Managing Ocean Dumping in EPA Region 2

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Overview of ocean dumping in NY, NJ and Puerto Rico. Includes materials dumped in the Region, ocean dumping permits issues, dredged material testing guidance, ocean disposal site descriptions and information, regional dredging teams and other partnerships

New Perspectives from Satellite and Profile Observations on Tropospheric Ozone over Africa and the Adjacent Oceans: An Indian-Atlantic Ocean Link to tbe "Ozone Paradox"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Anne M.; Witte, Jacquelyn C.; Diab, Roseanne D.; Thouret, Valerie; Sauvage, Bastien; Chatfield, B.; Guan, Hong

2004-01-01

In the past few years, tropospheric ozone observations of Africa and its adjacent ocenas have been greatly enhanced by high resolution (spatial and temporal) satellite measurements and profile data from aircraft (MOZAIC) and balloon-borne (SHADOZ) soundings. These views have demonstrated for the first time the complexity of chemical-dynamical interactions over the African continent and the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. The tropical Atlantic "ozone paradax" refers to the observation that during the season of maximum biomass burning in west Africa north of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the highest tropospheric ozone total column occurs south of the ITCZ over the tropical Atlantic. The longitudinal view of tropospheric ozone in the southern tropics from SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere Additional Ozonesondes) soundings shown the persistence of a "zonal-wave one" pattern that reinforces the "ozone paradox". These ozone features interact with dynamics over southern and northern Africa where anthropogenic sources include the industrial regions of the South African Highveld and Mideastern-Mediterranean influences, respectively. Our newest studies with satellites and soundings show that up to half the ozone pollution over the Atlantic in the January-March "paradox" period may originate from south Asian pollution. Individual patches of pollurion over the Indian Ocean are transported upward by convective mixing and are enriched by pyrogenic, biogenic sources and lightning as they cross Africa and descend over the Atlantic. In summary, local sources, intercontinental import and export and unique regional transport patterns put Africa at a crossroads of troposheric ozone influences.

Weekly Cycle of Lightning and Associated Patterns of Rainfall, Cloud, and Aerosols over Korea and Adjacent Oceans during Boreal Summer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Ji-In; Kim, Kyu-Myong

2011-01-01

In this study, we analyze the weekly cycle of lightning over Korea and adjacent oceans and associated variations of aerosols, clouds, precipitation, and atmospheric circulations, using aerosol optical depth (AOD) from the NASA Moderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), cloud properties from MODIS, precipitation and storm height from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, and lightning data from the Korean Lightning Detection Network (KLDN) during 9-year from 2002 to 2010. Lightning data was divided into three approximately equal areas, land area of Korea, and two adjacent oceans, Yellow Sea and South Sea. Preliminary results show that the number of lightning increases during the middle of the week over Yellow Sea. AOD data also shows moderately significant midweek increase at about the same time as lightning peaks. These results are consistent with the recent studies showing the invigoration of storms with more ice hydrometeors by aerosols, and subsequently wash out of aerosols by rainfall. Frequency of lightning strokes tend to peak at weekend in land area and over South Sea, indicating local weekly anomalous circulation between land and adjacent ocean. On the other hand, lightning frequency over Yellow Sea appears to have very strong weekly cycle with midweek peak on around Wednesday. It is speculated that the midweek peak of lightning over Yellow Sea was related with aerosol transport from adjacent land area. AOD data also suggests midweek peak over Yellow Sea, however, the weekly cycle of AOD was not statistically significant. Changes in weekly cycle of lightning from pre-monsoon to monsoon season, as well as associated clouds and circulation patterns are also discussed.

Integrating surface and mantle constraints for palaeo-ocean evolution: a tour of the Arctic and adjacent regions (Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Young Scientists Lecture)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shephard, Grace E.

2016-04-01

Plate tectonic reconstructions heavily rely on absolute motions derived from hotspot trails or palaeomagnetic data and ocean-floor magnetic anomaies and fracture-zone geometries to constrain the detailed history of ocean basins. However, as oceanic lithosphere is progressively recycled into the mantle, kinematic data regarding the history of these now extinct-oceans is lost. In order to better understand their evolution, novel workflows, which integrate a wide range of complementary yet independent geological and geophysical datasets from both the surface and deep mantle, must be utilised. In particular, the emergence of time-dependent, semi or self-consistent geodynamic models of ever-increasing temporal and spatial resolution are revealing some critical constraints on the evolution and fate of oceanic slabs. The tectonic evolution of the circum-Arctic is no exception; since the breakup of Pangea, this enigmatic region has seen major plate reorganizations and the opening and closure of several ocean basins. At the surface, a myriad of potential kinematic scenarios including polarity, timing, geometry and location of subduction have emerged, including for systems along continental margins and intra-oceanic settings. Furthermore, recent work has reignited a debate about the origins of 'anchor' slabs, such as the Farallon and Mongol-Okhotsk slabs, which have been used to refine absolute plate motions. Moving to the mantle, seismic tomography models reveal a region peppered with inferred slabs, however assumptions about their affinities and subduction location, timing, geometry and polarity are often made in isolation. Here, by integrating regional plate reconstructions with insights from seismic tomography, satellite derived gravity gradients, slab sinking rates and geochemistry, I explore some Mesozoic examples from the palaeo-Arctic, northern Panthalassa and western margin of North America, including evidence for a discrete and previously undescribed slab under

Regional Spectral Model simulations of the summertime regional climate over Taiwan and adjacent areas

Treesearch

Ching-Teng Lee; Ming-Chin Wu; Shyh-Chin Chen

2005-01-01

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) regional spectral model (RSM) version 97 was used to investigate the regional summertime climate over Taiwan and adjacent areas for June-July-August of 1990 through 2000. The simulated sea-level-pressure and wind fields of RSM1 with 50-km grid space are similar to the reanalysis, but the strength of the...

Review of science issues, deployment strategy, and status for the ARM north slope of Alaska-Adjacent Arctic Ocean climate research site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stamnes, K.; Ellingson, R.G.; Curry, J.A.

1999-01-01

Recent climate modeling results point to the Arctic as a region that is particularly sensitive to global climate change. The Arctic warming predicted by the models to result from the expected doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide is two to three times the predicted mean global warming, and considerably greater than the warming predicted for the Antarctic. The North Slope of Alaska-Adjacent Arctic Ocean (NSA-AAO) Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) site of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program is designed to collect data on temperature-ice-albedo and water vapor-cloud-radiation feedbacks, which are believed to be important to the predicted enhanced warming inmore » the Arctic. The most important scientific issues of Arctic, as well as global, significance to be addressed at the NSA-AAO CART site are discussed, and a brief overview of the current approach toward, and status of, site development is provided. ARM radiometric and remote sensing instrumentation is already deployed and taking data in the perennial Arctic ice pack as part of the SHEBA (Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic ocean) experiment. In parallel with ARM`s participation in SHEBA, the NSA-AAO facility near Barrow was formally dedicated on 1 July 1997 and began routine data collection early in 1998. This schedule permits the US Department of Energy`s ARM Program, NASA`s Arctic Cloud program, and the SHEBA program (funded primarily by the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research) to be mutually supportive. In addition, location of the NSA-AAO Barrow facility on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration land immediately adjacent to its Climate Monitoring and Diagnostic Laboratory Barrow Observatory includes NOAA in this major interagency Arctic collaboration.« less

COUPLING BETWEEN THE COASTAL OCEAN AND YAQUINA BAY, OREGON: THE IMPORTANCE OF OCEANIC INPUTS RELATIVE TO OTHER NITROGEN SOURCES

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding of the role of oceanic input in nutrient loadings is important for understanding nutrient and phytoplankton dynamics in estuaries adjacent to coastal upwelling regions as well as determining the natural background conditions. We examined the nitrogen sources to Yaqu...

Patterns and Trends of Primary Production, Inorganic Carbon and Oxygen and Their Ecosystem Impacts in a Regional Biogeochemical Ocean Model for Atlantic Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fennel, K.; Rutherford, K. E.; Kuhn, A. M.; Zhang, W.; Brennan, C. E.; Zhang, R.

2016-12-01

Representing coastal oceans in global biogeochemical models is a challenge, yet the ecosystems in these regions are most vulnerable to the combined stressors of ocean warming, deoxygenation, acidification, eutrophication and fishing. Coastal regions also have large air-sea fluxes of CO2, making them an important but poorly quantified component of the global carbon cycle, and are the most relevant for human activities. Regional model applications that are nested within large-scale or global models are necessary for detailed studies of coastal regions. We present results from such a regional biogeochemical model for the northwestern North Atlantic shelves and adjacent deep ocean of Atlantic Canada. The model is an implementation of the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) and includes an NPZD-type nitrogen cycle model with explicit representation of dissolved oxygen and inorganic carbon. The region is at the confluence of the Gulf Stream and Labrador Current making it highly dynamic, a challenge for analysis and prediction, and prone to large changes. Historically a rich fishing ground, coastal ecosystems in Atlantic Canada have undergone dramatic changes including the collapse of several economically important fish stocks and the listing of many species as threatened or endangered. Furthermore it is unclear whether the region is a net source or sink of atmospheric CO2 with estimates of the size and direction of the net air-sea CO2 flux remaining controversial. We will discuss simulated patterns of primary production, inorganic carbon fluxes and oxygen trends in the context of circulation features and shelf residence times for the present ocean state and present future projections.

Power systems for ocean regional cabled observatories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kojima, Junichi; Asakawa, Kenichi; Howe, Bruce M.; Kirkham, Harold

2004-01-01

Development of power systems is the most challenging technical issue in the design of ocean regional cabled observatories. ARENA and NEPTUNE are two ocean regional cabled observatory networks with aims that are at least broadly similar. Yet the two designs are quite different in detail. This paper outlines the both systems and explores the reasons for the divergence of design, and shows that it arose because of differences in the priority of requirements.

SeaWinds - Oceans, Land, Polar Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

The SeaWinds scatterometer on the QuikScat satellite makes global radar measurements -- day and night, in clear sky and through clouds. The radar data over the oceans provide scientists and weather forecasters with information on surface wind speed and direction. Scientists also use the radar measurements directly to learn about changes in vegetation and ice extent over land and polar regions.

This false-color image is based entirely on SeaWinds measurements obtained over oceans, land, and polar regions. Over the ocean, colors indicate wind speed with orange as the fastest wind speeds and blue as the slowest. White streamlines indicate the wind direction. The ocean winds in this image were measured by SeaWinds on September 20, 1999. The large storm in the Atlantic off the coast of Florida is Hurricane Gert. Tropical storm Harvey is evident as a high wind region in the Gulf of Mexico, while farther west in the Pacific is tropical storm Hilary. An extensive storm is also present in the South Atlantic Ocean near Antarctica.

The land image was made from four days of SeaWinds data with the aid of a resolution enhancement algorithm developed by Dr. David Long at Brigham Young University. The lightest green areas correspond to the highest radar backscatter. Note the bright Amazon and Congo rainforests compared to the dark Sahara desert. The Amazon River is visible as a dark line running horizontally though the bright South American rain forest. Cities appear as bright spots on the images, especially in the U.S. and Europe.

The image of Greenland and the north polar ice cap was generated from data acquired by SeaWinds on a single day. In the polar region portion of the image, white corresponds to the largest radar return, while purple is the lowest. The variations in color in Greenland and the polar ice cap reveal information about the ice and snow conditions present.

NASA's Earth Science Enterprise is a long-term research and technology program designed to

Nature Run for the North Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Region: System Evaluation and Regional Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kourafalou, V.; Androulidakis, I.; Halliwell, G. R., Jr.; Kang, H.; Mehari, M. F.; Atlas, R. M.

2016-02-01

A prototype ocean Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSE) system, first developed and data validated in the Gulf of Mexico, has been applied on the extended North Atlantic Ocean hurricane region. The main objectives of this study are: a) to contribute toward a fully relocatable ocean OSSE system by expanding the Gulf of Mexico OSSE to the North Atlantic Ocean; b) demonstrate and quantify improvements in hurricane forecasting when the ocean component of coupled hurricane models is advanced through targeted observations and assimilation. The system is based on the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and has been applied on a 1/250 Mercator mesh for the free-running Nature Run (NR) and on a 1/120 Mercator mesh for the data assimilative forecast model (FM). A "fraternal twin" system is employed, using two different realizations for NR and FM, each configured to produce substantially different physics and truncation errors. The NR has been evaluated using a variety of available observations, such as from AVISO, GDEM climatology and GHRSST observations, plus specific regional products (upper ocean profiles from air-borne instruments, surface velocity maps derived from the historical drifter data set and tropical cyclone heat potential maps derived from altimetry observations). The utility of the OSSE system to advance the knowledge of regional air-sea interaction processes related to hurricane activity is demonstrated in the Amazon region (salinity induced surface barrier layer) and the Gulf Stream region (hurricane impact on the Gulf Stream extension).

The North Slope of Alaska and Adjacent Arctic Ocean (NSA/AAO) cart site begins operation: Collaboration with SHEBA and FIRE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zak, D. B.; Church, H.; Ivey, M.

2000-04-04

Since the 1997 Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Science Team Meeting, the North Slope of Alaska and Adjacent Arctic Ocean (NSA/AAO) Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) site has come into being. Much has happened even since the 1998 Science Team Meeting at which this paper was presented. To maximize its usefulness, this paper has been updated to include developments through July 1998.

Seasonal evolution of the upper-ocean adjacent to the South Orkney Islands, Southern Ocean: Results from a “lazy biological mooring”

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meredith, Michael P.; Nicholls, Keith W.; Renfrew, Ian A.; Boehme, Lars; Biuw, Martin; Fedak, Mike

2011-07-01

A serendipitous >8-month time series of hydrographic properties was obtained from the vicinity of the South Orkney Islands, Southern Ocean, by tagging a southern elephant seal ( Mirounga leonina) on Signy Island with a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth/Satellite-Relay Data Logger (CTD-SRDL) in March 2007. Such a time series (including data from the austral autumn and winter) would have been extremely difficult to obtain via other means, and it illustrates with unprecedented temporal resolution the seasonal progression of upper-ocean water mass properties and stratification at this location. Sea ice production values of around 0.15-0.4 m month -1 for April to July were inferred from the progression of salinity, with significant levels still in September (around 0.2 m month -1). However, these values presume that advective processes have negligible effect on the salinity changes observed locally; this presumption is seen to be inappropriate in this case, and it is argued that the ice production rates inferred are better considered as "smeared averages" for the region of the northwestern Weddell Sea upstream from the South Orkneys. The impact of such advective effects is illustrated by contrasting the observed hydrographic series with the output of a one-dimensional model of the upper-ocean forced with local fluxes. It is found that the difference in magnitude between local (modelled) and regional (inferred) ice production is significant, with estimates differing by around a factor of two. A halo of markedly low sea ice concentration around the South Orkneys during the austral winter offers at least a partial explanation for this, since it enabled stronger atmosphere/ocean fluxes to persist and hence stronger ice production to prevail locally compared with the upstream region. The year of data collection was an El Niño year, and it is well-established that this phenomenon can impact strongly on the surface ocean and ice field in this sector of the Southern Ocean, thus

Thermal structure of oceanic transform faults

USGS Publications Warehouse

Behn, M.D.; Boettcher, M.S.; Hirth, G.

2007-01-01

We use three-dimensional finite element simulations to investigate the temperature structure beneath oceanic transform faults. We show that using a rheology that incorporates brittle weakening of the lithosphere generates a region of enhanced mantle upwelling and elevated temperatures along the transform; the warmest temperatures and thinnest lithosphere are predicted to be near the center of the transform. Previous studies predicted that the mantle beneath oceanic transform faults is anomalously cold relative to adjacent intraplate regions, with the thickest lithosphere located at the center of the transform. These earlier studies used simplified rheologic laws to simulate the behavior of the lithosphere and underlying asthenosphere. We show that the warmer thermal structure predicted by our calculations is directly attributed to the inclusion of a more realistic brittle rheology. This temperature structure is consistent with a wide range of observations from ridge-transform environments, including the depth of seismicity, geochemical anomalies along adjacent ridge segments, and the tendency for long transforms to break into small intratransform spreading centers during changes in plate motion. ?? 2007 Geological Society of America.

Local and regional scale exchanges of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) between tidal wetlands and their adjacent coastal waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osburn, C. L.; Joshi, I.; Lebrasse, M. C.; Oviedo-Vargas, D.; Bianchi, T. S.; Bohnenstiehl, D. R.; D'Sa, E. J.; He, R.; Ko, D.; Arellano, A.; Ward, N. D.

2017-12-01

The contribution of blue carbon from tidal wetlands to the coastal ocean in the form of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) represents a terrestrial-aquatic linkage of increasing importance. DOC flux results will be presented from local (tidal creek) and regional (bays) scale studies in which various combinations of field observations, ocean-color satellite observations, and the outputs of high-resolution hydrodynamic models were used to estimate DOC export. The first project was located in Bald Head Creek, a tributary to the Cape Fear River estuary in eastern North Carolina (NC). DOC fluxes were computed using a bathymetric data collected via unmanned surface vehicle (USV) and a numerical hydrodynamic model (SCHISM) based on the relationships between colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption, DOC concentration, and salinity taken from field observations. Model predictions estimated an annual net export of DOC at 54 g C m-2 yr-1 from the tidal creek to the adjacent estuary. Carbon stable isotope (δ13C) values were used to estimate the contribution of wetland carbon to this export. In the second project, DOC fluxes from the Apalachicola Bay, FL, Barataria Bay, LA, were based on the development of algorithms between DOC and CDOM absorption derived from the VIIRS ocean color sensor. The Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) was used to compute salt flux estimates from each bay to the Louisiana-Texas shelf. The relationship between salinity and CDOM was used to estimate net annual DOC exports of 8.35 x 106 g C m-2 y-1 (Apalachicola Bay) and 7.14 x 106 g C m-2 yr-1 (Barataria Bay). These values approximate 13% and 9% of the annual loads of DOC from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, respectively. CDOM and lignin were used in a mixing model to estimate wetland-derived DOC were 2% for Apalachicola Bay and 13% for Barataria Bay, the latter having one of the highest rates of relative sea level rise in North America. Results from our project demonstrated the utility

Towards a regional coastal ocean observing system: An initial design for the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seim, H. E.; Fletcher, M.; Mooers, C. N. K.; Nelson, J. R.; Weisberg, R. H.

2009-05-01

A conceptual design for a southeast United States regional coastal ocean observing system (RCOOS) is built upon a partnership between institutions of the region and among elements of the academic, government and private sectors. This design envisions support of a broad range of applications (e.g., marine operations, natural hazards, and ecosystem-based management) through the routine operation of predictive models that utilize the system observations to ensure their validity. A distributed information management system enables information flow, and a centralized information hub serves to aggregate information regionally and distribute it as needed. A variety of observing assets are needed to satisfy model requirements. An initial distribution of assets is proposed that recognizes the physical structure and forcing in the southeast U.S. coastal ocean. In-situ data collection includes moorings, profilers and gliders to provide 3D, time-dependent sampling, HF radar and surface drifters for synoptic sampling of surface currents, and satellite remote sensing of surface ocean properties. Nested model systems are required to properly represent ocean conditions from the outer edge of the EEZ to the watersheds. An effective RCOOS will depend upon a vital "National Backbone" (federally supported) system of in situ and satellite observations, model products, and data management. This dependence highlights the needs for a clear definition of the National Backbone components and a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) that defines the roles, functions and interactions of regional and federal components of the integrated system. A preliminary CONOPS is offered for the Southeast (SE) RCOOS. Thorough system testing is advocated using a combination of application-specific and process-oriented experiments. Estimates of costs and personnel required as initial components of the SE RCOOS are included. Initial thoughts on the Research and Development program required to support the RCOOS are

Glacial lake drainage in Patagonia (13-8 kyr) and response of the adjacent Pacific Ocean

PubMed Central

Glasser, Neil F.; Jansson, Krister N.; Duller, Geoffrey A. T.; Singarayer, Joy; Holloway, Max; Harrison, Stephan

2016-01-01

Large freshwater lakes formed in North America and Europe during deglaciation following the Last Glacial Maximum. Rapid drainage of these lakes into the Oceans resulted in abrupt perturbations in climate, including the Younger Dryas and 8.2 kyr cooling events. In the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere major glacial lakes also formed and drained during deglaciation but little is known about the magnitude, organization and timing of these drainage events and their effect on regional climate. We use 16 new single-grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates to define three stages of rapid glacial lake drainage in the Lago General Carrera/Lago Buenos Aires and Lago Cohrane/Pueyrredón basins of Patagonia and provide the first assessment of the effects of lake drainage on the Pacific Ocean. Lake drainage occurred between 13 and 8 kyr ago and was initially gradual eastward into the Atlantic, then subsequently reorganized westward into the Pacific as new drainage routes opened up during Patagonian Ice Sheet deglaciation. Coupled ocean-atmosphere model experiments using HadCM3 with an imposed freshwater surface “hosing” to simulate glacial lake drainage suggest that a negative salinity anomaly was advected south around Cape Horn, resulting in brief but significant impacts on coastal ocean vertical mixing and regional climate. PMID:26869235

Ocean transport and variability studies of the South Pacific, Southern, and Indian Oceans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Church, John A.; Cresswell, G. R.; Nilsson, C. S.; Mcdougall, T. J.; Coleman, R.; Rizos, C.; Penrose, J.; Hunter, J. R.; Lynch, M. J.

