Dynamics and Variability of Terra Nova Bay Polynya

Abstract. We present a process study on the dynamics and variability of the Terra Nova Bay polynya in the western sector of the Ross Sea. The air-sea heat exchange is known to be particularly large in polynya during the winter, when differences between air and sea temperatures are large. We apply a 1-D model (Pease, 1987; Van Woert, 1999a, 1999b), which is modified in the latent heat parameterisation in order to account for time-dependent relative humidity and cloud coverage. Furthermore, the Ice Collection Depth is correlated linearly with a variable wind speed. The model is forced with two different meteorological data sets: the operational analysis of the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts atmospheric data set and the meteorological parameters measured by an Automatic Weather Station located on the coast of Terra Nova Bay. The results are compared in terms of polynya extension, ice, and High Salinity Shelf Water production. According to the two different wind velocities, the results obtained from the different data sets clearly differ. Qualitatively, however, the results are in good agreement.     

Analysis of seabed instability using element free Galerkin method

Wave-induced seabed instability, either momentary liquefaction or shear failure, is an important topic in ocean and coastal engineering. Many factors, such as seabed properties and wave parameters, affect the seabed instability. A non-dimensional parameter is proposed in this paper to evaluate the occurrence of momentary liquefaction. This parameter includes the properties of the soil and the wave. The determination of the wave-induced liquefaction depth is also suggested based on this non-dimensional parameter. As an example, a two-dimensional seabed with finite thickness is numerically treated with the EFGM meshless method developed early for wave-induced seabed responses. Parametric study is carried out to investigate the effect of wavelength, compressibility of pore fluid, permeability and stiffness of porous media, and variable stiffness with depth on the seabed response with three criteria for liquefaction. It is found that this non-dimensional parameter is a good index for identifying the momentary liquefaction qualitatively, and the criterion of liquefaction with seepage force can be used to predict the deepest liquefaction depth.     

Ghost fishing in European waters: Impacts and management responses

In this paper we review levels of net loss, what happens to the gear once it has been lost, and the resulting levels of ‘ghost catches’ made in passive net fisheries in the EU. We also consider ghost catches resulting from lost gear in other types of fisheries, and the extent to which the value of ghost catches has been quantified. We consider why fishing gear is lost, and profile common management responses. We present a cost benefit model to assess the relative cost effectiveness of different management measures, and suggest that gear retrieval programmes may provide less value for money than other management responses.     

Geodynamic Evolution of the Eastern Segment of the Azores-Gibraltar Zone: The Gorringe Bank and the Gulf of Cadiz Region

Detailed structural interpretation of the recently acquired deep seismic multichannel profiles along the Iberian Atlantic Margins (IAM Project) provides new results on the geodynamic evolution of the eastern part of the Azores-Gibraltar plate boundary. Thrusting and folding of the oceanic basement and of Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary cover of the Gorringe Bank region are consistent with the N–S convergence of Iberia and Africa. Compressive structures in the Gorringe Bank region are spread over a wide area. Deformation under compression took place mainly in Tertiary times, as is evidenced by a basal unconformity and several discontinuities in Tertiary sediments, although some deformation has also been recorded in Quaternary sediments. The compressive structures in the Gulf of Cadiz are E–W oriented thrusts, folds and related diapiric structures. N–S oriented transpressive deformation is likely to occur in the western Portuguese platform. There is no continuity of structures from the oceanic to the continental domain, suggesting that deformation transfers from one side to the other through a transcurrent fault zone. The fault contact between the two domains is located in the ocean-continent transition zone.     

Influence of large-diameter pipe pile driving on surrounding marine soils and adjacent submarine pipelines

Abstract

With the large-scale development and utilization of ocean resources and space, it is inevitable to encounter existing submarine facilities in pile driving areas, which necessitates a safety assessment. In this article, by referring to a wharf renovation project as a reference, the surrounding soil response and buried pipe deformation during pile driving in a near-shore submarine environment are investigated by three-dimensional (3D) numerical models that consider the pore water effect. Numerical studies are carried out in two different series: one is a case of a single pile focusing on the effect of the minimum plane distance of the pile–pipe, and the other is a case of double piles focusing on the effect of the pile spacing.     

