Asymmetry of Columbia River tidal plume fronts

Columbia River tidal plume dynamics can be explained in terms of two asymmetries related to plume-front depth and internal wave generation. These asymmetries may be an important factor contributing to the observed greater primary productivity and phytoplankton standing crop on the Washington shelf. The tidal plume (the most recent ebb outflow from the estuary) is initially supercritical with respect to the frontal internal Froude number F_R on strong ebbs. It is separated from the rotating plume bulge by a front, whose properties are very different under upwelling vs. downwelling conditions. Under summer upwelling conditions, tidal plume fronts are sharp and narrow (< 20–50 m wide) on their upwind or northern side and mark a transition from supercritical to subcritical flow for up to 12 h after high water. Such sharp fronts are a source of turbulent mixing, despite the strong stratification. Because the tidal plume may overlie newly upwelled waters, these fronts can mix nutrients into the plume. Symmetry would suggest that there should be a sharp front south of the estuary mouth under summer downwelling conditions. Instead, the downwelling tidal plume front is usually diffuse on its upstream side. Mixing is weaker, and the water masses immediately below are low in nutrients. There is also an upwelling–downwelling asymmetry in internal wave generation. During upwelling and weak wind conditions, plume fronts often generate trains of non-linear internal waves as they transition from a supercritical to a subcritical state. Under downwelling conditions, internal wave release is less common and the waves are less energetic. Furthermore, regardless of wind conditions, solition formation almost always begins on the south side of the plume so that the front “unzips” from south to north. This distinction is important, because these internal waves contribute to vertical mixing in the plume bulge and transport low-salinity water across the tidal plume into the plume bulge.F_R and plume depth are key parameters in distinguishing the upwelling and downwelling situations, and these two asymmetries can be explained in terms of potential vorticity conservation. The divergence of the tidal outflow after it leaves the estuary embeds relative vorticity in the emerging tidal plume water mass. This vorticity controls the transition of the tidal plume front to a subcritical state and consequently the timing and location of internal wave generation by plume fronts.     

Water masses and cyclonic circulation in Bay of La Paz, Gulf of California, during June 1998

The Bay of La Paz, a coastal and shallow basin of the Gulf of California (depth<420 m), exchanges mixed-layer waters with the Gulf of California predominantly through Boca Grande (Big Mouth), in the northeastern part of the bay. Equatorial Surface Water (ESW) flows from the gulf to the bay; once there, due to evaporation processes, this water increases its salinity above 35.00, therefore becoming Gulf of California Water (GCW) Mass. During June 1998, the baroclinic circulation in the bay was dominated by a cyclonic gyre. The hydrographic dome, related to this gyre, is depicted until approximately 150-m depth. However, the vertical mixing of water between the mixed-layer and the ones below practically does not occur because of the development of a sharp pycnocline. This fact and the isolation of the bottom of the bay by a bathymetric sill (approximately 250-m depth) at Boca Grande induce low oxygen content, particularly in the bottom-waters (O₂<0.1 ml/l). Chlorophyll values are higher and with larger vertical fluctuations within the Bay of La Paz than outside.     

Effect of non-symmetrical corrosion imperfection on the collapse pressure of subsea pipelines

The effects of non-symmetrical corrosion defects (about the major or minor axis of the ellipse) on the collapse modes and collapse pressures of subsea pipelines are studied using the Finite Element (FE) method. The corrosion defects are represented by a groove of a given length, width, and depth which is created by the “element death” technology. Parametric studies are conducted and the influences of corrosion location angle, length, width, and depth on the collapse pressure are discussed. Several significant and interesting results are achieved: (1) The collapse modes are mainly affected by the corrosion location angle, width, and depth; (2) The collapse pressure of a pipe may increase as the corrosion length, width, or depth increases when the corrosion location angle is small; (3) The longer the corrosion length, the larger the effect of corrosion location angle on the collapse pressure; (4) For collapses controlled by corrosion defect (0.3≤h/t ≤ 0.7), the relationship between the collapse pressure and corrosion location angle follows a simple cosine function. For collapses controlled by the ovality (h/t < 0.3), the relationship can be expressed by the combination of straight-line and cosine function.     