1991-01-01

The objectives of this study are to analyze ocean dynamics in the western South Pacific and the adjacent Southern Ocean and the eastern Indian Ocean. Specifically, our objectives for these three regions are, for the South Pacific Ocean: (1) To estimate the volume transport of the east Australian Current (EAC) along the Australian coast and in the Tasman Front, and to estimate the time variability (on seasonal and interannual time scales) of this transport. (2) To contribute to estimating the meridional heat and freshwater fluxes (and their variability) at about 30 deg S. Good estimates of the transport in the western boundary current are essential for accurate estimates of these fluxes. (3) To determine how the EAC transport (and its extension, the Tasman Front and the East Auckland Current) closes the subtropical gyre of the South Pacific and to better determine the structure at the confluence of this current and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. (4) To examine the structure and time variability of the circulation in the western South Pacific and the adjacent Southern Ocean, particularly at the Tasman Front. For the Indian Ocean: (5) To study the seasonal interannual variations in the strength of the Leeuwin Current. (6) To monitor the Pacific-Indian Ocean throughflow and the South Equatorial and the South Java Currents between northwest Australia and Indonesia. (7) To study the processes that form the water of the permanent oceanic thermocline and, in particular, the way in which new thermocline water enters the permanent thermocline in late winter and early spring as the mixed layer restratifies. For the Southern Ocean: (8) To study the mesoscale and meridional structure of the Southern Ocean between 150 deg E and 170 deg E; in particular, to describe the Antarctic frontal system south of Tasmania and determine its interannual variability; to estimate the exchanges of heat, salt, and other properties between the Indian and Pacific Oceans; and to investigate the

Source regions of stratospheric VSLS in the Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quack, Birgit; Hepach, Helmke; Atlas, Elliot; Bracher, Astrid; Endres, Sonja; Arevalo-Martinez, Damian; Bange, Hermann; Lennartz, Sinikka; Steinhoff, Tobias; Booge, Dennis; Zarvasky, Alexander; Marandino, Christa; Patey, Matt; Achterberg, Eric; Dengler, Markus; Fiehn, Alina; Tegtmeier, Susann; Krüger, Kirstin

2016-04-01

Halogenated very-short-lived substances (VSLS), which are naturally produced in the ocean, play a significant role in present day ozone depletion, in particular in combination with enhanced stratospheric sulfate aerosol, which is also partly derived from oceanic VSLS. The decline of anthropogenic chlorine in the stratosphere within the 21st century will increase the relative importance of the natural emissions on stratospheric ozone destruction. Especially, oceanic sources and source regions of the compounds need to be better constrained, in order to improve the future prediction. During boreal summer the Asian monsoon circulation transports air masses from the Indian Ocean to the stratosphere, while the contribution of VSLS from this ocean to stratospheric halogen and sulfur is unknown. During the research cruises SO 234/2 and SO 235 in July-August 2014 onboard RV SONNE oceanic and atmospheric halogenated VSLS such as bromoform (CHBr3), dibromomethane (CH2Br2) and methyl iodide (CH3I) were measured in the subtropical and tropical West Indian Ocean for the first time. Here we present the oceanic sources of the halogenated compounds and their relation to other biogeochemical parameters (short- and longlived trace gases, phytoplankton and nutrients) along the cruise track, which covered coastal, upwelling and open ocean regimes and the Seychelles-Chagos thermocline ridge as important source region for stratospheric bromine.

Identification of Individual Efficiency for Barometric Pressure and Ocean Tide Load Simultaneously Acted on Deep Aquifers Adjacent to the West Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shih, David Ching-Fang

2018-06-01

Groundwater fluctuation usually reflects the property of aquifer in nature. Actually, water level change can be caused not only by barometric pressure changes resulted from atmospheric motion, but also by the tidal effect from nearby marine system or water body. In confined aquifer, an increase in barometric pressure usually will cause a decrease in water level in well to an amount described by the barometric efficiency. The barometric efficiency can be also used as a correction factor to remove barometric effects on water levels in wells during an aquifer test. With the rise of the tidal sea on the coastal aquifer, it indicates that there will be compensating increases of water pressure and stress in the skeleton of aquifer. External forcing on groundwater level in the coastal aquifer, such as barometric effect and tidal sea, usually affect the water level to fluctuate with different phases to some extent. An adaptive adjustment to remove the combination of barometric and oceanic tidal efficiency is presented in this study. This research suggests that the presented formula can simultaneously identify the individual efficiency for barometric effect and load of tidal sea considering their combined observation of groundwater level in aquifer system. An innovative application has been demonstrated for the deep aquifers adjacent to the West Pacific Ocean.

Using Morphological, Molecular and Climatic Data to Delimitate Yews along the Hindu Kush-Himalaya and Adjacent Regions

PubMed Central

Poudel, Ram C.; Möller, Michael; Gao, Lian-Ming; Ahrends, Antje; Baral, Sushim R.; Liu, Jie; Thomas, Philip; Li, De-Zhu

2012-01-01

Background Despite the availability of several studies to clarify taxonomic problems on the highly threatened yews of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) and adjacent regions, the total number of species and their exact distribution ranges remains controversial. We explored the use of comprehensive sets of morphological, molecular and climatic data to clarify taxonomy and distributions of yews in this region. Methodology/Principal Findings A total of 743 samples from 46 populations of wild yew and 47 representative herbarium specimens were analyzed. Principle component analyses on 27 morphological characters and 15 bioclimatic variables plus altitude and maximum parsimony analysis on molecular ITS and trnL-F sequences indicated the existence of three distinct species occurring in different ecological (climatic) and altitudinal gradients along the HKH and adjacent regions Taxus contorta from eastern Afghanistan to the eastern end of Central Nepal, T. wallichiana from the western end of Central Nepal to Northwest China, and the first report of the South China low to mid-elevation species T. mairei in Nepal, Bhutan, Northeast India, Myanmar and South Vietnam. Conclusion/Significance The detailed sampling and combination of different data sets allowed us to identify three clearly delineated species and their precise distribution ranges in the HKH and adjacent regions, which showed no overlap or no distinct hybrid zone. This might be due to differences in the ecological (climatic) requirements of the species. The analyses further provided the selection of diagnostic morphological characters for the identification of yews occurring in the HKH and adjacent regions. Our work demonstrates that extensive sampling combined with the analysis of diverse data sets can reliably address the taxonomy of morphologically challenging plant taxa. PMID:23056501

Mapping of the air-sea CO2 flux in the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas: Basin-wide distribution and seasonal to interannual variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yasunaka, Sayaka; Murata, Akihiko; Watanabe, Eiji; Chierici, Melissa; Fransson, Agneta; van Heuven, Steven; Hoppema, Mario; Ishii, Masao; Johannessen, Truls; Kosugi, Naohiro; Lauvset, Siv K.; Mathis, Jeremy T.; Nishino, Shigeto; Omar, Abdirahman M.; Olsen, Are; Sasano, Daisuke; Takahashi, Taro; Wanninkhof, Rik

2016-09-01

We produced 204 monthly maps of the air-sea CO2 flux in the Arctic north of 60°N, including the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas, from January 1997 to December 2013 by using a self-organizing map technique. The partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in surface water data were obtained by shipboard underway measurements or calculated from alkalinity and total inorganic carbon of surface water samples. Subsequently, we investigated the basin-wide distribution and seasonal to interannual variability of the CO2 fluxes. The 17-year annual mean CO2 flux shows that all areas of the Arctic Ocean and its adjacent seas were net CO2 sinks. The estimated annual CO2 uptake by the Arctic Ocean was 180 TgC yr-1. The CO2 influx was strongest in winter in the Greenland/Norwegian Seas (>15 mmol m-2 day-1) and the Barents Sea (>12 mmol m-2 day-1) because of strong winds, and strongest in summer in the Chukchi Sea (∼10 mmol m-2 day-1) because of the sea-ice retreat. In recent years, the CO2 uptake has increased in the Greenland/Norwegian Sea and decreased in the southern Barents Sea, owing to increased and decreased air-sea pCO2 differences, respectively.

Parallel Computation of the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, P; Song, Y T; Chao, Y

2005-04-05

The Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) is a regional ocean general circulation modeling system solving the free surface, hydrostatic, primitive equations over varying topography. It is free software distributed world-wide for studying both complex coastal ocean problems and the basin-to-global scale ocean circulation. The original ROMS code could only be run on shared-memory systems. With the increasing need to simulate larger model domains with finer resolutions and on a variety of computer platforms, there is a need in the ocean-modeling community to have a ROMS code that can be run on any parallel computer ranging from 10 to hundreds ofmore » processors. Recently, we have explored parallelization for ROMS using the MPI programming model. In this paper, an efficient parallelization strategy for such a large-scale scientific software package, based on an existing shared-memory computing model, is presented. In addition, scientific applications and data-performance issues on a couple of SGI systems, including Columbia, the world's third-fastest supercomputer, are discussed.« less

Ocean forecasting in terrain-following coordinates: Formulation and skill assessment of the Regional Ocean Modeling System

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haidvogel, D.B.; Arango, H.; Budgell, W.P.; Cornuelle, B.D.; Curchitser, E.; Di, Lorenzo E.; Fennel, K.; Geyer, W.R.; Hermann, A.J.; Lanerolle, L.; Levin, J.; McWilliams, J.C.; Miller, A.J.; Moore, A.M.; Powell, T.M.; Shchepetkin, A.F.; Sherwood, C.R.; Signell, R.P.; Warner, J.C.; Wilkin, J.

2008-01-01

Systematic improvements in algorithmic design of regional ocean circulation models have led to significant enhancement in simulation ability across a wide range of space/time scales and marine system types. As an example, we briefly review the Regional Ocean Modeling System, a member of a general class of three-dimensional, free-surface, terrain-following numerical models. Noteworthy characteristics of the ROMS computational kernel include: consistent temporal averaging of the barotropic mode to guarantee both exact conservation and constancy preservation properties for tracers; redefined barotropic pressure-gradient terms to account for local variations in the density field; vertical interpolation performed using conservative parabolic splines; and higher-order, quasi-monotone advection algorithms. Examples of quantitative skill assessment are shown for a tidally driven estuary, an ice-covered high-latitude sea, a wind- and buoyancy-forced continental shelf, and a mid-latitude ocean basin. The combination of moderate-order spatial approximations, enhanced conservation properties, and quasi-monotone advection produces both more robust and accurate, and less diffusive, solutions than those produced in earlier terrain-following ocean models. Together with advanced methods of data assimilation and novel observing system technologies, these capabilities constitute the necessary ingredients for multi-purpose regional ocean prediction systems. 

Tsunami Ready Recognition Program for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions Launched in 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Hillebrandt-Andrade, C.; Hinds, K.; Aliaga, B.; Brome, A.; Lopes, R.

2015-12-01

Over 75 tsunamis have been documented in the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions over the past 500 years with 4,561 associated deaths according to the NOAA Tsunami Database. The most recent devastating tsunamis occurred in 1946 in Dominican Republic; 1865 died. With the explosive increase in residents, tourists, infrastructure, and economic activity along the coasts, the potential for human and economic loss is enormous. It has been estimated that on any day, more than 500,000 people in the Caribbean could be in harm's way just along the beaches, with hundreds of thousands more working and living in the tsunamis hazard zones. In 2005 the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission established the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG CARIBE EWS) to coordinate tsunami efforts among the 48 participating countries in territories in the region. In addition to monitoring, modeling and communication systems, one of the fundamental components of the warning system is community preparedness, readiness and resilience. Over the past 10 years 49 coastal communities in the Caribbean have been recognized as TsunamiReady® by the US National Weather Service (NWS) in the case of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands and jointly by UNESCO and NWS in the case of the non US jurisdictions of Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands. In response to the positive feedback of the implementation of TsunamiReady, the ICG CARIBE EWS in 2015 recommended the approval of the guidelines for a Community Performance Based Recognition program. It also recommended the adoption of the name "Tsunami Ready", which has been positively consulted with the NWS. Ten requirements were established for recognition and are divided among Preparedness, Mitigation and Response elements which were adapted from the proposed new US TsunamiReady guidelines and align well with emergency management functions. Both a

Stochastic Forcing for High-Resolution Regional and Global Ocean and Atmosphere-Ocean Coupled Ensemble Forecast System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowley, C. D.; Hogan, P. J.; Martin, P.; Thoppil, P.; Wei, M.

2017-12-01

An extended range ensemble forecast system is being developed in the US Navy Earth System Prediction Capability (ESPC), and a global ocean ensemble generation capability to represent uncertainty in the ocean initial conditions has been developed. At extended forecast times, the uncertainty due to the model error overtakes the initial condition as the primary source of forecast uncertainty. Recently, stochastic parameterization or stochastic forcing techniques have been applied to represent the model error in research and operational atmospheric, ocean, and coupled ensemble forecasts. A simple stochastic forcing technique has been developed for application to US Navy high resolution regional and global ocean models, for use in ocean-only and coupled atmosphere-ocean-ice-wave ensemble forecast systems. Perturbation forcing is added to the tendency equations for state variables, with the forcing defined by random 3- or 4-dimensional fields with horizontal, vertical, and temporal correlations specified to characterize different possible kinds of error. Here, we demonstrate the stochastic forcing in regional and global ensemble forecasts with varying perturbation amplitudes and length and time scales, and assess the change in ensemble skill measured by a range of deterministic and probabilistic metrics.

Cretaceous evolution of the Indian Plate and consequences for the formation, deformation and obduction of adjacent oceanic crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaina, C.; Van Hinsbergen, D. J.; Spakman, W.

2012-12-01

As part of the gradual Gondwana dispersion that started in the Jurassic, the Indian tectonic block was rifted away from the Antarctica-Australian margins, probably in the Early-Mid Cretaceous and started its long journey to the north until it collided with Eurasia in the Tertiary. In this contribution first we will revise geophysical and geological evidences for the formation of oceanic crust between India and Antarctica, India and Madagascar, and India and Somali/Arabian margins. This information and possible oceanic basin age interpretation are placed into regional kinematic models. Three important compressional events NW and W of the Indian plate are the result of the opening of the Enderby Basin from 132 to 124 Ma, the first phase of seafloor spreading in the Mascarene basin approximately from 84 to 80 Ma, and the incipient opening of the Arabian Sea and the Seychelles microplate formation around 65 to 60 Ma. Based on retrodeformation of the Afghan-Pakistan part of the India-Asia collision zone and the eastern Oman margin, the ages of regional ophiolite emplacement and crystallization of its oceanic crust, as well as the plate tectonic setting of these ophiolites inferred from its geochemistry, we evaluate possible scenarios for the formation of intra-oceanic subduction zones and their evolution until ophiolite emplacement time. Our kinematic scenarios are constructed for several regional models and are discussed in the light of global tomographic models that may image some of the subducted Cretaceous oceanic lithosphere.

Alexander Polonsky Global warming hiatus, ocean variability and regional climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polonsky, A.

2016-02-01

This presentation generalizes the results concerning ocean variability, large-scale interdecadal ocean-atmosphere interaction in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and their impact on global and regional climate change carried out by the author and his colleagues for about 20 years. It is demonstrated once more that Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO, which was early referred by the author as "interdecadal mode of North Atlantic Oscillation") is the crucial natural interdecadal climatic signal for the Atlantic-European and Mediterranean regions. It is characterized by amplitude which is the same order as human-induced centennial climate change and exceeds trend-like anthropogenic change at the decadal scale. Fast increasing of the global and Northern Hemisphere air temperature in the last 30 yrs of XX century (especially pronounced in the North Atlantic region and surrounded areas) is due to coincidence of human-induced positive trend and transition from the negative to the positive phase of AMO. AMO accounts for about 50% (60%) of the global (Northern Hemisphere) temperature trend in that period. Recent global warming hiatus is mostly the result of switch off the AMO phase. Typical AMO temporal scale is dictated by meridional overturning variability in the Atlantic Ocean and associated magnitude of meridional heat transport. Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is the other natural interdecadal signal which significantly impacts the global and regional climate variability. The rate of the ocean warming for different periods assessed separately for the upper mixed layer and deeper layers using data of oceanic re-analysis since 1959 confirms the principal role of the natural interdecadal oceanic modes (AMO and PDO) in observing climate change. At the same time a lack of deep-ocean long-term observing system restricts the accuracy of assessment of the heat redistribution in the World Ocean. I thanks to Pavel Sukhonos for help in the presentation preparing.

Regional Geoid Modeling Compared to Ocean Surface Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roman, D. R.; Saleh, J.; Wang, Y. M.

2007-05-01

Aerogravity over a limited coastal region of the northern Gulf of Mexico enhanced and rectified the local gravity field signal. In turn, these data improved the derived geoid height model based on comparison with dynamic ocean topography (DOT) and tide gage information at eleven stations. Additionally, lidar observations were analyzed along nearly 50 profiles to estimate the reliability of these models into the offshore region. The overall comparison shows dm-level agreement between the various geoid and DOT models and ocean surface observations. An approximate 30 cm bias must still be explained; however, the results of this study point to the potential for further cooperative studies between oceanographers and geodesists.

Refine of Regional Ocean Tide Model Using GPS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, F.; Zhang, P.; Sun, Z.; Jiang, Z.; Zhang, Q.

2018-04-01

Due to lack of regional data constraints, all global ocean tide models are not accuracy enough in offshore areas around China, also the displacements predicted by different models are not consistency. The ocean tide loading effects have become a major source of error in the high precision GPS positioning. It is important for high precision GPS applications to build an appropriate regional ocean tide model. We first process the four offshore GPS tracking station's observation data which located in Guangdong province of China by using PPP aproach to get the time series. Then use the spectral inversion method to acquire eigenvalues of the Ocean Tidal Loading. We get the estimated value of not only 12hour period tide wave (M2, S2, N2, K2) but also 24hour period tide wave (O1, K1, P1, Q1) which has not been got in presious studies. The contrast test shows that GPS estimation value of M2, K1 is consistent with the result of five famous glocal ocean load tide models, but S2, N2, K2, O1, P1, Q1 is obviously larger.

Ocean climate indicators: A monitoring inventory and plan for tracking climate change in the north-central California coast and ocean region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duncan, Benet; Higgason, Kelley; Suchanek, Tom; Largier, John; Stachowicz, Jay; Allen, Sarah; Bograd, Steven; Breen, R.; Gellerman, Holly; Hill, Tessa; Jahncke, Jaime; Johnson, Rebecca L.; Lonhart, Steve I.; Morgan, Steven; Wilkerson, Frances; Roletto, Jan

2013-01-01

The impacts of climate change, defined as increasing atmospheric and oceanic carbon dioxide and associated increases in average global temperature and oceanic acidity, have been observed both globally and on regional scales, such as in the North-central California coast and ocean, a region that extends from Point Arena to Point Año Nuevo and includes the Pacific coastline of the San Francisco Bay Area. Because of the high economic and ecological value of the region’s marine environment, the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS) and other agencies and organizations have recognized the need to evaluate and plan for climate change impacts. Climate change indicators can be developed on global, regional, and site-specific spatial scales, and they provide information about the presence and potential impacts of climate change. While indicators exist for the nation and for the state of California as a whole, no system of ocean climate indicators exist that specifically consider the unique characteristics of the California coast and ocean region. To that end, GFNMS collaborated with over 50 regional, federal, and state natural resource managers, research scientists, and other partners to develop a set of 2 ocean climate indicators specific to this region. A smaller working group of 13 regional partners developed monitoring goals, objectives, strategies, and activities for the indicators and recommended selected species for biological indicators, resulting in the Ocean Climate Indicators Monitoring Inventory and Plan. The working group considered current knowledge of ongoing monitoring, feasibility of monitoring, costs, and logistics in selecting monitoring activities and selected species.

Coupled ice sheet-ocean modelling to investigate ocean driven melting of marine ice sheets in Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jong, Lenneke; Gladstone, Rupert; Galton-Fenzi, Ben

2017-04-01

Ocean induced melting below the ice shelves of marine ice sheets is a major source of uncertainty for predictions of ice mass loss and Antarctica's resultant contribution to future sea level rise. The floating ice shelves provide a buttressing force against the flow of ice across the grounding line into the ocean. Thinning of these ice shelves due to an increase in melting reduces this force and can lead to an increase in the discharge of grounded ice. Fully coupled modelling of ice sheet-ocean interactions is key to improving understanding the influence of the Southern ocean on the evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet, and to predicting its future behaviour under changing climate conditions. Coupling of ocean and ice sheet models is needed to provide more realistic melt rates at the base of ice shelves and hence make better predictions of the behaviour of the grounding line and the shape of the ice-shelf cavity as the ice sheet evolves. The Framework for Ice Sheet - Ocean Coupling (FISOC) has been developed to provide a flexible platform for performing coupled ice sheet - ocean modelling experiments. We present preliminary results using FISOC to couple the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) with Elmer/Ice in idealised experiments Marine Ice Sheet-Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (MISOMIP). These experiments use an idealised geometry motivated by that of Pine Island glacier and the adjacent Amundsen Sea in West Antarctica, a region which has shown shown signs of thinning ice and grounding line retreat.

The making of a productivity hotspot in the coastal ocean.