The Fauna of Floating Cyanobacterial Mats in the Oligohaline Eulittoral Zone off Hiddensee (South-west Coast of the Baltic Sea)

Abstract. The fauna — including macrofauna, meiofauna, and large ciliates — of floating cyanobacterial mats in a brackish shallow-water area was studied by analysing six 20 cm² pieces of mat. Although these microbial aggregations were scarcely 1 cm thick, their total meiofauna abundance was about five times as high as in the uppermost 4 cm of the adjacent sediment. The mat fauna was dominated by harpacticoids, although large ciliates, rotifers, nematodes, and oligochaetes were also markedly more abundant than in the sediment. All species occurring in the mats were members of the surrounding sediment fauna. Out of the 47 species found, only a few, among them predominantly the harpacticoid, Mesochra lilljeborgi B oeck , 1864, and the nematode Daptonema setosum ( bütschli , 1874), accounted for the majority of the individual abundance in the mats. Both are regularly found in sulphidic biotopes near Hiddensee. As SEM micrographs revealed, the oligochaete Paranais litoralis (O. F. M üller , 1788) and the harpacticoid Cletocamptus confluens (Schmeil, 1894) were apparently optimal substrates for dense lawns of cyanobacteria. This indicates possible close interactions between the meiofauna and these microbiota. The frequent predation of histophagous ciliates on nematodes and harpacticoids, which were probably weakened by oxygen deficiency and/or high sulphide concentrations, were not only a sign of a generally neglected pathway in the food chain, but also impressively emphasized the huge variety of interactions taking place between meio- and microfauna within this specific benthic microcosm. Because of their floating character, the mats can play an important role in the dispersal of benthic fauna.     

烟威及石岛近海春季水团分析

本文使用1960—1980年春季的水文资料,以温度和盐度作为主要指标,根据聚类分析逼近温盐图解,结合对该海域地理环境特征的分析,对烟台、威海及石岛近海春季的水团结构演变及其和渔场、渔期的关系进行综合分析。结果表明,北黄海及青岛外海的冷水团,以及黄海暖水团的强度与位置的变动,对春季渔期的早迟以及渔场位置的变动,都有很大的影响。     

Effect of dispersion on impulsive waves

The generation and propagation of surface waves resulting from suddenly created disturbances over water surfaces is investigated. The initial boundary conditions defining the disturbance are given either by a velocity of the free surface, an initial elevation of the free surface or a pressure impulsively applied on the free surface. It is shown that the corresponding three forms of solutions are related by a simple time derivative. Linear solutions are obtained in the cases where the wave motion is assumed to be nondispersive, mildly dispersive and fully dispersive, as well as in the case where the motion is given by the method of stationary phase. Criteria are established to indicate the limit of validity of each method.     

Protracted Environmental Issues on a Proposed Titanium Minerals Development in Kenya's South Coast

This study takes cognizance of the fact that the TIOMIN (TIOMIN Resources Inc. of Canada) project has resulted in controversy over its handling of environmental issues and especially the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The authors address many of the protracted issues that have slowed the development of the mining project in Kwale. The main emphasis is on the impacts of the mining and mineral separation processes on the environment, including the governing legislation, the role of consultation and public participation, and socioeconomic issues. In their public documents TIOMIN has specified neither the type of minerals it wants to extract from the area nor their chemical composition. It is well known, however that the titanium minerals and zircon targeted have impurities of iron, thorium and uranium. In the absence of an Environmental Management Plan, the effects of stockpiling radioactive wastes and other impurities that could possibly lead to environmental degradation in both the terrestrial and marine environments have not been publically addressed. The measures proposed to mitigate ecological damage as a result of the establishment of a minerals processing plant in the area seem inadequate. Pollution resulting from accidental spillage or breakage could have significant impact on marine life and residents living near the mining site. Other issues that have not been addressed satisfactorily pertain to the use of surface and underground water. The area already faces a huge water deficit and the calculations presented on aquifer recharge and stream flow rates do not indicate the large quantities of water that would be required in the mineral processing plant. The project, if approved in its present state, risks violation of international conventions. Furthermore, it could cause a conflict between Kenya and Tanzania in the event of an oil spill at the proposed ship loading facility at Shimoni. The proposed mining area includes the district's most fertile land, is home to many fisherfolk and is a major tourist destination. An analysis of the effects of this project on other available opportunities must be thoroughly understood to ascertain the economic and environmental benefits and costs of the mining venture. The proposed compensation rate of $1,000 per acre, for resettlement for example, appears to be grossly inadequate. Compensation should take into account family size and structure family assets and the cost of relocation.