温州瓯飞浅滩地形冲淤演变特征

基于瓯飞浅滩海域多年水文泥沙及地形水深实测资料,分析研究其水动力泥沙特性及地形冲淤演变规律。结果表明:研究海域潮流性质属于非正规半日浅海潮流,各垂线分潮流椭圆率K值在0. 00～0. 20之间,故潮流总体上以往复流为主;含沙量分布呈现外海向口内逐渐增大的趋势,且大潮期含沙量明显大于中潮和小潮期;通过对瓯飞浅滩近几十年的冲淤计算及相关断面分析,认为瓯飞浅滩的潮滩区域总体处于略有淤高基本稳定的状态。不同于潮滩区域,瓯飞浅滩的水下浅滩区域在1987—2010年,年均冲刷幅度为0. 008～0. 02 m,表现为基本稳定略有冲刷的状态。     

顶部张紧式立管干涉分析

顶部张紧式立管（TTR）是油气开发必不可少的立管类型。研究了南海1500米水深半潜式干树深水平台TTR的概念设计,使用ORCAFLEX软件建立TTR的干涉分析非线性时域分析模型,基于Huse尾流模型,分析了浪流方向为0°,45°,90°,135°和180°的100年一遇环境载荷下的立管间距。结果表明,浪流方向为0°时立管最小间距小于TTR最大外径之和,发生干涉,其他方向不发生干涉。TTR为阵列式设计的立管群,应当从多方面因素考虑以避免干涉发生的危险,合理安排立管间距、调整TTF等措施可以有效减小干涉发生的可能。     

松花江大顶子山航电枢纽坝下冲刷深度及水位降落研究

利用长河段一维数学模型,预报了大顶子山航电枢纽在运行不同时期后的冲刷深度及水位降落情况。结合近坝段河床防护措施,确定了大顶子山枢纽下游最低通航流量、相应的下游最低通航水位、枢纽船闸的门槛最小水深以及船闸下闸首底槛的高程。     

A new instrument for sediment temperature measurements

A novel self-contained probe is presented which measures the sediment temperature of tidal flats between the surface and 40-cm depth, and indicates whether the flats are flooded or dry. Depending on the selected acquisition interval, the endurance of the probe is more than 6 months. It can be applied for the investigation of thermodynamic properties of the tidal flats impacting physical and biological processes. Intensive tests have shown that the probe is robust and reliable and can be easily operated by a single person. In case of rough weather conditions, the usage of scour protectors is recommended.     

Benthic habitat quality assessment of an oxygen stressed fjord by surface and sediment profile images

In May and October 1994 the benthic habitats in Havstensfjord (26 km²), a seasonally oxygen stressed stratified fjord, were classified by taking sediment surface and sediment profile images (SPI) at 90 stations, randomized into nine strata. Qualitative grab samples for faunal inspection were taken at about of the stations in both May and October to help to identify objects in the images. The images give information on sediment characteristics (texture, oxic/anoxic conditions, lamination) which often can be related to functional properties of the macrofauna (burrows, tubes, feeding voids, reworked sediment) or to observations on benthic epifauna. In combination, such variables mirror the quality of the benthic habitat. Analysis of sediment profile images was done with multivariate methods [Benthic Habitat Quality (BHQ) index] and univariate statistical methods to describe differences between areas and depths. Variance analysis of BHQ indices indicated a significant interaction between area and depth. In both the northeast and northwest strata the oxygen stress had induced a habitat degradation at depths deeper than 25 m compared to shallower northwest and northeast strata and all south depth strata. No significant difference in mean BHQ index was found between May and October. We discuss the potential application of the SPI technique for efficient monitoring oxygen stressed marine coastal areas.     