PubMed

Wingfield, Dana K; Peckham, S Hoyt; Foley, David G; Palacios, Daniel M; Lavaniegos, Bertha E; Durazo, Reginaldo; Nichols, Wallace J; Croll, Donald A; Bograd, Steven J

2011-01-01

Highly productive hotspots in the ocean often occur where complex physical forcing mechanisms lead to aggregation of primary and secondary producers. Understanding how hotspots persist, however, requires combining knowledge of the spatio-temporal linkages between geomorphology, physical forcing, and biological responses with the physiological requirements and movement of top predators. Here we integrate remotely sensed oceanography, ship surveys, and satellite telemetry to show how local geomorphology interacts with physical forcing to create a region with locally enhanced upwelling and an adjacent upwelling shadow that promotes retentive circulation, enhanced year-round primary production, and prey aggregation. These conditions provide an area within the upwelling shadow where physiologically optimal water temperatures can be found adjacent to a region of enhanced prey availability, resulting in a foraging hotspot for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) off the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. We have identified the set of conditions that lead to a persistent top predator hotspot, which increases our understanding of how highly migratory species exploit productive regions of the ocean. These results will aid in the development of spatially and environmentally explicit management strategies for marine species of conservation concern.

Regional impacts of ocean color on tropical Pacific variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, W.; Gnanadesikan, A.; Wittenberg, A.

2009-08-01

The role of the penetration length scale of shortwave radiation into the surface ocean and its impact on tropical Pacific variability is investigated with a fully coupled ocean, atmosphere, land and ice model. Previous work has shown that removal of all ocean color results in a system that tends strongly towards an El Niño state. Results from a suite of surface chlorophyll perturbation experiments show that the mean state and variability of the tropical Pacific is highly sensitive to the concentration and distribution of ocean chlorophyll. Setting the near-oligotrophic regions to contain optically pure water warms the mean state and suppresses variability in the western tropical Pacific. Doing the same above the shadow zones of the tropical Pacific also warms the mean state but enhances the variability. It is shown that increasing penetration can both deepen the pycnocline (which tends to damp El Niño) while shifting the mean circulation so that the wind response to temperature changes is altered. Depending on what region is involved this change in the wind stress can either strengthen or weaken ENSO variability.

Regional impacts of ocean color on tropical Pacific variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, W.; Gnanadesikan, A.; Wittenberg, A.

2009-02-01

The role of the penetration length scale of shortwave radiation into the surface ocean and its impact on tropical Pacific variability is investigated with a fully coupled ocean, atmosphere, land and ice model. Previous work has shown that removal of all ocean color results in a system that tends strongly towards an El Niño state. Results from a suite of surface chlorophyll perturbation experiments show that the mean state and variability of the tropical Pacific is highly sensitive to the concentration and distribution of ocean chlorophyll. Setting the near-oligotrophic regions to contain optically pure water warms the mean state and suppresses variability in the western tropical Pacific. Doing the same above the shadow zones of the tropical Pacific also warms the mean state but enhances the variability. It is shown that increasing penetration can both deepen the pycnocline (which tends to damp El Niño) while shifting the mean circulation so that the wind response to temperature changes is altered. Depending on what region is involved this change in the wind stress can either strengthen or weaken ENSO variability.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Western Region: Coastal ecosystem responses to influences from land and sea, Coastal and Ocean Science

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bodkin, James L.

2010-01-01

Sea otters and the nearshore ecosystems they inhabit-from highly urbanized California to relatively pristine Alaska-are the focus of a new multidisciplinary study by scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and a suite of international, academic and government collaborators. The Coastal Ecosystem Responses to Influences from Land and Sea project will investigate the many interacting variables that influence the health of coastal ecosystems along the Northeast Pacific shore. These ecosystems face unprecedented challenges, with threats arising from the adjacent oceans and lands. From the ocean, challenges include acidification, sea level rise, and warming. From the land, challenges include elevated biological, geological and chemical pollutants associated with burgeoning human populations along coastlines. The implications of these challenges for biological systems are only beginning to be explored. Comparing sea otter population status indicators from around the northeastern Pacific Rim, will begin the process of defining factors of coastal ecosystem health in this broad region.

Deformation Rates in the Snake River Plain and Adjacent Basin and Range Regions Based on GPS Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payne, S. J.; McCaffrey, R.; King, R. W.; Kattenhorn, S. A.

2012-12-01

We estimate horizontal velocities for 405 sites using Global Positioning System (GPS) phase data collected from 1994 to 2010 within the Northern Basin and Range Province, U.S.A. The velocities reveal a slowly-deforming region within the Snake River Plain in Idaho and Owyhee-Oregon Plateau in Oregon separated from the actively extending adjacent Basin and Range regions by shear. Our results show a NE-oriented extensional strain rate of 5.6 ± 0.7 nanostrain/yr in the Centennial Tectonic Belt and an ~E-oriented extensional strain rate of 3.5 ± 0.2 nanostrain/yr in the Great Basin. These extensional rates contrast with the very low strain rate within the 125 km x 650 km region of the Snake River Plain and Owyhee-Oregon Plateau which is not distinguishable from zero (-0.1 ± 0.4 x nanostrain/yr). Inversions of Snake River Plain velocities with dike-opening models indicate that rapid extension by dike intrusion in volcanic rift zones, as previously hypothesized, is not currently occurring. GPS data also disclose that rapid extension in the surrounding regions adjacent to the slowly-deforming region of the Snake River Plain drives shear between them. We estimate right-lateral shear with slip rates of 0.3-1.5 mm/yr along the northwestern boundary adjacent to the Centennial Tectonic Belt and left-lateral oblique extension with slip rates of 0.5-1.5 mm/yr along the southeastern boundary adjacent to the Intermountain Seismic Belt. The fastest lateral shearing evident in the GPS occurs near the Yellowstone Plateau where earthquakes with right-lateral strike-slip focal mechanisms are within a NE-trending zone of seismicity. The regional velocity gradients are best fit by nearby poles of rotation for the Centennial Tectonic Belt, Snake River Plain, Owyhee-Oregon Plateau, and eastern Oregon, indicating that clockwise rotation is not locally driven by Yellowstone hotspot volcanism, but instead by extension to the south across the Wasatch fault possibly due to gravitational

Active cycling of organic carbon in the central Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wheeler, Patricia A.; Gosselin, Michel; Sherr, Evelyn; Thibaultc, Delphine; Kirchman, David L.; Benner, Ronald; Whitledge, Terry E.

1996-04-01

THE notion of a barren central Arctic Ocean has been accepted since English's pioneering work1 on drifting ice-islands. The year-round presence of ice, a short photosynthetic season and low temperatures were thought to severely limit biological production1,2, although the paucity of data was often noted. Because primary production appeared to be low1,2, subsequent studies assumed that most organic carbon was either derived from river inputs or imported from adjacent continental-shelf regions3,4. Here we present shipboard measurements of biological produc-tion, biomass and organic carbon standing-stocks made during a cruise through the ice covering the central Arctic Ocean. Our results indicate that the central Arctic region is not a biological desert. Although it is less productive than oligotrophic ocean regions not covered by ice, it supports an active biological community which contributes to the cycling of organic carbon through dissolved and particulate pools.

Marine isoprene production and consumption in the mixed layer of the surface ocean - a field study over two oceanic regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Booge, Dennis; Schlundt, Cathleen; Bracher, Astrid; Endres, Sonja; Zäncker, Birthe; Marandino, Christa A.

2018-02-01

Parameterizations of surface ocean isoprene concentrations are numerous, despite the lack of source/sink process understanding. Here we present isoprene and related field measurements in the mixed layer from the Indian Ocean and the eastern Pacific Ocean to investigate the production and consumption rates in two contrasting regions, namely oligotrophic open ocean and the coastal upwelling region. Our data show that the ability of different phytoplankton functional types (PFTs) to produce isoprene seems to be mainly influenced by light, ocean temperature, and salinity. Our field measurements also demonstrate that nutrient availability seems to have a direct influence on the isoprene production. With the help of pigment data, we calculate in-field isoprene production rates for different PFTs under varying biogeochemical and physical conditions. Using these new calculated production rates, we demonstrate that an additional significant and variable loss, besides a known chemical loss and a loss due to air-sea gas exchange, is needed to explain the measured isoprene concentration. We hypothesize that this loss, with a lifetime for isoprene between 10 and 100 days depending on the ocean region, is potentially due to degradation or consumption by bacteria.

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Autonomous wave gliders are seen onboard the the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The autonomous gliders will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

A sensor-laden buoy is lifted onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Volcanism, Iron, and Phytoplankton in the Heard and McDonald Islands Region, Southern Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coffin, M. F.; Arculus, R. J.; Bowie, A. R.; Chase, Z.; Robertson, R.; Trull, T. W.; Heobi in2016 v01 Shipboard Party, T.

2016-12-01

Phytoplankton supply approximately half of the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere, and iron supply limits the growth of phytoplankton in the anemic Southern Ocean. Situated entirely within the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean are Australia's only active subaerial volcanoes, Heard and McDonald islands (HIMI) on the central Kerguelen Plateau, a large igneous province. Widespread fields of submarine volcanoes, some of which may be active, extend for distances of up to several hundred kilometers from the islands. The predominantly eastward-flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current sweeps across the central Kerguelen Plateau, and extensive blooms of phytoplankton are observed on the Plateau down-current of HIMI. The goal of RV Investigator voyage IN2016_V01, conducted in January/February 2016, is to test the hypothesis that hydrothermal fluids, which cool active submarine volcanoes in the HIMI region, ascend from the seafloor and fertilise surface waters with iron, thereby enhancing biological productivity beginning with phytoplankton. Significant initial shipboard results include: Documentation, for the first time, of the role of active HIMI and nearby submarine volcanoes in supplying iron to the Southern Ocean. Nearshore waters had elevated dissolved iron levels. Although biomass was not correspondingly elevated, fluorescence induction data indicated highly productive resident phytoplankton. Discovery of >200 acoustic plumes emanating from the seafloor and ascending up to tens of meters into the water column near HIMI. Deep tow camera footage shows bubbles rising from the seafloor in an acoustic plume field north of Heard Island. Mapping 1,000 km2 of uncharted seafloor around HIMI. Submarine volcanic edifices punctuate the adjacent seafloor, and yielded iron-rich rocks similar to those found on HIMI, respectively. Acoustic plumes emanating from some of these features suggest active seafloor hydrothermal systems.

Transport processes near coastal ocean outfalls

USGS Publications Warehouse

Noble, M.A.; Sherwood, C.R.; Lee, Hooi-Ling; Xu, Jie; Dartnell, P.; Robertson, G.; Martini, M.

2001-01-01

The central Southern California Bight is an urbanized coastal ocean where complex topography and largescale atmospheric and oceanographic forcing has led to numerous sediment-distribution patterns. Two large embayments, Santa Monica and San Pedro Bays, are connected by the short, very narrow shelf off the Palos Verdes peninsula. Ocean-sewage outfalls are located in the middle of Santa Monica Bay, on the Palos Verdes shelf and at the southeastern edge of San Pedro Bay. In 1992, the US Geological Survey, together with allied agencies, began a series of programs to determine the dominant processes that transport sediment and associated pollutants near the three ocean outfalls. As part of these programs, arrays of instrumented moorings that monitor currents, waves, water clarity, water density and collect resuspended materials were deployed on the continental shelf and slope information was also collected on the sediment and contaminant distributions in the region. The data and models developed for the Palos Verdes shelf suggest that the large reservoir of DDT/DDE in the coastal ocean sediments will continue to be exhumed and transported along the shelf for a long time. On the Santa Monica shelf, very large internal waves, or bores, are generated at the shelf break. The near-bottom currents associated with these waves sweep sediments and the associated contaminants from the shelf onto the continental slope. A new program underway on the San Pedro shelf will determine if water and contaminants from a nearby ocean outfall are transported to the local beaches by coastal ocean processes. The large variety of processes found that transport sediments and contaminants in this small region of the continental margin suggest that in regions with complex topography, local processes change markedly over small spatial scales. One cannot necessarily infer that the dominant transport processes will be similar even in adjacent regions.

Recent Precipitation Trends Over the Southern Ocean in Relation to Oceanic Freshening Near Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cullather, R. I.; Jacobs, S. S.; Giulivi, C. F.; Leonard, K. C.; Stammerjohn, S. E.

2008-12-01

Quantitative assessments of large-scale precipitation over the world's oceanic regions are problematic, particularly for significant regions of the data-sparse Southern Hemisphere. Available data sets are based on the assimilation of land-based measurements, satellite radiance values, numerical weather forecast models, or some combination of the three. In this study we examine several products that cover most or all of the satellite era 1979-2007 over the Southern Ocean and surrounding mid-latitudes to 45°S. These include CMAP, the NCEP Reanalysis II, ERA-40, GPCP version 2, and the Japanese Re-analysis. Averaged fields from these data show large discrepancies in the mean spatial depiction and the annual cycle. Comparisons with unique in situ snowfall measurements and satellite-derived accumulation on sea ice are presented. The available record of oceanographic measurements in the Ross Sea indicates that salinity below 200 m in the Ross Sea has decreased by 0.03 per decade since 1958, with the highest (lowest) values in 1967 (2000). The fields examined here suggest that precipitation is likely not directly influencing the oceanic freshening observed in the Ross Sea, or in other coastal seas adjacent to Antarctica. The salinity anomaly is consistent with increasing attrition of continental ice, but places a heavy demand on the melt rate. Potential contributions to oceanic freshening from changes in sea ice extent, transport, and thickness are discussed.

Regional Ocean Data Portal: Transforming Information to Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, M. K.; Gayanilo, F. C.; Jochens, A. E.

2009-12-01

The mission of the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System’s (GCOOS) regional data portal is to aggregate data and model output from distributed providers and to offer these, and derived products, through a single access point in standardized ways to a diverse set of users. The portal evolved under the NOAA-led U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) program where automated largely-unattended machine-to-machine interoperability has always been a guiding tenet for system design. Initially, the portal focused on aggregating relatively homogeneous oceanographic and marine meteorological data from the principal Gulf of Mexico data providers. Obtaining community agreements from the data providers on data formats, vocabularies, and levels of service was relatively easy because the technical barriers to participation were low and we were able to provide financial support to them to make small additions or changes to their local data systems. Over time, the portal requirements became more complex as new parameters, new providers and heterogeneous data streams were added and the spatial domain increased to include beaches and adjacent wetlands. This began to strain our resources and take us outside our science domains of expertise. During the same period, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA), a new environmental quality initiative involving the five Gulf states and Mexico with similar goals and directives as those of our sponsor, gained momentum and demanded both our attention and participation. GOMA is working, mostly among themselves, to discover or establish community standards for various types of data sets - e.g. water quality and nutrients. In addition to aggregation, the portal is also tasked with producing products from the collected information streams. Arriving at a prioritized list of desired products has been a major part of the business conducted by the GCOOS Regional Association (RA). Numerous stakeholder (e.g. emergency responders, oil and gas

Definition of the continent-ocean boundary of India and the surrounding oceanic regions from Magsat data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, B. P.; Rajaram, Mita; Bapat, V. J.

1991-06-01

Magsat studies over the Indian region and adjoining areas show that the continental-oceanic contrasts appear more distinctly in the equivalent magnetization solution than in the anomaly maps. The vertical component ( Z) is found to be more useful for the equatorial regions. It is also noted that, in general, the continental crust has a higher magnetization than the oceanic crust. Further, the continental crust seems to extend into the Arabian Sea across a part of the west coast. A similar continuation is seen in the northern part of the Bay of Bengal. The west coast result is corroborated using land and marine Bouguer gravity anomalies.

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

A full suite of instruments are seen onboard the the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The various instruments will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

University of Washington Graduate Student Jesse Anderson tries to find her cabin onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Anderson will work with the Argo Floats instruments in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

University of Washington Graduate Student Jesse Anderson settles into her cabin onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Anderson will work with the Argo Floats instruments in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Senior Engineer Steve Faluotico works on the SPURS buoy prior to it being loaded onto the Institute's research vessel Knorr, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The SPURS buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

CTD instruments used to measure Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth, are seen onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The CTDs will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Autonomous wave gliders, right, are seen onboard the the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The autonomous gliders will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

A sensor-laden buoy is seen prior to being loaded onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Ken Decoteau, left, and Chip Beniot, both of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, move scientific instruments to the research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The instruments will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Chip Beniot, left, and Ken Decoteau, both of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, move scientific instruments to the research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The instruments will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

NASA Physical Oceanography Program Scientist Eric Lindstrom talks about the instruments onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Various scientific instruments will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

NASA Physical Oceanography Program Scientist Eric Lindstrom inspects an autonomous wave glider onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The autonomous gliders will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Scientist Dave Fratantoni works on the EcoMapper AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles) onboard the Institute's research vessel Knorr, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The EcoMappers will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Two EcoMapper AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles) are seen onboard the the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The EcoMappers will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Basement and crustal structure of the Davis Sea region (East Antarctica): implications for tectonic setting and continent to oceanic boundary definition

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guseva, Y.B.; Leitchenkov, G.L.; Gandyukhin, V.V.; Ivanov, S.V.

2007-01-01

This study is based on about 8400 km of MCS, magnetic and gravity data as well as 20 sonobuoys collected by the Russian Antarctic Expedition during 2003 and 2004 in the Davis Sea and adjacent areas between 80°E and 102°E. Major tectonic provinces and features are identified and mapped in the study region including: 1) A marginal rift with a the extended continental crust ranging 130 to more than 200 km in width; 2) The marginal volcanic plateau of the Bruce Bank consisting of the Early Cretaceous igneous rocks; 3) The Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous−Paleogene oceanic basins; and 4) The Early Cretaceous igneous province of the Kerguelen Plateau. Four major horizons identified in the sedimentary cover of the Davis Sea region are attributed to main tectonic events and/or paleoenvironmental changes.

50 CFR 18.112 - In what specified geographic region does this subpart apply?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false In what specified geographic region does... Coast of Alaska § 18.112 In what specified geographic region does this subpart apply? This subpart applies to the specified geographic region defined as the continental shelf of the Arctic Ocean adjacent...

50 CFR 18.112 - In what specified geographic region does this subpart apply?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false In what specified geographic region does... Coast of Alaska § 18.112 In what specified geographic region does this subpart apply? This subpart applies to the specified geographic region defined as the continental shelf of the Arctic Ocean adjacent...

50 CFR 18.112 - In what specified geographic region does this subpart apply?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false In what specified geographic region does... Coast of Alaska § 18.112 In what specified geographic region does this subpart apply? This subpart applies to the specified geographic region defined as the continental shelf of the Arctic Ocean adjacent...

50 CFR 18.112 - In what specified geographic region does this subpart apply?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false In what specified geographic region does... Coast of Alaska § 18.112 In what specified geographic region does this subpart apply? This subpart applies to the specified geographic region defined as the continental shelf of the Arctic Ocean adjacent...

Improving stability of regional numerical ocean models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herzfeld, Mike

2009-02-01

An operational limited-area ocean modelling system was developed to supply forecasts of ocean state out to 3 days. This system is designed to allow non-specialist users to locate the model domain anywhere within the Australasian region with minimum user input. The model is required to produce a stable simulation every time it is invoked. This paper outlines the methodology used to ensure the model remains stable over the wide range of circumstances it might encounter. Central to the model configuration is an alternative approach to implementing open boundary conditions in a one-way nesting environment. Approximately 170 simulations were performed on limited areas in the Australasian region to assess the model stability; of these, 130 ran successfully with a static model parameterisation allowing a statistical estimate of the model’s approach toward instability to be determined. Based on this, when the model was deemed to be approaching instability a strategy of adaptive intervention in the form of constraint on velocity and elevation was invoked to maintain stability.

Genetic organization of the unc-22 IV gene and the adjacent region in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Rogalski, T M; Baillie, D L

1985-01-01

The genetic organization of the region immediately adjacent to the unc-22 IV gene in Caenorhabditis elegans has been studied. We have identified twenty essential genes in this interval of approximately 1.5-map units on Linkage Group IV. The mutations that define these genes were positioned by recombination mapping and complementation with several deficiencies. With few exceptions, the positions obtained by these two methods agreed. Eight of the twenty essential genes identified are represented by more than one allele. Three possible internal deletions of the unc-22 gene have been located by intra-genic mapping. In addition, the right end point of a deficiency or an inversion affecting the adjacent genes let-56 and unc-22 has been positioned inside the unc-22 gene.

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

An worker prepares to attached a crane hook onto a sensor-laden buoy so that it may be loaded onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Sean Whelan, a Marine Technician for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, prepares CTD instruments used to measure Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth, onboard the Institute's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The CTDs will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

NASA Physical Oceanography Program Scientist Eric Lindstrom inspects a sensor-laden buoy prior to it being loaded onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Redefining Maritime Security Threats in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Banerjee, Arjun

This occasional paper analyzes the general security issues and trends relating to maritime trafficking of radiological and nuclear material using small vessels, minor ports, and unchecked areas of coastline existing in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region today. By the Eastern Indian Ocean Region is meant the area starting from the tip of the Indian peninsula in the west to the Straits of Malacca in the east. It lays focus on the potential sources of nuclear or radiological material that may be trafficked here. It further undertakes a study of the terrorist groups active in the region as well as themore » multinational or national interdiction organizations that have been created to counter maritime threats. It also seeks to discern the various technologies for detecting materials of concern available in the area. Finally, it ascertains possible methods and technologies to improve the maritime security system in the region.« less

A regional ionospheric TEC mapping technique over China and adjacent areas on the basis of data assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aa, Ercha; Huang, Wengeng; Yu, Shimei; Liu, Siqing; Shi, Liqin; Gong, Jiancun; Chen, Yanhong; Shen, Hua

2015-06-01

In this paper, a regional total electron content (TEC) mapping technique over China and adjacent areas (70°E-140°E and 15°N-55°N) is developed on the basis of a Kalman filter data assimilation scheme driven by Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) data from the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China and International GNSS Service. The regional TEC maps can be generated accordingly with the spatial and temporal resolution being 1°×1° and 5 min, respectively. The accuracy and quality of the TEC mapping technique have been validated through the comparison with GNSS observations, the International Reference Ionosphere model values, the global ionosphere maps from Center for Orbit Determination of Europe, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Automated Processing of GPS TEC data from Madrigal database. The verification results indicate that great systematic improvements can be obtained when data are assimilated into the background model, which demonstrates the effectiveness of this technique in providing accurate regional specification of the ionospheric TEC over China and adjacent areas.

