Artificial upwelling induced by ocean currents —Theory and experiment

A submerged apparatus, which consists of a buoy, several horizontal contraction and expansion tubes (Venturi-type tubes) and a long pipe, is expected to be used to pump the subsurface sea-water (200–300 meter depth) containing abundant nutrients to surface layer (50–100 m) by the dynamic of ocean currents. i.e. an artificial upwelling without energy cost. A preliminary experiment and analysis are undertaken and shows that the capacity of pumping the nutrient-rich sea-water is worth to build a pilot prototype model.     

Change of multifractal thermal characteristics in the western Philippine sea upper layer during internal wave-soliton propagation

The upper layer (above 140 m depth) temperature in the western Philippine Sea near Taiwan was sampled using a coastal monitoring buoy (CMB) with 15 attached thermistors during July 28–August 7, 2005. The data were collected every 10 min at 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 m using the CMB sensors, and every 15 sec at 15 different depths between 25 m and 140 m. Internal waves and solitons were identified from the time-depth plot of the temperature field. Without the internal waves and solitons, the power spectra, structure functions, and singular measures (representing the intermittency) of temperature field satisfy the power law with multi-scale characteristics at all depths. The internal waves do not change the basic characteristics of the multifractal structure. However, the internal solitons change the power exponent of the power spectra drastically, especially in the low wave number domain; they also break down the power law of the structure function and increase the intermittency parameter. The physical mechanisms causing these different effects need to be explored further.     

An experimental method for determining the frequency-dependent added mass and added mass moment of inertia for a floating body in heave and pitch motions

Most of the existing relevant materials have been obtained from experiments, in which evaluating the added mass at the resonant frequency corresponding to the peak of a frequency-response curve obtained from the “forced” vibration analysis is the most popular technique. In this paper, a simple experimental method was presented where the “free” vibration responses instead of the “forced” ones were used to determine the values of m_ah and I_ap. The main part of the experimental system is composed of a floating body (model) and a spring–shaft shaker. The “free” vibration of this main part was induced by imposing on it an initial displacement (and/or an initial velocity), and from the time histories of displacements information such as the “damped” natural frequencies, damping ratios, sectional added mass coefficients (C_V and C_P) were obtained. Since the displacements of the spring–shaft shaker are “translational” and those of the floating body due to pitch motions are “angular”, a technique for the transformation between the associated parameters of the two components of the main part was presented.     

An Assessment of Structural Measures for Flood-prone Lowlands with High Population Density along the Keelung River in Taiwan

Midstream of the Keelung River Basin in Northern Taiwan has become highly urbanized and densely populated area. Flood inundation along riversides frequently occurred during typhoons or rainstorms. Three protection measures, including constructions of high-level protection levees, a diversion channel, and a detention reservoir, were proposed for flood mitigation. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the flood mitigation performance of the three proposed structural measures by using combined hydrologic analyses and hydraulic routings. A semi-distributed parallel-type linear reservoirs rainfall-runoff model was used for estimating the surface runoff. Furthermore, a 1-D dynamic channel routing model was coupled with a two-dimensional inundation model to simulate the hydraulic characteristics of river flooding and overland flow. Simulation results of flood stages, runoff peak discharges, and inundation extent under design rainfall scenarios were chosen as the criteria for evaluation. The results showed a diversion channel is superior to the other two measures for flood mitigation of the study area. After the process of environmental impact assessment, a revised diversion channel approach has been approved for construction as the major structural measure.     

Strong earthquake activity all over the world and strong moderate earthquake activity within and near China(October,2003 ～November,2003)

Illustration All the data in this catalog are chosen from the Preliminary Seismological Report of Chinese Seismic Stations (abbreviated to Monthly Report). The catalog includes the events of M≥4.7 in and near China and M≥6 all over the world. The Monthly Report is monthly compiled by the Ninth Section of Institute of Geophysics, China Earthquake Administration (CEA).     

Earth's rotation variations: a wavelet analysis

Historical to up‐to‐date data of the minute variations in the solid Earth's rotation are subjected to a comprehensive time‐frequency wavelet analysis. The length‐of‐day for the period 1962–2012 confirms the presence of a prominent, robust 6‐year periodicity and reveals an anomalously strong 18.6‐year tidal oscillation as well as a ~13‐year quasi‐periodic signal. The polar‐motion excitation for the period 1900–2012 validates the existence of the ~26‐year Markowitz wobble and shows an ~8‐year quasi‐periodic signal, but no appreciable 18.6‐year periodicity. Although it is known that exchanges of angular momentum with the geophysical fluids are responsible for the rotational variations of the solid Earth, the exact physical mechanisms involved on interannual‐to‐decadal timescales are still far from understood.