往复流不同入射角条件下跨海大桥桥墩局部冲刷研究

文章以港珠澳跨海大桥工程为依托,采用理论计算和模型试验的手段进行研究,在公式得到验证的基础上,针对往复流不同入射角条件下桥墩局部冲刷深度问题进行探讨。结果表明:潮汐往复流条件下,桥墩上下游均出现局部冲刷,且上游冲刷深度大于下游;当桥墩迎流面与往复流流向基本垂直时,桥墩局部冲刷深度理论计算值略大于模型试验值,误差均在10%以内;在顺流面长度大于迎流面宽度的矩形桩墩墩型条件不变时,桥墩局部冲刷深度随往复流来流入射角的增大以变速率增大,且当入射角大于一定值时,桥墩冲刷深度趋于稳定。     

Formation of Denmark Strait overflow water and its hydro-chemical composition

The dense overflow across the Denmark Strait is investigated with hydrographic and hydro-chemical data and the water mass composition of the Denmark Strait Overflow Water (DSOW) is determined by multivariate analysis. Hydrographical properties, the transient tracers CFC-11 and CFC-12, oxygen and nutrients are utilized for the water mass definitions. Distribution and characteristics of water masses north of Denmark Strait are described, the important water masses at the sill and the variability on weekly time-scales are discussed, and the entrainment and mixing of water into the overflow plume in the northern Irminger Basin is calculated. The analysis indicates that water masses both from the Nordic Seas and the Arctic Ocean are important for the formation of DSOW. It is found that water masses transported with the East Greenland Current make up about 75% of the overflow at the sill. The overflow at, and shortly south of, the sill is inhomogeneous with a low-salinity component dominated by Polar Intermediate Water. The high-salinity component of the overflow is mainly of Arctic origin. The water mass composition, and the short-term variability for 7 repeats of sections close to the sill are described, and these illustrate that the overflow is in fact a composite of a number of water masses with different formation and transport histories. This indicate that the overflow is a robust feature, but that it responds to variations in the circulation or atmospheric forcing that influences the formation of intermediate and deep water masses within the Arctic Mediterranean and the North Atlantic. At a section about 400 km south of the sill the overflow is well mixed and modified by entrainment of, mainly, Iceland–Scotland Overflow Water and Labrador Sea Water, together constituting 30% of the overflow plume. The entrainment of Middle Irminger Water dominates shortly downstream of the sill, before the overflow plume reaches too deep but the entrainment seems to be intermittent in time.     

Biogeochemistry of sulfur in a sediment core from the west-central Baltic Sea: Evidence from stable isotopes and pyrite textures

The biogeochemistry of the sulfur cycle in a ca. 5-m-long sediment core from the eastern slope (221 m water depth) of the Landsort Deep in the west-central Baltic Sea was investigated by analyzing the solid phase records of sulfur isotopes and pyrite textures, besides selected main and minor elements. The sediments were deposited during post-glacial history of the Baltic Sea when the basin experienced alteration of brackish (Yoldia Sea, Littorina Sea) and freshwater (Baltic Ice Lake, Ancylus Lake) conditions. The stable isotopic composition of total sulfur was analyzed as a function of depth. In selected samples pyrite (FeS₂), greigite (Fe₃S₄), and barite (BaSO₄) fractions were separated for isotope analyses. Pyrite textures were analyzed by SEM and optical microscopy.Microbial reactions associated with the oxidation of organic matter resulted in assemblages of authigenic sulfide minerals which for the post-Ancylus Lake brackish water environment are dominated by pyrite and for freshwater environments by Fe-monosulfides. The sulfur isotopic composition of the brackish water Littorina Sea sediments (δ³⁴S between −40 and −27‰ vs. V-CDT) is believed to be determined by cellular sulfate reduction rates and reactions involving intermediate sulfur species. The availability of reactive iron and decomposable organic matter as well as sedimentation rate and the chemocline position are important variables upon the δ³⁴S values of sulfides in brackish water environment. The syn-depositional abundance of sulfur and organic matter, and transport of dissolved sulfur species vs. rates of microbial reactions determine δ³⁴S in the freshwater sediments. The upper part of the Ancylus Lake sediments is sulfidized by downward diffusing H₂S and/or sulfate from overlying brackish water sediments. Minor concretionary barite formation in the freshwater sediments is most likely due to the reaction of pore water sulfate diffusing downward from brackish water sediments with barium desorbed from freshwater sediments. The size distribution of pyrite framboids in the brackish sediments indicates that the formation mainly occurred from anoxic pore waters, although some pyrite formation in an anoxic water column cannot be excluded.     