Ocean Data Interoperability Platform (ODIP): using regional data systems for global ocean research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaap, D.; Thijsse, P.; Glaves, H.

2017-12-01

Ocean acidification, loss of coral reefs, sustainable exploitation of the marine environment are just a few of the challenges researchers around the world are currently attempting to understand and address. However, studies of these ecosystem level challenges are impossible unless researchers can discover and re-use the large volumes of interoperable multidisciplinary data that are currently only accessible through regional and global data systems that serve discreet, and often discipline specific, user communities. The plethora of marine data systems currently in existence are also using different standards, technologies and best practices making re-use of the data problematic for those engaged in interdisciplinary marine research. The Ocean Data Interoperability Platform (ODIP) is responding to this growing demand for discoverable, accessible and reusable data by establishing the foundations for a common global framework for marine data management. But creation of such an infrastructure is a major undertaking, and one that needs to be achieved in part by establishing different levels of interoperability across existing regional and global marine e-infrastructures. Workshops organised by ODIP II facilitate dialogue between selected regional and global marine data systems in an effort to identify potential solutions that integrate these marine e-infrastructures. The outcomes of these discussions have formed the basis for a number of prototype development tasks that aim to demonstrate effective sharing of data across multiple data systems, and allow users to access data from more than one system through a single access point. The ODIP II project is currently developing four prototype solutions that are establishing interoperability between selected regional marine data management infrastructures in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia, and with the global POGO, IODE Ocean Data Portal (ODP) and GEOSS systems. The potential impact of implementing these solutions for

Local atmospheric response to warm mesoscale ocean eddies in the Kuroshio-Oyashio Confluence region.

PubMed

Sugimoto, Shusaku; Aono, Kenji; Fukui, Shin

2017-09-19

In the extratropical regions, surface winds enhance upward heat release from the ocean to atmosphere, resulting in cold surface ocean: surface ocean temperature is negatively correlated with upward heat flux. However, in the western boundary currents and eddy-rich regions, the warmer surface waters compared to surrounding waters enhance upward heat release-a positive correlation between upward heat release and surface ocean temperature, implying that the ocean drives the atmosphere. The atmospheric response to warm mesoscale ocean eddies with a horizontal extent of a few hundred kilometers remains unclear because of a lack of observations. By conducting regional atmospheric model experiments, we show that, in the Kuroshio-Oyashio Confluence region, wintertime warm eddies heat the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL), and accelerate westerly winds in the near-surface atmosphere via the vertical mixing effect, leading to wind convergence around the eastern edge of eddies. The warm-eddy-induced convergence forms local ascending motion where convective precipitation is enhanced, providing diabatic heating to the atmosphere above MABL. Our results indicate that warm eddies affect not only near-surface atmosphere but also free atmosphere, and possibly synoptic atmospheric variability. A detailed understanding of warm eddy-atmosphere interaction is necessary to improve in weather and climate projections.

Regional variability of sea level change using a global ocean model.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lombard, A.; Garric, G.; Cazenave, A.; Penduff, T.; Molines, J.

2007-12-01

We analyse different runs of a global eddy-permitting (1/4 degree) ocean model driven by atmospheric forcing to evaluate regional variability of sea level change over 1993-2001, 1998-2006 and over the long period 1958-2004. No data assimilation is performed in the model, contrarily to previous similar studies (Carton et al., 2005; Wunsch et al., 2007; Koehl and Stammer, 2007). We compare the model-based regional sea level trend patterns with the one deduced from satellite altimetry data. We examine respective contributions of steric and bottom pressure changes to total regional sea level changes. For the steric component, we analyze separately the contributions of temperature and salinity changes as well as upper and lower ocean contributions.

Dividing the common pond: regionalizing EU ocean governance.

PubMed

Maier, Nina; Markus, Till

2013-02-15

EU ocean policies increasingly incorporate regional measures. Under the long standing Common Fisheries Policy, such measures aim at improving and reforming existing policy, either by taking into account region specific social or ecologic requirements or by establishing procedures and institutions to achieve a regional fit. By contrast, the EU's emerging integrated Marine Environmental Policy was designed to draw heavily on regional procedural and institutional mechanisms from the outset. The developing regional measures raise the question whether they contribute to improving institutional structures governing the use and conservation of EU waters. This article analyzes the existing and future regional measures of the two policies and their varying purposes and scopes. It develops a typology for categorizing the regional aspects and examines the effects of regional measures on EU institutions and the theoretical EU integration debate. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A regional-scale Ocean Health Index for Brazil.

PubMed

Elfes, Cristiane T; Longo, Catherine; Halpern, Benjamin S; Hardy, Darren; Scarborough, Courtney; Best, Benjamin D; Pinheiro, Tiago; Dutra, Guilherme F

2014-01-01

Brazil has one of the largest and fastest growing economies and one of the largest coastlines in the world, making human use and enjoyment of coastal and marine resources of fundamental importance to the country. Integrated assessments of ocean health are needed to understand the condition of a range of benefits that humans derive from marine systems and to evaluate where attention should be focused to improve the health of these systems. Here we describe the first such assessment for Brazil at both national and state levels. We applied the Ocean Health Index framework, which evaluates ten public goals for healthy oceans. Despite refinements of input data and model formulations, the national score of 60 (out of 100) was highly congruent with the previous global assessment for Brazil of 62. Variability in scores among coastal states was most striking for goals related to mariculture, protected areas, tourism, and clean waters. Extractive goals, including Food Provision, received low scores relative to habitat-related goals, such as Biodiversity. This study demonstrates the applicability of the Ocean Health Index at a regional scale, and its usefulness in highlighting existing data and knowledge gaps and identifying key policy and management recommendations. To improve Brazil's ocean health, this study suggests that future actions should focus on: enhancing fisheries management, expanding marine protected areas, and monitoring coastal habitats.

A Regional-Scale Ocean Health Index for Brazil

PubMed Central

Elfes, Cristiane T.; Longo, Catherine; Halpern, Benjamin S.; Hardy, Darren; Scarborough, Courtney; Best, Benjamin D.; Pinheiro, Tiago; Dutra, Guilherme F.

2014-01-01

Brazil has one of the largest and fastest growing economies and one of the largest coastlines in the world, making human use and enjoyment of coastal and marine resources of fundamental importance to the country. Integrated assessments of ocean health are needed to understand the condition of a range of benefits that humans derive from marine systems and to evaluate where attention should be focused to improve the health of these systems. Here we describe the first such assessment for Brazil at both national and state levels. We applied the Ocean Health Index framework, which evaluates ten public goals for healthy oceans. Despite refinements of input data and model formulations, the national score of 60 (out of 100) was highly congruent with the previous global assessment for Brazil of 62. Variability in scores among coastal states was most striking for goals related to mariculture, protected areas, tourism, and clean waters. Extractive goals, including Food Provision, received low scores relative to habitat-related goals, such as Biodiversity. This study demonstrates the applicability of the Ocean Health Index at a regional scale, and its usefulness in highlighting existing data and knowledge gaps and identifying key policy and management recommendations. To improve Brazil's ocean health, this study suggests that future actions should focus on: enhancing fisheries management, expanding marine protected areas, and monitoring coastal habitats. PMID:24695103

A database for the monitoring of thermal anomalies over the Amazon forest and adjacent intertropical oceans

PubMed Central

Jiménez-Muñoz, Juan C.; Mattar, Cristian; Sobrino, José A.; Malhi, Yadvinder

2015-01-01

Advances in information technologies and accessibility to climate and satellite data in recent years have favored the development of web-based tools with user-friendly interfaces in order to facilitate the dissemination of geo/biophysical products. These products are useful for the analysis of the impact of global warming over different biomes. In particular, the study of the Amazon forest responses to drought have recently received attention by the scientific community due to the occurrence of two extreme droughts and sustained warming over the last decade. Thermal Amazoni@ is a web-based platform for the visualization and download of surface thermal anomalies products over the Amazon forest and adjacent intertropical oceans using Google Earth as a baseline graphical interface (http://ipl.uv.es/thamazon/web). This platform is currently operational at the servers of the University of Valencia (Spain), and it includes both satellite (MODIS) and climatic (ERA-Interim) datasets. Thermal Amazoni@ is composed of the viewer system and the web and ftp sites with ancillary information and access to product download. PMID:26029379

A database for the monitoring of thermal anomalies over the Amazon forest and adjacent intertropical oceans.

PubMed

Jiménez-Muñoz, Juan C; Mattar, Cristian; Sobrino, José A; Malhi, Yadvinder

2015-01-01

Advances in information technologies and accessibility to climate and satellite data in recent years have favored the development of web-based tools with user-friendly interfaces in order to facilitate the dissemination of geo/biophysical products. These products are useful for the analysis of the impact of global warming over different biomes. In particular, the study of the Amazon forest responses to drought have recently received attention by the scientific community due to the occurrence of two extreme droughts and sustained warming over the last decade. Thermal Amazoni@ is a web-based platform for the visualization and download of surface thermal anomalies products over the Amazon forest and adjacent intertropical oceans using Google Earth as a baseline graphical interface (http://ipl.uv.es/thamazon/web). This platform is currently operational at the servers of the University of Valencia (Spain), and it includes both satellite (MODIS) and climatic (ERA-Interim) datasets. Thermal Amazoni@ is composed of the viewer system and the web and ftp sites with ancillary information and access to product download.

Dinitrogen Fixation Within and Adjacent to Oxygen Deficient Waters of the Eastern Tropical South Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widner, B.; Mulholland, M. R.; Bernhardt, P. W.; Chang, B. X.; Jayakumar, A.

2016-02-01

Recent work suggests that planktonic diazotrophs are geographically more widely distributed than previously thought including relatively warm (14-23oC) aphotic oxygenated pelagic waters and in aphotic waters within oxygen deficient zones. Because the volume of aphotic water in the ocean is large and may increase in the future, if dinitrogen (N2) fixation is widely occurring at sub-euphotic depths, this could result in a dramatic upward revision of global nitrogen (N) inputs via this process. N2 fixation rates were measured during a cruise in the Eastern Tropical South Pacific using stable isotope tracer techniques that account for slow gas dissolution. Results are compared with light, nutrient, and oxygen gradients (and necessarily temperature gradients). In addition, rates of N2 fixation made in vertical profiles within and above oxygen deficient waters are compared with those measured in vertical profiles adjacent to oxygen deficient waters. Results suggest that while rates of N2 fixation were measurable in deeper anoxic waters, volumetric N2 fixation rates were higher in surface waters.

Atmospheric correction using near-infrared bands for satellite ocean color data processing in the turbid western Pacific region.

PubMed

Wang, Menghua; Shi, Wei; Jiang, Lide

2012-01-16

A regional near-infrared (NIR) ocean normalized water-leaving radiance (nL(w)(λ)) model is proposed for atmospheric correction for ocean color data processing in the western Pacific region, including the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea. Our motivation for this work is to derive ocean color products in the highly turbid western Pacific region using the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) onboard South Korean Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS). GOCI has eight spectral bands from 412 to 865 nm but does not have shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands that are needed for satellite ocean color remote sensing in the turbid ocean region. Based on a regional empirical relationship between the NIR nL(w)(λ) and diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490 nm (K(d)(490)), which is derived from the long-term measurements with the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite, an iterative scheme with the NIR-based atmospheric correction algorithm has been developed. Results from MODIS-Aqua measurements show that ocean color products in the region derived from the new proposed NIR-corrected atmospheric correction algorithm match well with those from the SWIR atmospheric correction algorithm. Thus, the proposed new atmospheric correction method provides an alternative for ocean color data processing for GOCI (and other ocean color satellite sensors without SWIR bands) in the turbid ocean regions of the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea, although the SWIR-based atmospheric correction approach is still much preferred. The proposed atmospheric correction methodology can also be applied to other turbid coastal regions.

Digital depth horizon compilations of the Alaskan North Slope and adjacent Arctic regions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saltus, Richard W.; Bird, Kenneth J.

2003-01-01

Data have been digitized and combined to create four detailed depth horizon grids spanning the Alaskan North Slope and adjacent offshore areas. These map horizon compilations were created to aid in petroleum system modeling and related studies. Topography/bathymetry is extracted from a recent Arctic compilation of global onshore DEM and satellite altimetry and ship soundings offshore. The Lower Cretaceous Unconformity (LCU), the top of the Triassic Shublik Formation, and the pre-Carboniferous acoustic basement horizon grids are created from numerous seismic studies, drill hole information, and interpolation. These horizons were selected because they mark critical times in the geologic evolution of the region as it relates to petroleum. The various horizons clearly show the major tectonic elements of this region including the Brooks Range, Colville Trough, Barrow Arch, Hanna Trough, Chukchi Platform, Nuwuk Basin, Kaktovik Basin, and Canada Basin. The gridded data are available in a variety of data formats for use in regional studies.

Genetic discontinuity among regional populations of Lophelia pertusa in the North Atlantic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morrison, C.L.; Ross, Steve W.; Nizinski, M.S.; Brooke, S.; Jarnegren, J.; Waller, R.G.; Johnson, Robin L.; King, T.L.

2011-01-01

Knowledge of the degree to which populations are connected through larval dispersal is imperative to effective management, yet little is known about larval dispersal ability or population connectivity in Lophelia pertusa, the dominant framework-forming coral on the continental slope in the North Atlantic Ocean. Using nine microsatellite DNA markers, we assessed the spatial scale and pattern of genetic connectivity across a large portion of the range of L. pertusa in the North Atlantic Ocean. A Bayesian modeling approach found four distinct genetic groupings corresponding to ocean regions: Gulf of Mexico, coastal southeastern U.S., New England Seamounts, and eastern North Atlantic Ocean. An isolation-by-distance pattern was supported across the study area. Estimates of pairwise population differentiation were greatest with the deepest populations, the New England Seamounts (average F ST = 0.156). Differentiation was intermediate with the eastern North Atlantic populations (F ST = 0.085), and smallest between southeastern U.S. and Gulf of Mexico populations (F ST = 0.019), with evidence of admixture off the southeastern Florida peninsula. Connectivity across larger geographic distances within regions suggests that some larvae are broadly dispersed. Heterozygote deficiencies were detected within the majority of localities suggesting deviation from random mating. Gene flow between ocean regions appears restricted, thus, the most effective management scheme for L. pertusa involves regional reserve networks.

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

The top bow deck of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr is seen on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution workers load scientific instruments onboard the Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

The bow of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr is seen from the bridge on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Scientific instruments are seen on the stern of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr is seen docked on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Scientific instruments are loaded onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

The Bridge of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr is seen on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Food and supplies are loaded onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

NASA Physical Oceanography Program Scientist Eric Lindstrom boards the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Lindstrom will depart on Knorr Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NANOOS, the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems: a regional Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) for the Pacific Northwest US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newton, J.; Martin, D.; Kosro, M.

2012-12-01

NANOOS is the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems, the Pacific Northwest Regional Association of the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (US IOOS). User driven since its inception in 2003, this regional observing system is responding to a variety of scientific and societal needs across its coastal ocean, estuaries, and shorelines. Regional priorities have been solicited and re-affirmed through active engagement with users and stakeholders. NANOOS membership is composed of an even mix of academic, governmental, industry, and non-profit organizations, who appoint representatives to the NANOOS Governing Council who confirm the priority applications of the observing system. NANOOS regional priorities are: Maritime Operations, Regional Fisheries, Ecosystem Assessment, Coastal Hazards, and Climate. NANOOS' regional coastal ocean observing system is implemented by seven partners (three universities, three state agencies, and one industry). Together, these partners conduct the observations, modeling, data management and communication, analysis products, education and outreach activities of NANOOS. Observations, designed to span coastal ocean, shorelines, and estuaries, include physical, chemical, biological and geological measurements. To date, modeling has been more limited in scope, but has provided the system with increased coverage for some parameters. The data management and communication system for NANOOS, led by the NANOOS Visualization System (NVS) is the cornerstone of the user interaction with NANOOS. NVS gives users access to observational data, both real time and archived, as well as modeling output. Given the diversity of user needs, measurements, and the complexity of the coastal environment, the challenge for the system is large. NANOOS' successes take advantage of technological advances, including real-time data transmission, profiling buoys, gliders, HF radars, and modeling. The most profound challenges NANOOS faces stem

On Verifying Currents and Other Features in the Hawaiian Islands Region Using Fully Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System Compared to Global Ocean Model and Ocean Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jessen, P. G.; Chen, S.

2014-12-01

This poster introduces and evaluates features concerning the Hawaii, USA region using the U.S. Navy's fully Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS-OS™) coupled to the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM). It also outlines some challenges in verifying ocean currents in the open ocean. The system is evaluated using in situ ocean data and initial forcing fields from the operational global Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). Verification shows difficulties in modelling downstream currents off the Hawaiian islands (Hawaii's wake). Comparing HYCOM to NCOM current fields show some displacement of small features such as eddies. Generally, there is fair agreement from HYCOM to NCOM in salinity and temperature fields. There is good agreement in SSH fields.

Tidal simulation using regional ocean modeling systems (ROMS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Xiaochun; Chao, Yi; Li, Zhijin; Dong, Changming; Farrara, John; McWilliams, James C.; Shum, C. K.; Wang, Yu; Matsumoto, Koji; Rosenfeld, Leslie K.;

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Crates containing scientific instruments are seen on the stern of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Two NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) buoys are seen on the stern of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

An engineer is raised by crane to work on the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

A Rosette water sampler system that will be used during the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) is seen onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart for the NASA-sponsored expedition on Sept. 6 and will head into the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Scientific instruments, buoys, and shipping crates are seen on the stern of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

International maritime signal flags are seen on the bridge of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

A sculpture resembling the Roman god Neptune is seen dockside of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

NASA Physical Oceanography Program Scientist Eric Lindstrom poses for a photograph next to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Lindstrom will depart on Knorr Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Regional Ocean Products Portal: Transforming Information to Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, M. K.; Kobara, S.; Gayanilo, F. C.; Baum, S. K.; Simoniello, C.; Jochens, A. E.

2010-12-01

Scientific visualization of complex fusions of heterogeneous 2, 3, and 4-D data sets is a challenge in most fields of geosciences and oceanography is no exception. Despite increased computing power, dedicated graphic processing units, and more capable software, 30 years of change in the ways that geophysical sciences are conducted continues to challenge our ability to present the data in visually meaningful ways. Oceanography, for example, changed from a science in which a sole researcher studied a single phenomena, e.g. ocean currents to one in which a multidisciplinary collaborative teams study complex coupled systems. In three decades we’ve moved from a time where a map of mean circulation and a coastline rendered on a pen-plotter would suffice, to one in which we require detailed dynamic views of relationships and change. We now need to visualize multiple parameters of relatively sparse observed data combined with computer generated output on dense numerical model grids. We want parameters within ocean and atmosphere volumes rendered over detailed earth terrains with illumination and infrastructure. We want to “see” the dynamic relations between the oceans, atmosphere, land, biogeochemistry, biota, and ecosystem all at once and in context. As the computational power increased, the density of the model grid points increased accordingly. The latest challenge has been due to the internet, the notion of sensor webs, and the near real-time availability of high-bandwidth interoperable standards-based data streams. Not only do we want to see it all, we want to see it now, and we want to see it the way we want and that may change from moment to moment. Increasingly this involves 4D visualizations combined with a strong element of traditional Geographic Information System type presentation. The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System Regional Association (GCOOS-RA) is one of 11 regional observing systems that comprise the non-federal part of the U

Coupled Regional Ocean-Atmosphere Modeling of the Mount Pinatubo Impact on the Red Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stenchikov, G. L.; Osipov, S.

2017-12-01

The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo had dramatic effects on the regional climate in the Middle East. Though acknowledged, these effects have not been thoroughly studied. To fill this gap and to advance understanding of the mechanisms that control variability in the Middle East's regional climate, we simulated the impact of the 1991 Pinatubo eruption using a regional coupled ocean-atmosphere modeling system set for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) domain. We used the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST) framework, which couples the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) model with the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS). We modified the WRF model to account for the radiative effect of volcanic aerosols. Our coupled ocean-atmosphere simulations verified by available observations revealed strong perturbations in the energy balance of the Red Sea, which drove thermal and circulation responses. Our modeling approach allowed us to separate changes in the atmospheric circulation caused by the impact of the volcano from direct regional radiative cooling from volcanic aerosols. The atmospheric circulation effect was significantly stronger than the direct volcanic aerosols effect. We found that the Red Sea response to the Pinatubo eruption was stronger and qualitatively different from that of the global ocean system. Our results suggest that major volcanic eruptions significantly affect the climate in the Middle East and the Red Sea and should be carefully taken into account in assessments of long-term climate variability and warming trends in MENA and the Red Sea.

