nearshore bathymetry evolves slowly over long time periods, at other times more rapidly due to natural episodic events or the introduction of manmade structures at the shoreline. For over half a century we have been trying to understand the physics of sediment transport processes and formulate predictive models. Although significant progress has been made, our capability to forecast the future behaviour of the coastal zone from basic principles is still relatively poor. However, innovative acoustic techniques for studying the fundamentals of sediment movement experimentally are now providing new insights, and it is expected that such observations, coupled with developing theoretical works, will allow us to take further steps towards the goal of predicting the evolution of coastlines and coastal bathymetry. This paper presents an overview of our existing predictive capabilities, primarily in the field of non-cohesive sediment transport, and highlights how new acoustic techniques are enabling our modelling efforts to achieve greater sophistication and accuracy. The paper is aimed at coastal scientists and managers seeking to understand how detailed physical studies can contribute to the improvement of coastal area models and, hence, inform coastal zone management strategies.     

Suspended sediment transport in the German Wadden Sea—seasonal variations and extreme events

The German Wadden Sea (southern North Sea) sediments are composed of both cohesive and non-cohesive deposits. The spatial distribution patterns are mainly driven by wind-induced waves and tidal currents. Transport intensity and duration depend on the hydrodynamic conditions, which vary over time. In this paper, the transport of suspended sediment was investigated on seasonal, tidal and hourly time scales in the back-barrier system of Spiekeroog Island. Long- and short-term data of fair weather periods and two storm events were investigated based on stationary and mobile measurements of currents and waves by Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), in situ particle size and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) measurements by laser in situ scattering and transmissometry (LISST) as well as wind records. The ADCP backscatter intensities were calibrated by means of LISST volume concentration data in order to quantify longer term SSCs and fluxes in the back-barrier system. Values up to 120 mg l⁻¹ were recorded, but concentrations more commonly were below 60 mg l⁻¹. The long-term results confirm former observations of a balanced budget during low-energy (fair weather) conditions in the study area. In general, SSCs were higher during spring tides than during neap tides. The data also clearly show the remobilisation of sediment by tidal current entrainment. The records include two severe storm events, “Britta” (1st November 2006) and “Kyrill” (18th January 2007). The data reveal very complex temporal flow and transport patterns. During both storm events, the export of material was mainly controlled by the interaction of wind, waves and tidal phase. The typical ebb-dominance occurring during fair-weather conditions was temporarily neutralised and even reversed to a flood-dominated situation. During “Kyrill”, the wind and high-waves setup in conjunction with the tidal phase was even able to compress the duration of two successive ebb cycles by over 70%. Although SSCs increased during both storms and higher turbulence lifted particle clouds upwards, an export of suspended matter towards the North Sea was only observed under the conditions taking place during “Britta”. Such fluxes, however, are currently still difficult to quantify because the backscatter intensity during high energy events includes a substantial amount of noise produced by the high turbulence, especially near the water surface.