Management considerations for accreting shorelines

Abstract

Natural coastal accretion in the United States occurs at river mouths, spits across embayments, inlets, capes and cuspate forelands, and pocket beaches. Human‐induced accretion occurs updrift of groins and jetties, landward of breakwaters, and in locations which are artificially nourished. Coastal accretion is usually temporary (years to tens of years). Erosion may occur due to deflection of streams and tidal current channels or to changes in sea level, weather patterns, or sediment budgets. A focus on ownership disputes or use of accreted land draws attention away from the long‐term problem of the development of land which may be subject to future erosion. Control mechanisms should be in place to direct development on accreting shorelines to make more effective use of the resource.     

乐清湾港池试挖槽回淤监测

乐清湾为典型强潮海湾,具有潮差大、潮流强、风浪掩护条件好、含沙量较小的特点。试挖槽回淤监测表明,正常天气情况下回淤强度不大,且冬、夏季基本相当。通过“莫拉克”台风期间的回淤监测,以及工程区沉积水动力环境和泥沙来源分析判断,台风对乐清湾港池淤积的影响较小,港池发生骤淤的可能性不大,乐清湾具备“浅水深用”的建港条件。     

沙溪口坝下脱水段航道整治工程模型试验研究

针对沙溪口水电站坝下河段存在的枯水期船闸门槛水深及航道水深不足、流速大流态紊乱的碍航问题,采取筑坝、新建明渠及炸礁相结合的整治思路,调节左右汊分流比,抬高枯水期船闸出口水位,增加航道水深,调整流态,改善船舶航行条件。采用1∶50正态物理模型对航道整治方案进行试验研究,并根据设计方案存在的问题进行多方案研究分析,优化后方案船闸门槛水深、航道水深、流速及流态满足设计要求。     

珠海电厂港区适航水深研究与应用

文章通过现场实测潮汐、潮流、含沙量、底质、水深以及浮泥密度和高低频水深等资料的对比分析,采用港池回淤泥沙流变试验和船模阻力试验等方法,对珠海电厂港池及航道的浮泥分布及适航水深重度标准值进行了分析研究。研究成果为珠海电厂港区适航水深资源的利用提供了具有实际工程应用价值的资料依据。     

浙江苍南海域水文泥沙环境及冲淤演变分析

通过现场大量实测水文泥沙及地形资料,对浙江苍南海域的水动力条件及泥沙环境进行了研究。研究结果表明,该海域潮汐动力强、受台风影响频繁,工程临近大片河口浅滩,水体含沙量较高。因此,应尽量减小防波堤内港池的无用水域面积,以减少进港的纳潮水体和沙量。另外,为减少台风及风暴引起的骤淤,对航道进行一定的整治是十分必要的。     

Distribution of suspended sediment in the coastal sea off the Ganges–Brahmaputra River mouth: observation from TM data

Remote sensing technique was applied to estimate suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and to understand transportation, distribution and deposition of suspended sediment in the estuary and throughout the coastal sea, off the Ganges–Brahmaputra River mouth. During low river discharge period, zone of turbidity maximum is inferred in the estuary near the shore. SSC map shows that maximum SSC reaches 1050 mg/l in this period. Magnitude of SSC is mainly owing to resuspension of the bottom surface sediments induced by tidal currents flowing over shallow water depths. The influence of depth on resuspension is farther revealed from the distribution and magnitude of SSC along the head of Swatch of No Ground (SNG) submarine canyon. During high river discharge period, huge river outflow pushed the salt wedge and flashes away the suspended sediments in the coastal sea off the river mouth. Zone of turbidity maximum is inferred in the coastal water approximately within 5–10 m depth of water, where the maximum SSC reaches 1700 mg/l. In this period, huge fluvial input of the suspended sediments including the resuspended bottom sediments and the particles remaining in suspension for longer period of time since their initial entry control mainly the magnitude of SSC. In the estuary near the shore, seasonal variation in the magnitude of SSC is not evident. In the coastal sea (>5 m water depth), seasonal influence in the magnitude of SSC could be concluded from the discrepancy between SSC values of two different seasons. Transportation and deposition of suspended sediments also experiences seasonal variations. At present, suspended sediments are being accumulated on the shallow shelf (between 5 and 10 m water depth) in low discharge period and on the mid-shelf (between 10 and 75 m water depth) during high discharge period. An empirical (exponential) relationship was found between gradual settle down of suspended sediments in the coastal sea and its lateral distance from the turbidity maximum.     