Sea ice and oceanic processes on the Ross Sea continental shelf

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobs, S. S.; Comiso, J. C.

1989-01-01

The spatial and temporal variability of Antarctic sea ice concentrations on the Ross Sea continental shelf have been investigated in relation to oceanic and atmospheric forcing. Sea ice data were derived from Nimbus 7 scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) brightness temperatures from 1979-1986. Ice cover over the shelf was persistently lower than above the adjacent deep ocean, averaging 86 percent during winter with little month-to-month of interannual variability. The large spring Ross Sea polynya on the western shelf results in a longer period of summer insolation, greater surface layer heat storage, and later ice formation in that region the following autumn.

75 FR 9158 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Identification of Northeast Regional Ocean...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-01

... Collection; Comment Request; Identification of Northeast Regional Ocean Council Information Network Using Social Network Analysis AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). ACTION: Notice... in many capacities. A social network analysis will serve to identify the network of people working on...

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Buoys used to support scientific instruments at sea are seen in the foreground prior to being loaded onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr, seen in the background, on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Senior Scientist Ray Schmitt, left, and NASA Physical Oceanography Program Scientist Eric Lindstrom pose for a photograph in front of the Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Decadal trends in deep ocean salinity and regional effects on steric sea level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purkey, S. G.; Llovel, W.

2017-12-01

We present deep (below 2000 m) and abyssal (below 4000 m) global ocean salinity trends from the 1990s through the 2010s and assess the role of deep salinity in local and global sea level budgets. Deep salinity trends are assessed using all deep basins with available full-depth, high-quality hydrographic section data that have been occupied two or more times since the 1980s through either the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) Hydrographic Program or the Global Ship-Based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP). All salinity data is calibrated to standard seawater and any intercruise offsets applied. While the global mean deep halosteric contribution to sea level rise is close to zero (-0.017 +/- 0.023 mm/yr below 4000 m), there is a large regional variability with the southern deep basins becoming fresher and northern deep basins becoming more saline. This meridional gradient in the deep salinity trend reflects different mechanisms driving the deep salinity variability. The deep Southern Ocean is freshening owing to a recent increased flux of freshwater to the deep ocean. Outside of the Southern Ocean, the deep salinity and temperature changes are tied to isopycnal heave associated with a falling of deep isopycnals in recent decades. Therefore, regions of the ocean with a deep salinity minimum are experiencing both a halosteric contraction with a thermosteric expansion. While the thermosteric expansion is larger in most cases, in some regions the halosteric compensates for as much as 50% of the deep thermal expansion, making a significant contribution to local sea level rise budgets.

Anomalous intraseasonal events in the thermocline ridge region of Southern Tropical Indian Ocean and their regional impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayakumar, A.; Gnanaseelan, C.

2012-03-01

The present study explores the mechanisms responsible for the strong intraseasonal cooling events in the Thermocline Ridge region of the southwestern Indian Ocean. Air sea interface and oceanic processes associated with Madden Julian Oscillation are studied using an Ocean General Circulation Model and satellite observations. Sensitivity experiments are designed to understand the ocean response to intraseasonal forcing with a special emphasis on 2002 cooling events, which recorded the strongest intraseasonal perturbations during the last well-observed decade. This event is characterized by anomalous Walker circulation over the tropical Indian Ocean and persistent intraseasonal heat flux anomaly for a longer duration than is typical for similar events (but without any favorable preconditioning of ocean basic state at the interannual timescale). The model heat budget analysis during 1996 to 2007 revealed an in-phase relationship between atmospheric fluxes associated with Madden Julian Oscillation and the subsurface oceanic processes during the intense cooling events of 2002. The strong convection, reduced shortwave radiation and increased evaporation have contributed to the upper ocean heat loss in addition to the slower propagation of active phase of convection, which supported the integration of longer duration of forcing. The sensitivity experiments revealed that dynamic response of ocean through entrainment at the intraseasonal timescale primarily controls the biological response during the event, with oceanic interannual variability playing a secondary role. This study further speculates the role of oceanic intraseasonal variability in the 2002 droughts over Indian subcontinent.

SPURS: Salinity Processes in the Upper-Ocean Regional Study: THE NORTH ATLANTIC EXPERIMENT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindstrom, Eric; Bryan, Frank; Schmitt, Ray

2015-01-01

In this special issue of Oceanography, we explore the results of SPURS-1, the first part of the ocean process study Salinity Processes in the Upper-ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The experiment was conducted between August 2012 and October 2013 in the subtropical North Atlantic and was the first of two experiments (SPURS come in pairs!). SPURS-2 is planned for 20162017 in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Region: Coastal and Ocean Science

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinsinger, Anne E.

2009-01-01

USGS Western Region Coastal and Ocean Science is interdisciplinary, collaborative, and integrates expertise from all USGS Disciplines, and ten of its major Science Centers, in Alaska, Hawai'i, California, Washington, and Oregon. The scientific talent, laboratories, and research vessels in the Western Region and across the Nation, strategically position the USGS to address broad geographic and oceanographic research topics. USGS information products inform resource managers and policy makers who must balance conservation mandates with increasing demands for resources that sustain the Nation's economy. This fact sheet describes but a few examples of the breadth of USGS science conducted in coastal, nearshore, and ocean environments along our Nation's West Coast and Pacific Islands.

Widespread Anthropogenic Nitrogen in Northwestern Pacific Ocean Sediment.

PubMed

Kim, Haryun; Lee, Kitack; Lim, Dhong-Il; Nam, Seung-Il; Kim, Tae-Wook; Yang, Jin-Yu T; Ko, Young Ho; Shin, Kyung-Hoon; Lee, Eunil

2017-06-06

Sediment samples from the East China and Yellow seas collected adjacent to continental China were found to have lower δ 15 N values (expressed as δ 15 N = [ 15 N: 14 N sample / 15 N: 14 N air - 1] × 1000‰; the sediment 15 N: 14 N ratio relative to the air nitrogen 15 N: 14 N ratio). In contrast, the Arctic sediments from the Chukchi Sea, the sampling region furthest from China, showed higher δ 15 N values (2-3‰ higher than those representing the East China and the Yellow sea sediments). Across the sites sampled, the levels of sediment δ 15 N increased with increasing distance from China, which is broadly consistent with the decreasing influence of anthropogenic nitrogen (N ANTH ) resulting from fossil fuel combustion and fertilizer use. We concluded that, of several processes, the input of N ANTH appears to be emerging as a new driver of change in the sediment δ 15 N value in marginal seas adjacent to China. The present results indicate that the effect of N ANTH has extended beyond the ocean water column into the deep sedimentary environment, presumably via biological assimilation of N ANTH followed by deposition. Further, the findings indicate that N ANTH is taking over from the conventional paradigm of nitrate flux from nitrate-rich deep water as the primary driver of biological export production in this region of the Pacific Ocean.

Content-based image retrieval by matching hierarchical attributed region adjacency graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Benedikt; Thies, Christian J.; Guld, Mark O.; Lehmann, Thomas M.

2004-05-01

Content-based image retrieval requires a formal description of visual information. In medical applications, all relevant biological objects have to be represented by this description. Although color as the primary feature has proven successful in publicly available retrieval systems of general purpose, this description is not applicable to most medical images. Additionally, it has been shown that global features characterizing the whole image do not lead to acceptable results in the medical context or that they are only suitable for specific applications. For a general purpose content-based comparison of medical images, local, i.e. regional features that are collected on multiple scales must be used. A hierarchical attributed region adjacency graph (HARAG) provides such a representation and transfers image comparison to graph matching. However, building a HARAG from an image requires a restriction in size to be computationally feasible while at the same time all visually plausible information must be preserved. For this purpose, mechanisms for the reduction of the graph size are presented. Even with a reduced graph, the problem of graph matching remains NP-complete. In this paper, the Similarity Flooding approach and Hopfield-style neural networks are adapted from the graph matching community to the needs of HARAG comparison. Based on synthetic image material build from simple geometric objects, all visually similar regions were matched accordingly showing the framework's general applicability to content-based image retrieval of medical images.

Role of Perturbing Ocean Initial Condition in Simulated Regional Sea Level Change

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hu, Aixue; Meehl, Gerald; Stammer, Detlef

Multiple lines of observational evidence indicate that the global climate has been getting warmer since the early 20th century. This warmer climate has led to a global mean sea level rise of about 18 cm during the 20th century, and over 6 cm for the first 15 years of the 21st century. Regionally the sea level rise is not uniform due in large part to internal climate variability. To better serve the community, the uncertainties of predicting/projecting regional sea level changes associated with internal climate variability need to be quantified. Previous research on this topic has used single-model large ensemblesmore » with perturbed atmospheric initial conditions (ICs). Here we compare uncertainties associated with perturbing ICs in just the atmosphere and just the ocean using a state-of-the-art coupled climate model. We find that by perturbing the oceanic ICs, the uncertainties in regional sea level changes increase compared to those with perturbed atmospheric ICs. In order for us to better assess the full spectrum of the impacts of such internal climate variability on regional and global sea level rise, approaches that involve perturbing both atmospheric and oceanic initial conditions are thus necessary.« less

Role of Perturbing Ocean Initial Condition in Simulated Regional Sea Level Change

DOE PAGES

Hu, Aixue; Meehl, Gerald; Stammer, Detlef; ...

2017-06-05

Multiple lines of observational evidence indicate that the global climate has been getting warmer since the early 20th century. This warmer climate has led to a global mean sea level rise of about 18 cm during the 20th century, and over 6 cm for the first 15 years of the 21st century. Regionally the sea level rise is not uniform due in large part to internal climate variability. To better serve the community, the uncertainties of predicting/projecting regional sea level changes associated with internal climate variability need to be quantified. Previous research on this topic has used single-model large ensemblesmore » with perturbed atmospheric initial conditions (ICs). Here we compare uncertainties associated with perturbing ICs in just the atmosphere and just the ocean using a state-of-the-art coupled climate model. We find that by perturbing the oceanic ICs, the uncertainties in regional sea level changes increase compared to those with perturbed atmospheric ICs. In order for us to better assess the full spectrum of the impacts of such internal climate variability on regional and global sea level rise, approaches that involve perturbing both atmospheric and oceanic initial conditions are thus necessary.« less

Multi-Decadal Oscillations of the Ocean Active Upper-Layer Heat Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byshev, Vladimir I.; Neiman, Victor G.; Anisimov, Mikhail V.; Gusev, Anatoly V.; Serykh, Ilya V.; Sidorova, Alexandra N.; Figurkin, Alexander L.; Anisimov, Ivan M.

2017-07-01

Spatial patterns in multi-decadal variability in upper ocean heat content for the last 60 years are examined using a numerical model developed at the Institute of Numerical Mathematics of Russia (INM Model) and sea water temperature-salinity data from the World Ocean Database (in: Levitus, NOAA Atlas NESDIS 66, U.S. Wash.: Gov. Printing Office, 2009). Both the model and the observational data show that the heat content of the Active Upper Layer (AUL) in particular regions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern oceans have experienced prominent simultaneous variations on multi-decadal (25-35 years) time scales. These variations are compared earlier revealed climatic alternations in the Northern Atlantic region during the last century (Byshev et al. in Doklady Earth Sci 438(2):887-892, 2011). We found that from the middle of 1970s to the end of 1990s the AUL heat content decreased in several oceanic regions, while the mean surface temperature increased on Northern Hemisphere continents according to IPCC (in: Stocker et al. Contribution of working group I to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2013). This means that the climate-forcing effect of the ocean-atmosphere interaction in certain energy-active areas determines not only local climatic processes, but also have an influence on global-scale climate phenomena. Here we show that specific regional features of the AUL thermal structure are in a good agreement with climatic conditions on the adjacent continents. Further, the ocean AUL in the five distinctive regions identified in our study have resumed warming in the first decade of this century. By analogy inference from previous climate scenarios, this may signal the onset of more continental climate over mainlands.

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory Senior Oceanographer Andrey Shcherbina, left, and University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory Senior Principal Oceanographer Jason Gobat work one of their instruments onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-04

University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory Senior Oceanographer Andrey Shcherbina, left, and University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory Senior Principal Oceanographer Jason Gobat carry one of their instruments onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Canada Basin compared to the southwest South China Sea: Two marginal ocean basins with hyper-extended continent-ocean transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lu; Stephenson, Randell; Clift, Peter D.

2016-11-01

Both the Canada Basin (a sub-basin within the Amerasia Basin) and southwest (SW) South China Sea preserve oceanic spreading centres and adjacent passive continental margins characterized by broad COT zones with hyper-extended continental crust. We have investigated strain accommodation in the regions immediately adjacent to the oceanic spreading centres in these two basins using 2-D backstripping subsidence reconstructions, coupled with forward modelling constrained by estimates of upper crustal extensional faulting. Modelling is better constrained in the SW South China Sea but our results for the Canada Basin are analogous. Depth-dependent extension is required to explain the great depth of both basins because only modest upper crustal faulting is observed. A weak lower crust in the presence of high heat flow and, accordingly, a lower crust that extends far more the upper crust are suggested for both basins. Extension in the COT may have continued even after seafloor spreading has ceased. The analogous results for the two basins considered are discussed in terms of (1) constraining the timing and distribution of crustal thinning along the respective continental margins, (2) defining the processes leading to hyper-extension of continental crust in the respective tectonic settings and (3) illuminating the processes that control hyper-extension in these basins and more generally.

Recent distribution of lead in the Indian Ocean reflects the impact of regional emissions.

PubMed

Echegoyen, Yolanda; Boyle, Edward A; Lee, Jong-Mi; Gamo, Toshitaka; Obata, Hajime; Norisuye, Kazuhiro

2014-10-28

Humans have injected lead (Pb) massively into the earth surface environment in a temporally and spatially evolving pattern. A significant fraction is transported by the atmosphere into the surface ocean where we can observe its transport by ocean currents and sinking particles. This study of the Indian Ocean documents high Pb concentrations in the northern and tropical surface waters and extremely low Pb levels in the deep water. North of 20°S, dissolved Pb concentrations decrease from 42 to 82 pmol/kg in surface waters to 1.5-3.3 pmol/kg in deep waters. South of 20°S, surface water Pb concentrations decrease from 21 pmol/kg at 31°S to 7 pmol/kg at 62°S. This surface Pb concentration gradient reflects a southward decrease in anthropogenic Pb emissions. The upper waters of the north and central Indian Ocean have high Pb concentrations resulting from recent regional rapid industrialization and a late phase-out of leaded gasoline, and these concentrations are now higher than currently seen in the central North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. The Antarctic sector of the Indian Ocean shows very low concentrations due to limited regional anthropogenic Pb emissions, high scavenging rates, and rapid vertical mixing, but Pb still occurs at higher levels than would have existed centuries ago. Penetration of Pb into the northern and central Indian Ocean thermocline waters is minimized by limited ventilation. Pb concentrations in the deep Indian Ocean are comparable to the other oceans at the same latitude, and deep waters of the central Indian Ocean match the lowest observed oceanic Pb concentrations.

Flow and transport within a coastal aquifer adjacent to a stratified water body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oz, Imri; Yechieli, Yoseph; Eyal, Shalev; Gavrieli, Ittai; Gvirtzman, Haim

2016-04-01

The existence of a freshwater-saltwater interface and the circulation flow of saltwater beneath the interface is a well-known phenomenon found at coastal aquifers. This flow is a natural phenomenon that occurs due to density differences between fresh groundwater and the saltwater body. The goals of this research are to use analytical, numerical, and physical models in order to examine the configuration of the freshwater-saltwater interface and the density-driven flow patterns within a coastal aquifer adjacent to long-term stratified saltwater bodies (e.g. meromictic lake). Such hydrological systems are unique, as they consist of three different water types: the regional fresh groundwater, and low and high salinity brines forming the upper and lower water layers of the stratified water body, respectively. This research also aims to examine the influence of such stratification on hydrogeological processes within the coastal aquifer. The coastal aquifer adjacent to the Dead Sea, under its possible future meromictic conditions, serves as an ideal example to examine these processes. The results show that adjacent to a stratified saltwater body three interfaces between three different water bodies are formed, and that a complex flow system, controlled by the density differences, is created, where three circulation cells are developed. These results are significantly different from the classic circulation cell that is found adjacent to non-stratified water bodies (lakes or oceans). In order to obtain a more generalized insight into the groundwater behavior adjacent to a stratified water body, we used the numerical model to perform sensitivity analysis. The hydrological system was found be sensitive to three dimensionless parameters: dimensionless density (i.e. the relative density of the three water bodies'); dimensionless thickness (i.e. the ratio between the relative thickness of the upper layer and the whole thickness of the lake); and dimensionless flux. The results

Quantifying 10 years of Improvements in Earthquake and Tsunami Monitoring in the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Hillebrandt-Andrade, C.; Huerfano Moreno, V. A.; McNamara, D. E.; Saurel, J. M.

2014-12-01

The magnitude-9.3 Sumatra-Andaman Islands earthquake of December 26, 2004, increased global awareness to the destructive hazard of earthquakes and tsunamis. Post event assessments of global coastline vulnerability highlighted the Caribbean as a region of high hazard and risk and that it was poorly monitored. Nearly 100 tsunamis have been reported for the Caribbean region and Adjacent Regions in the past 500 years and continue to pose a threat for its nations, coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic seaboard of North and South America. Significant efforts to improve monitoring capabilities have been undertaken since this time including an expansion of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Global Seismographic Network (GSN) (McNamara et al., 2006) and establishment of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Coordination Group (ICG) for the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (CARIBE EWS). The minimum performance standards it recommended for initial earthquake locations include: 1) Earthquake detection within 1 minute, 2) Minimum magnitude threshold = M4.5, and 3) Initial hypocenter error of <30 km. In this study, we assess current compliance with performance standards and model improvements in earthquake and tsunami monitoring capabilities in the Caribbean region since the first meeting of the UNESCO ICG-Caribe EWS in 2006. The three measures of network capability modeled in this study are: 1) minimum Mw detection threshold; 2) P-wave detection time of an automatic processing system and; 3) theoretical earthquake location uncertainty. By modeling three measures of seismic network capability, we can optimize the distribution of ICG-Caribe EWS seismic stations and select an international network that will be contributed from existing real-time broadband national networks in the region. Sea level monitoring improvements both offshore and

Linking source region and ocean wave parameters with the observed primary microseismic noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juretzek, C.; Hadziioannou, C.

2017-12-01

In previous studies, the contribution of Love waves to the primary microseismic noise field was found to be comparable to those of Rayleigh waves. However, so far only few studies analysed both wave types present in this microseismic noise band, which is known to be generated in shallow water and the theoretical understanding has mainly evolved for Rayleigh waves only. Here, we study the relevance of different source region parameters on the observed primary microseismic noise levels of Love and Rayleigh waves simultaneously. By means of beamforming and correlation of seismic noise amplitudes with ocean wave heights in the period band between 12 and 15 s, we analysed how source areas of both wave types compare with each other around Europe. The generation effectivity in different source regions was compared to ocean wave heights, peak ocean gravity wave propagation direction and bathymetry. Observed Love wave noise amplitudes correlate comparably well with near coastal ocean wave parameters as Rayleigh waves. Some coastal regions serve as especially effective sources for one or the other wave type. These coincide not only with locations of high wave heights but also with complex bathymetry. Further, Rayleigh and Love wave noise amplitudes seem to depend equally on the local ocean wave heights, which is an indication for a coupled variation with swell height during the generation of both wave types. However, the wave-type ratio varies directionally. This observation likely hints towards a spatially varying importance of different source mechanisms or structural influences. Further, the wave-type ratio is modulated depending on peak ocean wave propagation directions which could indicate a variation of different source mechanism strengths but also hints towards an imprint of an effective source radiation pattern. This emphasizes that the inclusion of both wave types may provide more constraints for the understanding of acting generation mechanisms.

Restricted regions of enhanced growth of Antarctic krill in the circumpolar Southern Ocean.

PubMed

Murphy, Eugene J; Thorpe, Sally E; Tarling, Geraint A; Watkins, Jonathan L; Fielding, Sophie; Underwood, Philip

2017-07-31

Food webs in high-latitude oceans are dominated by relatively few species. Future ocean and sea-ice changes affecting the distribution of such species will impact the structure and functioning of whole ecosystems. Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is a key species in Southern Ocean food webs, but there is little understanding of the factors influencing its success throughout much of the ocean. The capacity of a habitat to maintain growth will be crucial and here we use an empirical relationship of growth rate to assess seasonal spatial variability. Over much of the ocean, potential for growth is limited, with three restricted oceanic regions where seasonal conditions permit high growth rates, and only a few areas around the Scotia Sea and Antarctic Peninsula suitable for growth of the largest krill (>60 mm). Our study demonstrates that projections of impacts of future change need to account for spatial and seasonal variability of key ecological processes within ocean ecosystems.

