3D gravity modelling for Anyongbok Seamount in the East Sea

A seamount chain with an approximately WNW trend is observed in the northeastern Ulleung Basin. It has been argued that these seamounts, including two islands called Ulleung and Dok islands, were formed by a hotspot process or by ridge related volcanism. Many geological and geophysical studies have been done for all the seamounts and islands in the chain except Anyongbok Seamount, which is close to the proposed spreading ridge. We first report morphological characteristics, sediment distribution patterns, and the crustal thickness of Anyongbok Seamount using multibeam bathymetry data, seismic reflection profiles, and 3D gravity modeling. The morphology of Anyongbok Seamount shows a cone shaped feature and is characterized by the development of many flank cones and flank rift zones. The estimated surface volume is about 60 km³, and implies that the seamount is smaller than the other seamounts in the chain. No sediments have been observed on the seamount except the lower slope, which is covered by more than 1,000 m of strata. The crustal structure obtained from a 3D gravity modeling (GFR = 3.11, SD 3.82 = mGal) suggests that the seamount was formed around the boundary of the Ulleung Plateau and the Ulleung Basin, and the estimated crustal thickness is about 20 km, which is a little thicker than other nearby seamounts distributed along the northeastern boundary of the Ulleung Basin. This significant crustal thickness also implies that Anyongbok Seamount might not be related to ridge volcanism.     

The dimensions of sand ripples in full-scale oscillatory flows

New large-scale experiments have been carried out in two oscillatory flow tunnels to study ripple regime sand suspension and net sand transport processes in full-scale oscillatory flows. The paper focuses on ripple dimensions and the new data are combined with existing data to make a large dataset of ripple heights and lengths for flows with field-scale amplitudes and periods. A feature of the new experiments is a focus on the effect of flow irregularity. The combined dataset is analysed to examine the range of hydraulic conditions under which oscillatory flow ripples occur, to examine the effects of flow irregularity and ripple three-dimensionality on ripple dimensions and to test and improve existing methods for predicting ripple dimensions.The following are the main conclusions. (1) The highest velocities in a flow time-series play an important role in determining the type of bedform occurring in oscillatory flow. Bedform regime is well characterised by mobility number based on maximum velocity in the case of regular flow and based on the mean of the highest one tenth peak velocities in the case of irregular flow. (2) For field-scale flows, sand size is the primary factor determining whether equilibrium ripples will be 2D or 3D. 2D ripples occur when the sand D₅₀ ≥ 0.30 mm and 3D ripples occur when D₅₀ ≤ 0.22 mm (except when the flow orbital diameter is low). (3) Ripple type (2D or 3D) is the same for regular and irregular flows and ripple dimensions produced by equivalent regular and irregular flows follow a similar functional dependence on mobility number, with mobility number based on maximum velocity in the case of regular flow and based on the mean of the highest one tenth velocities in the case of irregular flow. For much of the ripple regime, ripple dimensions have weak dependency on mobility number and ripple dimensions are similar for regular and irregular flows with the same flow orbital amplitude. However, differences in ripples produced by equivalent regular and irregular flows become significant at the high mobility end of the ripple regime. (4) Ripple dimensions predicted using the Wiberg and Harris formulae are in poor agreement with measured ripple dimensions from the large-scale experiments. Predictions based on the Mogridge et al. and the Nielsen formulae show better overall agreement with the data but also show systematic differences in cases of 3D ripples and ripples generated by irregular flows. (5) Based on the combined large-scale data, modifications to the Nielsen ripple dimension equations are proposed for the heights and lengths of 2D ripples. The same equations apply to regular and irregular flows, but with mobility number appropriately defined. 3D ripples are generally smaller than 2D ripples and estimates of 3D ripple height and length may be obtained by applying multipliers of 0.55 and 0.73 respectively to the 2D formulae. The proposed modified Nielsen formulae provide an improved fit to the large-scale data, accounting for flow irregularity and ripple three-dimensionality.     