Observations of the Fawn Trough Current over the Kerguelen Plateau from instrumented elephant seals

Due to its great meridional extent and relatively shallow depths, the Kerguelen Plateau constitutes a major barrier to the eastward flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. While most of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current transport is deflected north of the Kerguelen Islands, the remainder ( 50 Sv, 1 Sv = 10⁶ m³ s^− 1) must pass south of the islands, most probably through the Fawn and Princess Elizabeth Troughs. However, the paucity of finely resolved quasi-synoptic hydrographic data in this remote and infrequently sampled area has limited the progress in our knowledge of the regional circulation. Since 2004, a new approach using elephant seals from the Kerguelen Islands as autonomous oceanographic profilers has provided new information on the hydrography over the Kerguelen Plateau, covering the entire Antarctic Zone between the Polar Front and Antarctica, with a mean along-track resolution of about 25 km. These finely resolved bio-logged data revealed details of a strong northeastward current found across the Fawn Trough (sill depth: 2600 m; 56°S, 78°E). This so-called Fawn Trough Current transports cold Antarctic waters found mostly south of the Elan Bank, between the Ice Limit (58°S) and the Antarctic Divergence (64°S) in the eastern Enderby Basin, toward the Australian–Antarctic Basin. Our analysis also demonstrates that the Deep Western Boundary Current, which carries cold Antarctic water along the eastern flank of the southern Kerguelen Plateau collides with Fawn Trough Current at the outlet of the Fawn Trough sill. In other words, the Fawn Trough constitutes a veritable bottleneck, channelling the quasi-totality of the Antarctic Circumpolar flow found south of the Polar Front. Thanks to the unprecedented fine resolution of seal-borne data, a branch of flow centered at the Winter Water isotherm of 1 °C is also revealed along the northern escarpment of the Elan Bank, and then along the southern edge of Heard Island. Further analysis of different supplementary data reveals a complex circulation pattern in the entire Enderby Basin, with several distinctive branches of flow being strongly controlled by prominent topographic features such as the Southwest Indian Ridge, Conrad Rise, Elan Bank, and Kerguelen Plateau. This newly emerged frontal structure refines considerably previous large-scale circulation schematics of the area.     

长江下游感潮河段造床流量计算研究

针对长江下游大通至长江口的感潮河段,借助潮流数学模型,计算造床流量,研究其特点及变化规律。研究表明:计算感潮河段造床流量时,流量输沙率法使用方便,计算结果较为合理;对于天生港以上河段,存在两个造床流量,而对于徐六泾以下河段,则存在一个造床流量群;大通至仪征河段的造床流量沿程变化较少,自仪征开始造床流量沿程逐渐提高,主要应与纳潮量沿程增加有关。     

Internal tidal currents in the Gaoping (Kaoping) Submarine Canyon

Data from five separate field experiments during 2000–2006 were used to study the internal tidal flow patterns in the Gaoping (formerly spelled Kaoping) Submarine Canyon. The internal tides are large with maximum interface displacements of about 200 m and maximum velocities of over 100cm/s. They are characterized by a first-mode velocity and density structure with zero crossing at about 100 m depth. In the lower layer, the currents increase with increasing depth. The density interface and the along-channel velocity are approximately 90° out-of-phase, suggesting a predominant standing wave pattern. However, partial reflection is indicated as there is a consistent phase advance between sea level and density interface along the canyon axis.