Did hydrographic sampling capture global and regional deep ocean heat content trends accurately between 1990-2010?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garry, Freya; McDonagh, Elaine; Blaker, Adam; Roberts, Chris; Desbruyères, Damien; King, Brian

2017-04-01

Estimates of heat content change in the deep oceans (below 2000 m) over the last thirty years are obtained from temperature measurements made by hydrographic survey ships. Cruises occupy the same tracks across an ocean basin approximately every 5+ years. Measurements may not be sufficiently frequent in time or space to allow accurate evaluation of total ocean heat content (OHC) and its rate of change. It is widely thought that additional deep ocean sampling will also aid understanding of the mechanisms for OHC change on annual to decadal timescales, including how OHC varies regionally under natural and anthropogenically forced climate change. Here a 0.25˚ ocean model is used to investigate the magnitude of uncertainties and biases that exist in estimates of deep ocean temperature change from hydrographic sections due to their infrequent timing and sparse spatial distribution during 1990 - 2010. Biases in the observational data may be due to lack of spatial coverage (not enough sections covering the basin), lack of data between occupations (typically 5-10 years apart) and due to occupations not closely spanning the time period of interest. Between 1990 - 2010, the modelled biases globally are comparatively small in the abyssal ocean below 3500 m although regionally certain biases in heat flux into the 4000 - 6000 m layer can be up to 0.05 Wm-2. Biases in the heat flux into the deep 2000 - 4000 m layer due to either temporal or spatial sampling uncertainties are typically much larger and can be over 0.1 Wm-2 across an ocean. Overall, 82% of the warming trend below 2000 m is captured by observational-style sampling in the model. However, at 2500 m (too deep for additional temperature information to be inferred from upper ocean Argo) less than two thirds of the magnitude of the global warming trend is obtained, and regionally large biases exist in the Atlantic, Southern and Indian Oceans, highlighting the need for widespread improved deep ocean temperature sampling

Regional Jurassic geologic framework of Alabama coastal waters area and adjacent Federal waters area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mink, R.M.; Bearden, B.L.; Mancini, E.A.

1989-01-01

To date, numerous Jurassic hydrocarbon fields and pools have been discovered in the Cotton Valley Group, Haynesville Formation, Smackover Formation and Norphlet Formation in the tri-state area of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, and in Alabama State coastal waters and adjacent Federal waters area. Petroleum traps are basement highs, salt anticlines, faulted salt anticlines and extensional faults associated with salt movement. Reservoirs include continental and marine sandstones, limestones and dolostones. Hydrocarbon types are oil, condensate and natural gas. The onshore stratigraphic and structural information can be used to establish a regional geologic framework for the Jurassic for the State coastal waters and adjacent Federal waters areas. Evaluation of the geologic information along with the hydrocarbon data from the tri-state area indicates that at least three Jurassic hydrocarbon trends (oil, oil and gas condensate, and deep natural gas) can be identified onshore. These onshore hydrocarbon trends can be projected into the Mobile area in the Central Gulf of Mexico and into the Pensacola, Destin Dome and Apalachicola areas in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. Substantial reserves of natural gas are expected to be present in Alabama State waters and the northern portion of the Mobile area. Significant accumulations of oil and gas condensate may be encountered in the Pensacola, Destin Dome, and Apalachicola areas. ?? 1989.

Slope and basinal deposits adjacent to isolated carbonate platforms in the Indian Ocean: Sedimentology, geomorphology, and a new 1.2 Ma record of highstand shedding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Counts, J. W.; Jorry, S.; Jouet, G.

2017-12-01

Newly analyzed bathymetric, seismic, and core data from carbonate-topped seamounts in the Mozambique Channel reveals a variety of depositional processes and products operating on platform slopes and adjacent basins. Mass transport complexes (including turbidites and debrites), leveed channel systems with basin-floor fans, and contourites are imaged in high resolution in both seafloor maps and cross-section, and show both differences and similarities compared with platform slopes in the Bahamas and elsewhere. In some, though not all, platforms, increased sedimentation can be observed on the leeward margins, and slope rugosity may be asymmetric with respect to prevailing wind direction. Deposition is also controlled by glacial-interglacial cycles; cores taken from the lower slopes (3000+ m water depth) of carbonate platforms reveal a causative relationship between sea level and aragonite export to the deep ocean. δ18O isotopes from planktonic and benthic foraminifera of two 27-meter cores, reveal a high-resolution, continuous depositional record of carbonate sediment dating back to 1.2 Ma. Sea level rise, as determined by correlation with the LR04 benthic stack, is coincident with increased aragonite flux from platform tops. Gravity flow deposits are also affected by platform flooding—the frequency of turbidite/debrite deposits on pinnacle slopes increases during highstand, although such deposits are also present during glacial episodes. The results reported here are the first record of highstand shedding in the southern Indian Ocean, and provide the longest Quaternary sediment record to date in the region, including the Mid-Brunhes transition (MIS 11) that serves as an analog for the current climate conditions. In addition, this is the first study to describe sedimentation on the slopes of these platforms, providing an important point of comparison that has the potential to influence source-to-sink carbonate facies models.

Initial Evaluations of a U.S. Navy Rapidly Relocatable Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean Ocean Forecast System in the Context of the Deepwater Horizon Incident

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-06

forecast system covering the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent Caribbean Sea that was designated Americas Seas, or AMSEAS, which is documented in this...Office of Naval Reseach One Liberty Center 875 North Randolph Street, Suite 1425 Arlington, VA 22203-1995 73-6669-05-5 ONR Ocean forecasting Skill...Coastal Ocean Model (Global NCOM). This new regional model domain came to be designated Americas Seas, or AMSEAS. After a short spin-up and initial

Surface wind mixing in the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, Robin; Hartlipp, Paul

2017-12-01

Mixing at the ocean surface is key for atmosphere-ocean interactions and the distribution of heat, energy, and gases in the upper ocean. Winds are the primary force for surface mixing. To properly simulate upper ocean dynamics and the flux of these quantities within the upper ocean, models must reproduce mixing in the upper ocean. To evaluate the performance of the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) in replicating the surface mixing, the results of four different vertical mixing parameterizations were compared against observations, using the surface mixed layer depth, the temperature fields, and observed diffusivities for comparisons. The vertical mixing parameterizations investigated were Mellor- Yamada 2.5 level turbulent closure (MY), Large- McWilliams- Doney Kpp (LMD), Nakanishi- Niino (NN), and the generic length scale (GLS) schemes. This was done for one temperate site in deep water in the Eastern Pacific and three shallow water sites in the Baltic Sea. The model reproduced the surface mixed layer depth reasonably well for all sites; however, the temperature fields were reproduced well for the deep site, but not for the shallow Baltic Sea sites. In the Baltic Sea, the models overmixed the water column after a few days. Vertical temperature diffusivities were higher than those observed and did not show the temporal fluctuations present in the observations. The best performance was by NN and MY; however, MY became unstable in two of the shallow simulations with high winds. The performance of GLS nearly as good as NN and MY. LMD had the poorest performance as it generated temperature diffusivities that were too high and induced too much mixing. Further observational comparisons are needed to evaluate the effects of different stratification and wind conditions and the limitations on the vertical mixing parameterizations.

Ocean regional circulation model sensitizes to resolution of the lateral boundary conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, Van Sy; Hwang, Jin Hwan

2017-04-01

Dynamical downscaling with nested regional oceanographic models is an effective approach for forecasting operationally coastal weather and projecting long term climate on the ocean. Nesting procedures deliver the unwanted in dynamic downscaling due to the differences of numerical grid sizes and updating steps. Therefore, such unavoidable errors restrict the application of the Ocean Regional Circulation Model (ORCMs) in both short-term forecasts and long-term projections. The current work identifies the effects of errors induced by computational limitations during nesting procedures on the downscaled results of the ORCMs. The errors are quantitatively evaluated for each error source and its characteristics by the Big-Brother Experiments (BBE). The BBE separates identified errors from each other and quantitatively assess the amount of uncertainties employing the same model to simulate for both nesting and nested model. Here, we focus on discussing errors resulting from two main matters associated with nesting procedures. They should be the spatial grids' differences and the temporal updating steps. After the diverse cases from separately running of the BBE, a Taylor diagram was adopted to analyze the results and suggest an optimization intern of grid size and updating period and domain sizes. Key words: lateral boundary condition, error, ocean regional circulation model, Big-Brother Experiment. Acknowledgement: This research was supported by grants from the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries entitled "Development of integrated estuarine management system" and a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant (No. 2015R1A5A 7037372) funded by MSIP of Korea. The authors thank the Integrated Research Institute of Construction and Environmental Engineering of Seoul National University for administrative support.

Kaersutite-bearing xenoliths and megacrysts in volcanic rocks from the Funk Seamount in the souhtwest Indian Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, Arch M.; Le Roex, Anton P.

1988-01-01

The petrography, mineral chemistry, and whole-rock compositions of volcanic rocks dredged from the Funk Seamount, located 60 km NW of Marion Island in the southwestern Indian Ocean, are presented together with the mineral chemistry of their inclusions. On the basis of these characteristics, the possible relationships between the Funk Seamount's volcanic rocks and the megacrysts and xenoliths in these rocks are discussed. It is argued that the Funk Seamount lavas derive from a similar mantle source region as that of the Marion Island and Prince Edward Island hotspot lavas. The geochemical signature of these lavas implies derivation from a source that is enriched (e.g., in Ti, K, P, and Nb) over the depleted mantle source regions for the adjacent mid-ocean ridge basalts.

Measurements within the Pacific-Indian oceans throughflow region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fieux, M.; Andrié, C.; Delecluse, P.; Ilahude, A. G.; Kartavtseff, A.; Mantisi, F.; Molcard, R.; Swallow, J. C.

1994-07-01

Two hydrographic (θ, S, O 2) and trichlorofluoromethane (F-11) sections were carried out between the Australian continental shelf and Indonesia, in August 1989, on board the R.V. Marion Dufresne. The sections lie in the easternmost part of the Indian Ocean where the throughflow between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean emerges. They allow us to describe the features of the water-property and circulation fields of the throughflow at its entrance in the Indian Ocean. Between the Australian continental shelf and Bali, the Subtropical and Central waters are separated from the waters of the Indonesian seas by a sharp hydrological front, located around 13°30 S, below the thermocline down to 700 m. Near the coast of Bali, upwelling occurs in the near-surface layer under the effect of the southeast monsoon; at depth, between 300 m to more than 800 m, a water mass of northern Indian Ocean origin was present. From the characteristics of the bottom water found in the Lombok basin, the maximum depth of the Java ridge which separates the Lombok basin from the Northwest Australian basin lies around 3650 m. Off Sumba, Savu, Roti and Timor channels a core of low salinity and high oxygen content near-surface water was found in the axis of each channel, which suggests strong currents from the interior Indonesian seas towards the Indian Ocean. The entrance of the deep water flowing in the opposite direction, from the Indian Ocean to the Timor basin, was marked below 1400 m to the sill depth, through an increase of salinity and oxygen content. The flow reversal, observed briefly by a Pegasus direct current profiler in the Timor strait, was located at 1200 m depth. During the southeast monsoon, the net (geostrophic + Ekman) transport calculated on the section Australia-Bali give an estimate of the throughflow between 0 and 500 m of 22 ± 4 × 10 6 m 3 s -1 towards the Indian Ocean, with a concentration of the transport in the upper layers (19 × 10 6 m 3 s -1 in 0-200 m) and

Contribution of the upper river, the estuarine region, and the adjacent sea to the heavy metal pollution in the Yangtze Estuary.

PubMed

Yin, Su; Wu, Yuehan; Xu, Wei; Li, Yangyang; Shen, Zhenyao; Feng, Chenghong

2016-07-01

To determine whether the discharge control of heavy metals in the Yangtze River basin can significantly change the pollution level in the estuary, this study analyzed the sources (upper river, the estuarine region, and the adjacent sea) of ten heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Zn) in dissolved and particulate phases in the surface water of the estuary during wet, normal, and dry seasons. Metal sources inferred from section fluxes agree with those in statistical analysis methods. Heavy metal pollution in the surface water of Yangtze Estuary primarily depends on the sediment suspension and the wastewater discharge from estuary cities. Upper river only constitutes the main source of dissolved heavy metals during the wet season, while the estuarine region and the adjacent sea (especially the former) dominate the dissolved metal pollution in the normal and dry seasons. Particulate metals are mainly derived from sediment suspension in the estuary and the adjacent sea, and the contribution of the upper river can be neglected. Compared with the hydrologic seasons, flood-ebb tides exert a more obvious effect on the water flow directions in the estuary. Sediment suspension, not the upper river, significantly affects the suspended particulate matter concentration in the estuary. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

15 CFR Appendix D to Subpart M of... - Dredged Material Disposal Sites Adjacent to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Adjacent to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary D Appendix D to Subpart M of Part 922 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Commerce and Foreign Trade (Continued) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OCEAN AND COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT NATIONAL MARINE...

15 CFR Appendix D to Subpart M of... - Dredged Material Disposal Sites Adjacent to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Adjacent to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary D Appendix D to Subpart M of Part 922 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Commerce and Foreign Trade (Continued) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OCEAN AND COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT NATIONAL MARINE...

15 CFR Appendix D to Subpart M of... - Dredged Material Disposal Sites Adjacent to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Adjacent to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary D Appendix D to Subpart M of Part 922 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Commerce and Foreign Trade (Continued) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OCEAN AND COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT NATIONAL MARINE...

Assessing Detecting and Deterring the Threat of Maritime Nuclear and Radiological Smuggling in the Western Indian Ocean Region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khan, M. Umer

This paper proposes that current maritime smuggling routes in the western Indian Ocean region are similar to those in the past and that the motivations of terrorist groups and the presence of radioactive sources in the Indian Ocean littoral and other states present a significant security threat. The majority of regional terrorist groups have a hybrid structure, piggybacking on criminal activity to fund their terror activities. Additionally, states have used maritime routes in the Indian Ocean region to transport nuclear materials and missiles. Thus, the maritime dimension of such threats remains, and may be increasing. This paper focuses on issues,more » motivations, pathways, and methods to detect and interdict nuclear and radiological trafficking. It analyzes the potential use of maritime technology applications for radiation detection and presents recommendations for states and multinational nonproliferation advocacy organizations to address the threat in the Indian Ocean region.« less

Black Carbon in Estuarine and Coastal Ocean Dissolved Organic Matter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mannino, Antonio; Harvey, H. Rodger

2003-01-01

Black carbon (BC) in ultrafiltered high-molecular-weight DOM (UDOM) was measured in surface waters of Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay and the adjacent Atlantic Ocean (USA) to ascertain the importance of riverine and estuarine DOM as a source of BC to the ocean. BC comprised 5-72% of UDOM-C (27+/-l7%) and on average 8.9+/-6.5% of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) with higher values in the turbid region of the Delaware Estuary and lower yields in the river and coastal ocean. The spatial and seasonal distributions of BC along the salinity gradient of Delaware Bay suggest that the higher levels of BC in surface water UDOM originated from localized sources, possibly from atmospheric deposition or released from resuspended sediments. Black carbon comprised 4 to 7% of the DOC in the coastal Atlantic Ocean, revealing that river-estuary systems are important exporters of colloidal BC to the ocean. The annual flux of BC from Delaware Bay UDOM to the Atlantic Ocean was estimated at 2.4x10(exp 10) g BC yr(exp -1). The global river flux of BC through DOM to the ocean could be on the order of 5.5x1O(exp 12)g BC yr (exp -1). These results support the hypothesis that the DOC pool is the intermediate reservoir in which BC ages prior to sedimentary deposition.

Exploring objective climate classification for the Himalayan arc and adjacent regions using gridded data sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forsythe, N.; Blenkinsop, S.; Fowler, H. J.

2015-05-01

A three-step climate classification was applied to a spatial domain covering the Himalayan arc and adjacent plains regions using input data from four global meteorological reanalyses. Input variables were selected based on an understanding of the climatic drivers of regional water resource variability and crop yields. Principal component analysis (PCA) of those variables and k-means clustering on the PCA outputs revealed a reanalysis ensemble consensus for eight macro-climate zones. Spatial statistics of input variables for each zone revealed consistent, distinct climatologies. This climate classification approach has potential for enhancing assessment of climatic influences on water resources and food security as well as for characterising the skill and bias of gridded data sets, both meteorological reanalyses and climate models, for reproducing subregional climatologies. Through their spatial descriptors (area, geographic centroid, elevation mean range), climate classifications also provide metrics, beyond simple changes in individual variables, with which to assess the magnitude of projected climate change. Such sophisticated metrics are of particular interest for regions, including mountainous areas, where natural and anthropogenic systems are expected to be sensitive to incremental climate shifts.

Submesoscale Flows and Mixing in the Oceanic Surface Layer Using the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

continuation of the evolution of the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS) as a multi-scale, multi-process model and its utilization for...hydrostatic component of ROMS (Kanarska et al., 2007) is required to increase its efficiency and generality. The non-hydrostatic ROMS involves the solution...instability and wind-driven mixing. For the computational regime where those processes can be partially, but not yet fully resolved, it will

Climate Outreach Using Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System Portals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, D. M.; Hernandez, D. L.; Wakely, A.; Bochenek, R. J.; Bickel, A.

2015-12-01

Coastal oceans are dynamic, changing environments affected by processes ranging from seconds to millennia. On the east and west coast of the U.S., regional observing systems have deployed and sustained a remarkable diverse array of observing tools and sensors. Data portals visualize and provide access to real-time sensor networks. Portals have emerged as an interactive tool for educators to help students explore and understand climate. Bringing data portals to outreach events, into classrooms, and onto tablets and smartphones enables educators to address topics and phenomena happening right now. For example at the 2015 Charleston Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Festival, visitors navigated the SECOORA (Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing regional Association) data portal to view the real-time marine meteorological conditions off South Carolina. Map-based entry points provide an intuitive interface for most students, an array of time series and other visualizations depict many of the essential principles of climate science manifest in the coastal zone, and data down-load/ extract options provide access to the data and documentation for further inquiry by advanced users. Beyond the exposition of climate principles, the portal experience reveals remarkable technologies in action and shows how the observing system is enabled by the activity of many different partners.

Post-1980 shifts in the sensitivity of boreal tree growth to North Atlantic Ocean dynamics and seasonal climate. Tree growth responses to North Atlantic Ocean dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ols, Clémentine; Trouet, Valerie; Girardin, Martin P.; Hofgaard, Annika; Bergeron, Yves; Drobyshev, Igor

2018-06-01

The mid-20th century changes in North Atlantic Ocean dynamics, e.g. slow-down of the Atlantic meridional overturning thermohaline circulation (AMOC), have been considered as early signs of tipping points in the Earth climate system. We hypothesized that these changes have significantly altered boreal forest growth dynamics in northeastern North America (NA) and northern Europe (NE), two areas geographically adjacent to the North Atlantic Ocean. To test our hypothesis, we investigated tree growth responses to seasonal large-scale oceanic and atmospheric indices (the AMOC, North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and Arctic Oscillation (AO)) and climate (temperature and precipitation) from 1950 onwards, both at the regional and local levels. We developed a network of 6876 black spruce (NA) and 14437 Norway spruce (NE) tree-ring width series, extracted from forest inventory databases. Analyses revealed post-1980 shifts from insignificant to significant tree growth responses to summer oceanic and atmospheric dynamics both in NA (negative responses to NAO and AO indices) and NE (positive response to NAO and AMOC indices). The strength and sign of these responses varied, however, through space with stronger responses in western and central boreal Quebec and in central and northern boreal Sweden, and across scales with stronger responses at the regional level than at the local level. Emerging post-1980 associations with North Atlantic Ocean dynamics synchronized with stronger tree growth responses to local seasonal climate, particularly to winter temperatures. Our results suggest that ongoing and future anomalies in oceanic and atmospheric dynamics may impact forest growth and carbon sequestration to a greater extent than previously thought. Cross-scale differences in responses to North Atlantic Ocean dynamics highlight complex interplays in the effects of local climate and ocean-atmosphere dynamics on tree growth processes and advocate for the use of different spatial scales in

Seasonal and Regional Variability in North Pacific Upper-Ocean Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najjar, R.; Creedon, R.; Cronin, M. F.

2016-02-01

Turbulent diffusion at marine mixed layer base (MLB) plays a fundamental role in the transport of energy between the upper and abyssal ocean. Recent investigations of North Pacific mooring data at Ocean Climate Stations (OCS) Papa (50.1N,144.9W) and KEO (32.3N,144.6E) suggest seasonal and regional variability in thermal diffusivity (κT). In this investigation, it is hypothesized that these observed differences in κT are directly associated with synoptic variability in net surface heat flux (Q0), surface wind stress (τ), mixed layer depth (h), and density stratification at MLB (∂zσ|-h). To test this hypothesis, daily-averaged time series of κT are regressed against those of Q0, τ, h, and ∂zσ|-h at both Papa and KEO over a six year time period (2007-2013). Seasonality of each time series is removed before regression to capture synoptic variability of each variable. Preliminary results of the regression analysis suggest statistically significant correlations between κT and all forcing parameters at both mooring sites. These correlations have well-determined orders of magnitude and signs consistent with the hypothesis. As a result, differences in κT between Papa and KEO may be recast in terms of differences in their correlation coefficients. In order to continue investigation of these parameters and their effects on mean seasonal differences between the two regions, these results will be compared with turbulence predicted by the K-Profile Parameterization ocean turbulence model.