On the geologic structure of the Explora Escarpment (Weddell Sea,Antarctica) revealed by satellite and Shipboard data evaluation

Bathymetric, gravity, and magnetic data from Antarctic expeditions with RV POLARSTERN and satellite altimeter data from the Geosat Geodetic Mission are analysed using methods from geostatistics and geophysical inverse theory.The Explora Escarpment represents the edge between the Antarctic Continental Shelf and the Weddell Abyssal Plain. It is an important link in the reconstruction of Gondwana breakup, but a feature as large as the 2000 m deep Wegener Canyon was only discovered in 1984, when extensive bathymetric, gravimetric, and magnetic surveys with RV POLARSTERN began.Geostatistics, the theory of regionalized variables, is applied to integrate dense surveys of Wegener Canyon and sparse observations in adjacent areas into maps with full coverage of the 230 km by 330 km area at 10°–20° W/70°–72° S. The resultant highresolution bathymetric and gravity maps reveal detailed structures of the Explora Escarpment. Using geophysical inversion, the gravity terrain effect is calculated. Satellite data are used for their better coverage, but have much lower resolution. Nevertheless, the structures of Wegener Canyon and other more prominent features appear with surprisingly good correlation also in the Geosat altimeter data. While it was initially supposed that Wegener Canyon is purely an erosional structure, the magnetic map now provides evidence of the canyon's tectonic origin.     

用样条函数计算结果研究冲绳海槽热源机制

对冲绳海槽１９８４－１９９０年的实测热流值，利用数字滤波方法计算，得到反映该区深部地壳热状态的区域热流值为８０－１６０ｍＷ／ｍ＾２，用Ｂ样条函数法对其作数值模拟，计算出海槽地温场模式，并以此研究冲绳海槽海底高热流的形成机制，得出冲绳海槽热流值的区域性变化与綦中地质构造格局呈正相关，高热流是该区现代构造活动所致，其明显特征是地壳减薄，地幔上拱等结论。     

Drag force on a circular cylinder in unseparated laminar high Reynolds number nonlinear random oscillatory flow

The stochastic properties of the drag force maxima on a circular cylinder subjected to nonlinear random waves are investigated. Unseparated laminar high Reynolds number flow is considered. A simplified approach based on second order Stokes waves is presented, including the sum-frequency effect only. It is demonstrated how a drag force formula valid for regular linear waves can be used to find the cumulative distribution function of individual drag force maxima for nonlinear irregular waves. Here the [Wang, 1968] drag force coefficient is used.     

High Frequency Current Fluctuations and Cross-shelf Flows around the Pycnocline near the Shelf Break in the East China Sea

Relation between internal waves with short time scale and density distribution near the shelf break in the East China Sea is studied utilizing moored current meters, thermometers and conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) casts. A well developed pycnocline was frequently observed around 150–200 m depth near the shelf break accompanied with the development of internal waves with short time scale. During the cruise in May 1998, the intensified internal wave motion with short time scale and the distinct offshore flow were observed just below the lower pycnocline, which shoaled and extended above the shelf area. It is suggested that vertical mixing generated by amplified internal waves would produce cross-shelf ageostophic density current around the pycnocline. During the cruise in May 1999, on the other hand, the lower pycnocline was located offshore below the shelf break, and the internal wave motion was amplified just above the lower pycnocline. In this case, the offshore flow should be generated above the lower pycnocline, but vertical profiles of current velocity were not obtained because acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data were not available around the lower pycnocline.     

Exchange flow of oil and sea-water in a ruptured submarine pipeline

The rupture of a submarine oil pipeline starts various mechanisms leading to an oil spill. Among these mechanisms the leakage of oil driven by the difference in specific gravities of oil and sea-water is difficult to estimate. A simple mathematical model has been developed and laboratory experiments have been carried out to obtain an insight into the density-driven exchange flow and to determine the leak rate. The mathematical model is predictive and takes account of the effects of friction, inclination of the pipeline, and inertia of the fluid. The experiments were done in a horizontal model pipeline. Theoretical and experimental results are in satisfactory agreement.     

礁膜配子放散条件的研究

本文报道了礁膜配子的放散与温度、光照、比重的关系。结果表明，自然海区的礁膜在白天大量放散配子。配子放散的适宜温度为１９－２１℃；光照为２０００－５０００ｌｘ时能促进配子大量放散出来；配子放散的适宜比重为１．０５－１．０２５；这些研究结果将为礁膜人工育苗提供一些科学依据。