Characteristics of regional aerosols: Southern Arizona and eastern Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prabhakar, Gouri

Atmospheric aerosols impact the quality of our life in many direct and indirect ways. Inhalation of aerosols can have harmful effects on human health. Aerosols also have climatic impacts by absorbing or scattering solar radiation, or more indirectly through their interactions with clouds. Despite a better understanding of several relevant aerosol properties and processes in the past years, they remain the largest uncertainty in the estimate of global radiative forcing. The uncertainties arise because although aerosols are ubiquitous in the Earth's atmosphere they are highly variable in space, time and their physicochemical properties. This makes in-situ measurements of aerosols vital in our effort towards reducing uncertainties in the estimate of global radiative forcing due to aerosols. This study is an effort to characterize atmospheric aerosols at a regional scale, in southern Arizona and eastern Pacific Ocean, based on ground and airborne observations of aerosols. Metals and metalloids in particles with aerodynamic diameter (Dp) smaller than 2.5 μm are found to be ubiquitous in southern Arizona. The major sources of the elements considered in the study are identified to be crustal dust, smelting/mining activities and fuel combustion. The spatial and temporal variability in the mass concentrations of these elements depend both on the source strength and meteorological conditions. Aircraft measurements of aerosol and cloud properties collected during various field campaigns over the eastern Pacific Ocean are used to study the sources of nitrate in stratocumulus cloud water and the relevant processes. The major sources of nitrate in cloud water in the region are emissions from ships and wildfires. Different pathways for nitrate to enter cloud water and the role of meteorology in these processes are examined. Observations of microphysical properties of ambient aerosols in ship plumes are examined. The study shows that there is an enhancement in the number

Ocean color products from the Korean Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI).

PubMed

Wang, Menghua; Ahn, Jae-Hyun; Jiang, Lide; Shi, Wei; Son, SeungHyun; Park, Young-Je; Ryu, Joo-Hyung

2013-02-11

The first geostationary ocean color satellite sensor, Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), which is onboard South Korean Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS), was successfully launched in June of 2010. GOCI has a local area coverage of the western Pacific region centered at around 36°N and 130°E and covers ~2500 × 2500 km(2). GOCI has eight spectral bands from 412 to 865 nm with an hourly measurement during daytime from 9:00 to 16:00 local time, i.e., eight images per day. In a collaboration between NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) and Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST), we have been working on deriving and improving GOCI ocean color products, e.g., normalized water-leaving radiance spectra (nLw(λ)), chlorophyll-a concentration, diffuse attenuation coefficient at the wavelength of 490 nm (Kd(490)), etc. The GOCI-covered ocean region includes one of the world's most turbid and optically complex waters. To improve the GOCI-derived nLw(λ) spectra, a new atmospheric correction algorithm was developed and implemented in the GOCI ocean color data processing. The new algorithm was developed specifically for GOCI-like ocean color data processing for this highly turbid western Pacific region. In this paper, we show GOCI ocean color results from our collaboration effort. From in situ validation analyses, ocean color products derived from the new GOCI ocean color data processing have been significantly improved. Generally, the new GOCI ocean color products have a comparable data quality as those from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the satellite Aqua. We show that GOCI-derived ocean color data can provide an effective tool to monitor ocean phenomenon in the region such as tide-induced re-suspension of sediments, diurnal variation of ocean optical and biogeochemical properties, and horizontal advection of river discharge. In particular, we show some examples of ocean

The absence of sharks from abyssal regions of the world's oceans

PubMed Central

Priede, Imants G; Froese, Rainer; Bailey, David M; Bergstad, Odd Aksel; Collins, Martin A; Dyb, Jan Erik; Henriques, Camila; Jones, Emma G; King, Nicola

2006-01-01

The oceanic abyss (depths greater than 3000 m), one of the largest environments on the planet, is characterized by absence of solar light, high pressures and remoteness from surface food supply necessitating special molecular, physiological, behavioural and ecological adaptations of organisms that live there. Sampling by trawl, baited hooks and cameras we show that the Chondrichthyes (sharks, rays and chimaeras) are absent from, or very rare in this region. Analysis of a global data set shows a trend of rapid disappearance of chondrichthyan species with depth when compared with bony fishes. Sharks, apparently well adapted to life at high pressures are conspicuous on slopes down to 2000 m including scavenging at food falls such as dead whales. We propose that they are excluded from the abyss by high-energy demand, including an oil-rich liver for buoyancy, which cannot be sustained in extreme oligotrophic conditions. Sharks are apparently confined to ca 30% of the total ocean and distribution of many species is fragmented around sea mounts, ocean ridges and ocean margins. All populations are therefore within reach of human fisheries, and there is no hidden reserve of chondrichthyan biomass or biodiversity in the deep sea. Sharks may be more vulnerable to over-exploitation than previously thought. PMID:16777734

The absence of sharks from abyssal regions of the world's oceans.

PubMed

Priede, Imants G; Froese, Rainer; Bailey, David M; Bergstad, Odd Aksel; Collins, Martin A; Dyb, Jan Erik; Henriques, Camila; Jones, Emma G; King, Nicola

2006-06-07

The oceanic abyss (depths greater than 3000 m), one of the largest environments on the planet, is characterized by absence of solar light, high pressures and remoteness from surface food supply necessitating special molecular, physiological, behavioural and ecological adaptations of organisms that live there. Sampling by trawl, baited hooks and cameras we show that the Chondrichthyes (sharks, rays and chimaeras) are absent from, or very rare in this region. Analysis of a global data set shows a trend of rapid disappearance of chondrichthyan species with depth when compared with bony fishes. Sharks, apparently well adapted to life at high pressures are conspicuous on slopes down to 2000 m including scavenging at food falls such as dead whales. We propose that they are excluded from the abyss by high-energy demand, including an oil-rich liver for buoyancy, which cannot be sustained in extreme oligotrophic conditions. Sharks are apparently confined to ca 30% of the total ocean and distribution of many species is fragmented around sea mounts, ocean ridges and ocean margins. All populations are therefore within reach of human fisheries, and there is no hidden reserve of chondrichthyan biomass or biodiversity in the deep sea. Sharks may be more vulnerable to over-exploitation than previously thought.

Microplastics in the Ocean.

PubMed

Shim, Won Joon; Thomposon, Richard C

2015-10-01

Since their ubiquity in the ocean and marine organisms was first revealed, global concern about microplastics has grown considerably. The North Pacific Ocean and the adjacent marginal seas have high levels of microplastic contamination compared with the global average. This special issue on microplastics was organized by the North Pacific Marine Science Organization to share information on microplastic pollution in the North Pacific region. The special issue highlights high levels of contamination in the North Pacific both on shorelines and at the sea surface. Particularly high levels of contamination were reported on the western and southern coasts of Korea. Sources, including sewage discharge, aquaculture, and shipyards, were implicated. With the direction and energy of surface winds and currents have an important influence on shoreline patterns of distribution. The special issue also demonstrates potential for ingestion of microplastic by small planktonic organisms at the base of the food chain. A wide range of chemicals are associated with plastic debris and concerns are expressed about the potential for these chemicals to transfer to biota upon ingestion. As an introduction to the topic, this paper provides a brief background on microplastic contamination, highlights some key research gaps, and summarizes findings from the articles published in this issue.

An assessment of ten ocean reanalyses in the polar regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uotila, Petteri

2017-04-01

Ocean reanalysis (ORA) combines observations either statistically or with a hydrodynamical model, to reconstruct historical changes in the ocean. Global and regional ORA products are increasingly used in polar research, but their quality remains to be systematically assessed. To address this, the Polar ORA Intercomparison Project (PORA-IP) has been established following on from the ORA-IP project (Balmaseda et al. 2015, with other papers in a special issue of Climate Dynamics). The PORA-IP is constituted under the COST EOS initiative with plans to review reanalyses products in both the Arctic and Antarctic, and is endorsed by YOPP - the Year of Polar Prediction project. Currently, the PORA-IP team consists of 21 researchers from 15 institutes and universities. The ORA-IP products with polar physics, such as sea ice, have been updated where necessary and collected in a public database. In addition to model output, available observational polar climatologies are collected and used in the assessments. Due to the extensive variety of products, this database should become a valuable resource outside the PORA-IP community. For a comprehensive evaluation of the ten ORA products (CGLORSv5, ECDA3.1, GECCO2, Glorys2v4, GloSea5_GO5, MOVEG2i, ORAP5, SODA3.3.1, TOPAZ4 and UR025.4) in the Arctic and Southern Oceans several specific diagnostics are assessed. The PORA-IP diagnostics target the following topics: hydrography; heat, salinity and freshwater content; ocean transports and surface currents; mixed layer depth; sea-ice concentration and thickness; and snow thickness over sea ice. Based on these diagnostics, ORA product biases against observed data and their mutual spread are quantified, and possible reasons for discrepancies discussed. So far, we have identified product outliers and evaluated the multi-model mean. We have identified the importance of the atmospheric forcing, air-ocean coupling protocol and sea-ice data assimilation for the product performance. Moreover, we

Comparison of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae in plants from disturbed and adjacent undisturbed regions of a coastal salt marsh in Clinton, Connecticut, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooke, John C.; Lefor, Michael W.

1990-01-01

Roots of salt marsh plant species Spartina alterniflora, S. patens, Distichlis spicata, and others were examined for the presence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi. Samples were taken from introduced planted material in a salt marsh restoration project and from native material in adjacent marsh areas along the Indian River, Clinton, Connecticut, USA. After ten years the replanted area still has sites devoid of vegetation. The salt marsh plants introduced there were devoid of VAM fungi, while high marsh species from the adjacent undisturbed region showed consistent infection, leading the authors to suggest that VAM fungal infection of planting stocks may be a factor in the success of marsh restoration.

A Unified Data Assimilation Strategy for Regional Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Prediction Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Lian; Liu, Bin; Zhang, Fuqing; Weng, Yonghui

2014-05-01

Improving tropical cyclone (TC) forecasts is a top priority in weather forecasting. Assimilating various observational data to produce better initial conditions for numerical models using advanced data assimilation techniques has been shown to benefit TC intensity forecasts, whereas assimilating large-scale environmental circulation into regional models by spectral nudging or Scale-Selective Data Assimilation (SSDA) has been demonstrated to improve TC track forecasts. Meanwhile, taking into account various air-sea interaction processes by high-resolution coupled air-sea modelling systems has also been shown to improve TC intensity forecasts. Despite the advances in data assimilation and air-sea coupled models, large errors in TC intensity and track forecasting remain. For example, Hurricane Nate (2011) has brought considerable challenge for the TC operational forecasting community, with very large intensity forecast errors (27, 25, and 40 kts for 48, 72, and 96 h, respectively) for the official forecasts. Considering the slow-moving nature of Hurricane Nate, it is reasonable to hypothesize that air-sea interaction processes played a critical role in the intensity change of the storm, and accurate representation of the upper ocean dynamics and thermodynamics is necessary to quantitatively describe the air-sea interaction processes. Currently, data assimilation techniques are generally only applied to hurricane forecasting in stand-alone atmospheric or oceanic model. In fact, most of the regional hurricane forecasting models only included data assimilation techniques for improving the initial condition of the atmospheric model. In such a situation, the benefit of adjustments in one model (atmospheric or oceanic) by assimilating observational data can be compromised by errors from the other model. Thus, unified data assimilation techniques for coupled air-sea modelling systems, which not only simultaneously assimilate atmospheric and oceanic observations into the

The influence of tide on sea surface temperature in the marginal sea of northwest Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Shih-Jen; Tsai, Yun-Chan; Ho, Chung-Ru; Lo, Yao-Tsai; Kuo, Nan-Jung

2017-10-01

Tide gauge data provided by the University of Hawaii Sea Level Center and daily sea surface temperature (SST) data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) product are used in this study to analyze the influence of tide on the SST in the seas of Northwestern Pacific. In the marginal region, the climatology SST is lower in the northwestern area than that in the southeastern area. In the coastal region, the SST at spring tide is higher than that at neap tide in winter, but it is lower in other seasons. In the adjacent waters of East China Sea and Yellow Sea, the SST at spring tide is higher than that at neap tide in winter and summer but it is lower in spring and autumn. In the open ocean region, the SST at spring tide is higher than that at neap tide in winter, but it is lower in other seasons. In conclusion, not only the river discharge and topography, but also tides could influence the SST variations, especially in the open ocean region.

Regional differences in plastic ingestion among Southern Ocean fur seals and albatrosses.

PubMed

Ryan, Peter G; de Bruyn, P J Nico; Bester, Marthán N

2016-03-15

We provide data on regional differences in plastic ingestion for two Southern Ocean top predators: Arctocephalus fur seals and albatrosses (Diomedeidae). Fur seals breeding on Macquarie Island in the 1990s excreted small (mainly 2-5 mm) plastic fragments, probably derived secondarily from myctophid fish. No plastic was found in the scats of these seals breeding on three islands in the southwest Indian and central South Atlantic Oceans, despite myctophids dominating their diets at these locations. Compared to recent reports of plastic ingestion by albatrosses off the east coast of South America, we confirm that plastic is seldom found in the stomachs of Thalassarche albatrosses off South Africa, but found no Diomedea albatrosses to contain plastic, compared to 26% off South America. The reasons for such regional differences are unclear, but emphasize the importance of reporting negative as well as positive records of plastic ingestion by marine biota. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional contributions of ocean iron fertilization to atmospheric CO2 changes during the last glacial termination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Opazo, N. E.; Lambert, F.

2017-12-01

Mineral dust aerosols affect climate directly by changing the radiative balance of the Earth, and indirectly by acting as cloud condensation nuclei and by affecting biogeochemical cycles. The impact on marine biogeochemical cycles is primarily through the supply of micronutrients such as iron to nutrient-limited regions of the oceans. Iron fertilization of High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) regions of the oceans is thought to have significantly affected the carbon cycle on glacial-interglacial scales and contributed about one fourth of the 80-100 ppm lowering of glacial atmospheric CO2 concentrations.In this study, we quantify the effect of global dust fluxes on atmospheric CO2 using the cGENIE model, an Earth System Model of Intermediate Complexity with emphasis on the carbon cycle. Global Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) dust flux fields were obtained from both dust model simulations and reconstructions based on observational data. The analysis was performed in two stages. In the first instance, we produced 8 global intermediate dust flux fields between Holocene and LGM and simulated the atmospheric CO2 drawdown due to these 10 dust levels. In the second stage, we only changed dust flux levels in specific HNLC regions to isolate the effect of these ocean basins. We thus quantify the contribution of the South Atlantic, the South Pacific, the North Pacific, and the Central Pacific HNLC regions to the total atmospheric CO2 difference due to iron fertilization of the Earth's oceans.

Procedures for offline grid nesting in regional ocean models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mason, Evan; Molemaker, Jeroen; Shchepetkin, Alexander F.; Colas, Francois; McWilliams, James C.; Sangrà, Pablo

One-way offline nesting of a primitive-equation regional ocean numerical model (ROMS) is investigated, with special attention to the boundary forcing file creation process. The model has a modified open boundary condition which minimises false wave reflections, and is optimised to utilise high-frequency boundary updates. The model configuration features a previously computed solution which supplies boundary forcing data to an interior domain with an increased grid resolution. At the open boundaries of the interior grid (the child) the topography is matched to that of the outer grid (the parent), over a narrow transition region. A correction is applied to the normal baroclinic and barotropic velocities at the open boundaries of the child to ensure volume conservation. It is shown that these steps, together with a carefully constructed interpolation of the parent data, lead to a high-quality child solution, with minimal artifacts such as persistent rim currents and wave reflections at the boundaries. Sensitivity experiments provide information about the robustness of the model open boundary condition to perturbations in the surface wind stress forcing field, to the perturbation of the volume conservation enforcement in the boundary forcing, and to perturbation of the vertical density structure in the boundary forcing. This knowledge is important when extending the nesting technique to include external data from alien sources, such as ocean models with physics and/or numerics different from ROMS, or from observed climatologies of temperature, salinity and sea level.

Episodic fresh surface waters in the Eocene Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinkhuis, Henk; Schouten, Stefan; Collinson, Margaret E.; Sluijs, Appy; Damsté, Jaap S. Sinninghe; Dickens, Gerald R.; Huber, Matthew; Cronin, Thomas M.; Onodera, Jonaotaro; Takahashi, Kozo; Bujak, Jonathan P.; Stein, Ruediger; van der Burgh, Johan; Eldrett, James S.; Harding, Ian C.; Lotter, André F.; Sangiorgi, Francesca; Cittert, Han Van Konijnenburg-Van; de Leeuw, Jan W.; Matthiessen, Jens; Backman, Jan; Moran, Kathryn; Expedition 302 Scientists

2006-06-01

It has been suggested, on the basis of modern hydrology and fully coupled palaeoclimate simulations, that the warm greenhouse conditions that characterized the early Palaeogene period (55-45Myr ago) probably induced an intensified hydrological cycle with precipitation exceeding evaporation at high latitudes. Little field evidence, however, has been available to constrain oceanic conditions in the Arctic during this period. Here we analyse Palaeogene sediments obtained during the Arctic Coring Expedition, showing that large quantities of the free-floating fern Azolla grew and reproduced in the Arctic Ocean by the onset of the middle Eocene epoch (~50Myr ago). The Azolla and accompanying abundant freshwater organic and siliceous microfossils indicate an episodic freshening of Arctic surface waters during an ~800,000-year interval. The abundant remains of Azolla that characterize basal middle Eocene marine deposits of all Nordic seas probably represent transported assemblages resulting from freshwater spills from the Arctic Ocean that reached as far south as the North Sea. The termination of the Azolla phase in the Arctic coincides with a local sea surface temperature rise from ~10°C to 13°C, pointing to simultaneous increases in salt and heat supply owing to the influx of waters from adjacent oceans. We suggest that onset and termination of the Azolla phase depended on the degree of oceanic exchange between Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas.

Episodic fresh surface waters in the Eocene Arctic Ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brinkhuis, H.; Schouten, S.; Collinson, M.E.; Sluijs, A.; Damste, J.S.S.; Dickens, G.R.; Huber, M.; Cronin, T. M.; Onodera, J.; Takahashi, K.; Bujak, J.P.; Stein, R.; Van Der Burgh, J.; Eldrett, J.S.; Harding, I.C.; Lotter, A.F.; Sangiorgi, F.; Cittert, H.V.K.V.; De Leeuw, J. W.; Matthiessen, J.; Backman, J.; Moran, K.

2006-01-01

It has been suggested, on the basis of modern hydrology and fully coupled palaeoclimate simulations, that the warm greenhouse conditions that characterized the early Palaeogene period (55-45 Myr ago) probably induced an intensified hydrological cycle with precipitation exceeding evaporation at high latitudes. Little field evidence, however, has been available to constrain oceanic conditions in the Arctic during this period. Here we analyse Palaeogene sediments obtained during the Arctic Coring Expedition, showing that large quantities of the free-floating fern Azolla grew and reproduced in the Arctic Ocean by the onset of the middle Eocene epoch (???50 Myr ago). The Azolla and accompanying abundant freshwater organic and siliceous microfossils indicate an episodic freshening of Arctic surface waters during an ???800,000-year interval. The abundant remains of Azolla that characterize basal middle Eocene marine deposits of all Nordic seas probably represent transported assemblages resulting from freshwater spills from the Arctic Ocean that reached as far south as the North Sea. The termination of the Azolla phase in the Arctic coincides with a local sea surface temperature rise from ???10??C to 13??C, pointing to simultaneous increases in salt and heat supply owing to the influx of waters from adjacent oceans. We suggest that onset and termination of the Azolla phase depended on the degree of oceanic exchange between Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas. ?? 2006 Nature Publishing Group.

Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition to the Oceans: Observation- and Model-Based Estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Alex; Altieri, Katye; Okin, Greg; Dentener, Frank; Uematsu, Mitsuo; Kanakidou, Maria; Sarin, Manmohan; Duce, Robert; Galloway, Jim; Keene, Bill; Singh, Arvind; Zamora, Lauren; Lamarque, Jean-Francois; Hsu, Shih-Chieh

2014-05-01

The reactive nitrogen (Nr) burden of the atmosphere has been increased by a factor of 3-4 by anthropogenic activity since the industrial revolution. This has led to large increases in the deposition of nitrate and ammonium to the surface waters of the open ocean, particularly downwind of major human population centres, such as those in North America, Europe and Southeast Asia. In oligotrophic waters, this deposition has the potential to significantly impact marine productivity and the global carbon cycle. Global-scale understanding of N deposition to the oceans is reliant on our ability to produce effective models of reactive nitrogen emission, atmospheric chemistry, transport and deposition (including deposition to the land surface). The Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP) recently completed a multi-model analysis of global N deposition, including comparisons to wet deposition observations from three regional networks in North America, Europe and Southeast Asia (Lamarque et al., Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 7977-8018, 2013). No similar datasets exist which would allow observation - model comparisons of wet deposition for the open oceans, because long-term wet deposition records are available for only a handful of remote island sites and rain collection over the open ocean itself is very difficult. In this work we attempt instead to use ~2600 observations of aerosol nitrate and ammonium concentrations, acquired chiefly from sampling aboard ships in the period 1995 - 2012, to assess the ACCMIP N deposition fields over the remote ocean. This database is non-uniformly distributed in time and space. We selected four ocean regions (the eastern North Atlantic, the South Atlantic, the northern Indian Ocean and northwest Pacific) where we considered the density and distribution of observational data is sufficient to provide effective comparison to the model ensemble. Two of these regions are adjacent to the land networks used in the ACCMIP

Species diversity of planktonic gastropods (Pteropoda and Heteropoda) from six ocean regions based on DNA barcode analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jennings, Robert M.; Bucklin, Ann; Ossenbrügger, Holger; Hopcroft, Russell R.

2010-12-01

Pteropods and heteropods are two distinct groups of holoplanktonic gastropods whose species and genetic diversity remain poorly understood, despite their ubiquity in the world's oceans. Some species apparently attain near cosmopolitan distributions, implying long-distance dispersal or cryptic species assemblages. We present the first multi-regional and species-rich molecular dataset of holoplanktonic gastropods, comprising DNA barcodes from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I subunit gene (COI) from 115 individuals of 41 species sampled from six ocean regions across the globe. Molecular analysis and assessment of barcoding utility supported the validity of several morphological subspecies and forms (e.g. of Creseis virgula and Limacina helicina), while others were not supported (e.g. Cavolinia uncinata). Significant genetic variation was observed among conspecific specimens collected in different geographic regions for some species, particularly in euthecosomatous pteropods. Several species of euthecosomes showed no evidence of genetic separation among distant ocean regions. Overall, we suggest some taxonomic revision of the holoplanktonic gastropods will be required, pending a more complete molecular inventory of these groups.

Impact of the Agulhas Return Current on the glacial Subantarctic region in the South Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikehara, M.; Crosta, X.; Manoj, M. C.

2017-12-01

The Southern Ocean has played an important role in the evolution of the global climate system. The Southern Ocean circulation is dominated by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), the world's longest and largest current system. Sea ice coverage on sea surface strongly affects the climate of the Southern Hemisphere through its impacts on the energy and gas budget, on the atmospheric circulation, on the hydrological cycle, and on the biological productivity. The Agulhas Return Current (ARC) originates from the Agulhas Current, the major western boundary current in the Indian Ocean, and transports heat from subtropical to subantarctic region. It's thought that the Agulhas leakage from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic was reduced for the last glacial due to a northward shift of the westerlies and ACC, however, there are still unknown yet how the ARC was responded to the reduced Agulhas leakage. A piston core DCR-1PC was collected from the Del Caño Rise (46°S, 44°E, 2632m), Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. Core site located in the Subantarctic region between the Subtropical Front (STF) and Subantarctic Front (SAF). Age model of the core was established by radiocarbon dating of planktic foraminifer Globorotalia bulloides and oxygen isotope stratigraphy of benthic foraminifers Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi and Melonis bareelanus. Sediment of DCR-1PC show the cyclic changes of diatom/carbonate ooze sedimentation corresponding to Southern Ocean fronts' migrations on glacial-interglacial timescales. Records of ice-rafted debris (IRD) and oxygen isotope in planktic foraminfer G. bulloides suggest that the melting of sea ice was significantly increased during the last glacial maximum (LGM) in the Subantarctic surface water. Diatom assemblage based summer SST also shows the relative warmer condition in the Subantarctic during the LGM. These results might be explained by the strong influence of the Agulhas Return Current during the LGM in the Subantarctic. The reduced

Climate change and regional human pressures as challenges for management in oceanic islands, South Atlantic.

PubMed

Soares, Marcelo de Oliveira

2018-06-01

This study aimed to determine the main anthropogenic pressures and the effectiveness of management practices in marine protected areas (MPAs) (Rocas Atoll and Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, South Atlantic). The MPAs exhibited high management effectiveness over the last 25 years due to the control of local pressures (i.e., fishing and tourism). However, the increase in regional and global pressures, such as invasive species, marine debris, and climate change stressors (sea-level rise, extreme events, range shifts of species, warming, and ocean acidification), are environmental risks that need to be considered during conservation. Strategies for large scale marine spatial planning, as well as proposals for an integrated management of MPAs (including coral reef islands and seamounts) by the articulation of a network, which reduces regional human pressures and improves ocean governance were discussed. This study provided insights into the challenges faced in the management of MPAs in a rapidly changing ocean. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mesoscale ocean fronts enhance carbon export due to gravitational sinking and subduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stukel, Michael R.; Aluwihare, Lihini I.; Barbeau, Katherine A.; Chekalyuk, Alexander M.; Goericke, Ralf; Miller, Arthur J.; Ohman, Mark D.; Ruacho, Angel; Song, Hajoon; Stephens, Brandon M.; Landry, Michael R.

2017-02-01

Enhanced vertical carbon transport (gravitational sinking and subduction) at mesoscale ocean fronts may explain the demonstrated imbalance of new production and sinking particle export in coastal upwelling ecosystems. Based on flux assessments from 238U:234Th disequilibrium and sediment traps, we found 2 to 3 times higher rates of gravitational particle export near a deep-water front (305 mg Cṡm-2ṡd-1) compared with adjacent water or to mean (nonfrontal) regional conditions. Elevated particle flux at the front was mechanistically linked to Fe-stressed diatoms and high mesozooplankton fecal pellet production. Using a data assimilative regional ocean model fit to measured conditions, we estimate that an additional ˜225 mg Cṡm-2ṡd-1 was exported as subduction of particle-rich water at the front, highlighting a transport mechanism that is not captured by sediment traps and is poorly quantified by most models and in situ measurements. Mesoscale fronts may be responsible for over a quarter of total organic carbon sequestration in the California Current and other coastal upwelling ecosystems.

Mesoscale ocean fronts enhance carbon export due to gravitational sinking and subduction

PubMed Central

Stukel, Michael R.; Aluwihare, Lihini I.; Barbeau, Katherine A.; Chekalyuk, Alexander M.; Goericke, Ralf; Miller, Arthur J.; Ohman, Mark D.; Ruacho, Angel; Song, Hajoon; Stephens, Brandon M.; Landry, Michael R.

2017-01-01

Enhanced vertical carbon transport (gravitational sinking and subduction) at mesoscale ocean fronts may explain the demonstrated imbalance of new production and sinking particle export in coastal upwelling ecosystems. Based on flux assessments from 238U:234Th disequilibrium and sediment traps, we found 2 to 3 times higher rates of gravitational particle export near a deep-water front (305 mg C⋅m−2⋅d−1) compared with adjacent water or to mean (nonfrontal) regional conditions. Elevated particle flux at the front was mechanistically linked to Fe-stressed diatoms and high mesozooplankton fecal pellet production. Using a data assimilative regional ocean model fit to measured conditions, we estimate that an additional ∼225 mg C⋅m−2⋅d−1 was exported as subduction of particle-rich water at the front, highlighting a transport mechanism that is not captured by sediment traps and is poorly quantified by most models and in situ measurements. Mesoscale fronts may be responsible for over a quarter of total organic carbon sequestration in the California Current and other coastal upwelling ecosystems. PMID:28115723

Modeling the Physical and Biochemical Influence of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Plant Discharges into their Adjacent Waters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

PAT GRANDELLI, P.E.; GREG ROCHELEAU; JOHN HAMRICK, Ph.D.

This paper describes the modeling work by Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc. to simulate the biochemical effects of of the nutrient-enhanced seawater plumes that are discharged by one or several 100 megawatt OTEC plants. The modeling is needed to properly design OTEC plants that can operate sustainably with acceptably low biological impact. In order to quantify the effect of discharge configuration and phytoplankton response, Makai Ocean Engineering implemented a biological and physical model for the waters surrounding O`ahu, Hawai`i, using the EPA-approved Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC). Each EFDC grid cell was approximately 1 square kilometer by 20 meters deep, andmore » used a time step of three hours. The biological model was set up to simulate the biochemical response for three classes of organisms: Picoplankton (< 2 um) such as prochlorococccus, nanoplankton (2-20 um), and microplankton (> 20 um) e.g., diatoms. The dynamic biological phytoplankton model was calibrated using chemical and biological data collected for the Hawaii Ocean Time Series (HOTS) project. Peer review of the biological modeling was performed. The physical oceanography model uses boundary conditions from a surrounding Hawai'i Regional Ocean Model, (ROM) operated by the University of Hawai`i and the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration. The ROM provided tides, basin scale circulation, mesoscale variability, and atmospheric forcing into the edges of the EFDC computational domain. This model is the most accurate and sophisticated Hawai'ian Regional Ocean Model presently available, assimilating real-time oceanographic observations, as well as model calibration based upon temperature, current and salinity data collected during 2010 near the simulated OTEC site. The ROM program manager peer-reviewed Makai's implementation of the ROM output into our EFDC model. The supporting oceanographic data was collected for a Naval Facilities Engineering Command / Makai project. Results

The impact of a pressurized regional sea or global ocean on stresses on Enceladus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, Stephanie A.; Montési, Laurent G. J.

2017-06-01

Liquid water is likely present in the interior of Enceladus, but it is still debated whether this water forms a global ocean or a regional sea and whether the present-day situation is stable. As the heat flux of Enceladus exceeds most heat source estimates, the liquid water is likely cooling and crystallizing, which results in expansion and pressurization of the sea or ocean. We determine, using an axisymmetric Finite Element Model, the tectonic patterns that pressurization of a regional sea or global ocean might produce at the surface of Enceladus. Tension is always predicted above where the ice is thinnest and generates cracks that might be at the origin of the Tiger Stripes. Tectonic activity is also expected in an annulus around the sea if the ice shell is in contact with but slips freely along the rocky core of the satellite. Cracks at the north pole are expected if the shell slips along the core or if there is a global ocean with thin ice at the pole. Water is likely injected along the base of the ice when the shell is grounded, which may lead to cycles of tectonic activity with the shell alternating between floating and grounded states and midlatitude faulting occurring at the transition from a grounded to a floating state.

Regional Sea Level Changes Projected by the NASA/GISS Atmosphere-Ocean Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, Gary L.; Gornitz, Vivien; Miller, James R.

1999-01-01

Sea level has been rising for the past century, and inhabitants of the Earth's coastal regions will want to understand and predict future sea level changes. In this study we present results from new simulations of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) global atmosphere-ocean model from 1950 to 2099. Model results are compared with observed sea level changes during the past 40 years at 17 coastal stations around the world. Using observed levels of greenhouse gases between 1950 and 1990 and a compounded 0.5% annual increase in Co2 after 1990, model projections show that global sea level measured from 1950 will rise by 61 mm in the year 2000, by 212 mm in 2050, and by 408 mm in 2089. By 2089, two thirds of the global sea level rise will be due to thermal expansion and one third will be due to ocean mass changes. The spatial distribution of sea level rise is different than that projected by rigid lid ocean models.

Synthesis study of an erosion hot spot, Ocean Beach, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barnard, Patrick L.; Hansen, Jeff E.; Erikson, Li H.

2012-01-01

A synthesis of multiple coastal morphodynamic research efforts is presented to identify the processes responsible for persistent erosion along a 1-km segment of 7-km-long Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California. The beach is situated adjacent to a major tidal inlet and in the shadow of the ebb-tidal delta at the mouth of San Francisco Bay. Ocean Beach is exposed to a high-energy wave climate and significant alongshore variability in forcing introduced by varying nearshore bathymetry, tidal forcing, and beach morphology (e.g., beach variably backed by seawall, dunes, and bluffs). In addition, significant regional anthropogenic factors have influenced sediment supply and tidal current strength. A variety of techniques were employed to investigate the erosion at Ocean Beach, including historical shoreline and bathymetric analysis, monthly beach topographic surveys, nearshore and regional bathymetric surveys, beach and nearshore grain size analysis, two surf-zone hydrodynamic experiments, four sets of nearshore wave and current experiments, and several numerical modeling approaches. Here, we synthesize the results of 7 years of data collection to lay out the causes of persistent erosion, demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating an array of data sets covering a huge range of spatial scales. The key findings are as follows: anthropogenic influences have reduced sediment supply from San Francisco Bay, leading to pervasive contraction (i.e., both volume and area loss) of the ebb-tidal delta, which in turn reduced the regional grain size and modified wave focusing patterns along Ocean Beach, altering nearshore circulation and sediment transport patterns. In addition, scour associated with an exposed sewage outfall pipe causes a local depression in wave heights, significantly modifying nearshore circulation patterns that have been shown through modeling to be key drivers of persistent erosion in that area.

Spatial and temporal Teleconnections of Sea Surface Temperature and Ocean Indices to regional Climate Variations across Thailand - a Pathway to understanding the Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bejranonda, Werapol; Koch, Manfred

2010-05-01

Thailand has a long coastline with the Pacific Ocean, as part of the Gulf of Thailand, as well as with the Indian Ocean, as part of the Andaman Sea. Because of this peculiar location, Thailand's local climate and, in particular, its water resources are strongly influenced by the mix of tropical wet, tropical dry and tropical monsoon seasons. Because of the large seasonal and interannual variations and irregularities of these, mainly ocean-driven weather patterns, particularly in recent times, large-scale water storage in huge river-fed reservoirs has a long tradition in Thailand, providing water for urban, industrial and agricultural use during long dry seasonal periods. These reservoirs which are located all over Thailand gather water primarily from monsoon-driven rainfall during the wet season which, usually, lasts from May to October. During the dry season, November to April, when the monsoon winds move northward, the air masses are drier in central and northern Thailand, with rain falling here only a few days in a month. Southern Thailand, on the other hand, which is constituted mostly by the isthmus between the two oceans, stays even hot and humid during that time period. Because of this tropical climate pattern, the surface water resources in most of Thailand strongly hinge on the monsoon movements which, in turn, depend themselves upon the thermal states of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Therefore, the understanding of the recent strong seasonal and interannual climate variations with their detrimental effects on the availability of hydrological water resources in most parts of Thailand, must include the analysis of changes of various sea-state indices in the adjacent oceans and of their possible teleconnections with regional climate indices across this country. With the modern coupled atmospheric-ocean models being able to predict the variations of many ocean indices over a period of several months, namely, those driven by El Nino- Southern Oscillations

PIXE analysis of elements in gastric cancer and adjacent mucosa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Qixin; Zhong, Ming; Zhang, Xiaofeng; Yan, Lingnuo; Xu, Yongling; Ye, Simao

1990-04-01

The elemental regional distributions in 20 resected human stomach tissues were obtained using PIXE analysis. The samples were pathologically divided into four types: normal, adjacent mucosa A, adjacent mucosa B and cancer. The targets for PIXE analysis were prepared by wet digestion with a pressure bomb system. P, K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Se were measured and statistically analysed. We found significantly higher concentrations of P, K, Cu, Zn and a higher ratio of Cu compared to Zn in cancer tissue as compared with normal tissue, but statistically no significant difference between adjacent mucosa and cancer tissue was found.

An assessment of ten ocean reanalyses in the polar regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uotila, Petteri; Goosse, Hugues; Haines, Keith; Chevallier, Matthieu; Barthélemy, Antoine; Bricaud, Clément; Carton, Jim; Fučkar, Neven; Garric, Gilles; Iovino, Doroteaciro; Kauker, Frank; Korhonen, Meri; Lien, Vidar S.; Marnela, Marika; Massonnet, François; Mignac, Davi; Peterson, K. Andrew; Sadikni, Remon; Shi, Li; Tietsche, Steffen; Toyoda, Takahiro; Xie, Jiping; Zhang, Zhaoru

2018-05-01

Global and regional ocean and sea ice reanalysis products (ORAs) are increasingly used in polar research, but their quality remains to be systematically assessed. To address this, the Polar ORA Intercomparison Project (Polar ORA-IP) has been established following on from the ORA-IP project. Several aspects of ten selected ORAs in the Arctic and Antarctic were addressed by concentrating on comparing their mean states in terms of snow, sea ice, ocean transports and hydrography. Most polar diagnostics were carried out for the first time in such an extensive set of ORAs. For the multi-ORA mean state, we found that deviations from observations were typically smaller than individual ORA anomalies, often attributed to offsetting biases of individual ORAs. The ORA ensemble mean therefore appears to be a useful product and while knowing its main deficiencies and recognising its restrictions, it can be used to gain useful information on the physical state of the polar marine environment.

Cryosphere-hydrosphere interactions: numerical modeling using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) at different scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergamasco, A.; Budgell, W. P.; Carniel, S.; Sclavo, M.

2005-03-01

Conveyor belt circulation controls global climate through heat and water fluxes with atmosphere and from tropical to polar regions and vice versa. This circulation, commonly referred to as thermohaline circulation (THC), seems to have millennium time scale and nowadays--a non-glacial period--appears to be as rather stable. However, concern is raised by the buildup of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (IPCC, Third assessment report: Climate Change 2001. A contribution of working group I, II and III to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Cambridge Univ. Press, UK) 2001, http://www.ipcc.ch) as these may affect the THC conveyor paths. Since it is widely recognized that dense-water formation sites act as primary sources in strengthening quasi-stable THC paths (Stommel H., Tellus131961224), in order to simulate properly the consequences of such scenarios a better understanding of these oceanic processes is needed. To successfully model these processes, air-sea-ice-integrated modelling approaches are often required. Here we focus on two polar regions using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). In the first region investigated, the North Atlantic-Arctic, where open-ocean deep convection and open-sea ice formation and dispersion under the intense air-sea interactions are the major engines, we use a new version of the coupled hydrodynamic-ice ROMS model. The second area belongs to the Antarctica region inside the Southern Ocean, where brine rejections during ice formation inside shelf seas origin dense water that, flowing along the continental slope, overflow becoming eventually abyssal waters. Results show how nowadays integrated-modelling tasks have become more and more feasible and effective; numerical simulations dealing with large computational domains or challenging different climate scenarios can be run on multi-processors platforms and on systems like LINUX clusters, made of the same hardware as PCs, and

Are Salps A Silver Bullet Against Global Warming And Ocean Acidification?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kithil, P. W.

2006-12-01

solar panel to power communications & provide remote control. Adjacent pumps are connected at the bottom to maintain relative position. If required, periodic seafloor anchoring can maintain absolute position within an ocean basin. Deployment is low cost as the pumps self-deploy when dropped into the ocean from barges. Pumps would not be deployed in ocean shipping channels, regions used by recreational boaters, nor where excessive tides or currents exist. In a global application, 1,340 arrays each 100,000 km2 are needed to cover the 134 million km2 calculated above. Assuming one pump per square km costing 2,000, an investment of 268 billion is needed. Using a five year payback, this investment is recouped if the carbon credit price is 26.80 per ton applied to sequestering 1.96 billion tons per year of carbon. This is not dramatically different from today's carbon credit price of about 15 per ton. Assuming a governmental mandate of carbon sequestration, today's price could easily increase many-fold, making ocean sequestration using forced upwelling economically attractive. Additional benefits of widespread forced upwelling include: 1 Buffering of ocean pH by removing CO2 during photosynthesis; 2 Possible cooling the upper mixed layer upstream from coral reefs to reduce bleaching from ocean hotspots; 3 Possible mitigation of rapid climate change by enhancing the mixing of arctic/Greenland meltwater; 4 Enhancement of wild fish populations; and, 5 Reduced hurricane intensity, achieved by cooling the upper mixed layer upon approach of a tropical storm in high risk regions such as the Gulf of Mexico.

Experiments with Seasonal Forecasts of ocean conditions for the Northern region of the California Current upwelling system.

PubMed

Siedlecki, Samantha A; Kaplan, Isaac C; Hermann, Albert J; Nguyen, Thanh Tam; Bond, Nicholas A; Newton, Jan A; Williams, Gregory D; Peterson, William T; Alin, Simone R; Feely, Richard A

2016-06-07

Resource managers at the state, federal, and tribal levels make decisions on a weekly to quarterly basis, and fishers operate on a similar timeframe. To determine the potential of a support tool for these efforts, a seasonal forecast system is experimented with here. JISAO's Seasonal Coastal Ocean Prediction of the Ecosystem (J-SCOPE) features dynamical downscaling of regional ocean conditions in Washington and Oregon waters using a combination of a high-resolution regional model with biogeochemistry and forecasts from NOAA's Climate Forecast System (CFS). Model performance and predictability were examined for sea surface temperature (SST), bottom temperature, bottom oxygen, pH, and aragonite saturation state through model hindcasts, reforecast, and forecast comparisons with observations. Results indicate J-SCOPE forecasts have measurable skill on seasonal timescales. Experiments suggest that seasonal forecasting of ocean conditions important for fisheries is possible with the right combination of components. Those components include regional predictability on seasonal timescales of the physical environment from a large-scale model, a high-resolution regional model with biogeochemistry that simulates seasonal conditions in hindcasts, a relationship with local stakeholders, and a real-time observational network. Multiple efforts and approaches in different regions would advance knowledge to provide additional tools to fishers and other stakeholders.

Experiments with Seasonal Forecasts of ocean conditions for the Northern region of the California Current upwelling system

PubMed Central

Siedlecki, Samantha A.; Kaplan, Isaac C.; Hermann, Albert J.; Nguyen, Thanh Tam; Bond, Nicholas A.; Newton, Jan A.; Williams, Gregory D.; Peterson, William T.; Alin, Simone R.; Feely, Richard A.

2016-01-01

Resource managers at the state, federal, and tribal levels make decisions on a weekly to quarterly basis, and fishers operate on a similar timeframe. To determine the potential of a support tool for these efforts, a seasonal forecast system is experimented with here. JISAO’s Seasonal Coastal Ocean Prediction of the Ecosystem (J-SCOPE) features dynamical downscaling of regional ocean conditions in Washington and Oregon waters using a combination of a high-resolution regional model with biogeochemistry and forecasts from NOAA’s Climate Forecast System (CFS). Model performance and predictability were examined for sea surface temperature (SST), bottom temperature, bottom oxygen, pH, and aragonite saturation state through model hindcasts, reforecast, and forecast comparisons with observations. Results indicate J-SCOPE forecasts have measurable skill on seasonal timescales. Experiments suggest that seasonal forecasting of ocean conditions important for fisheries is possible with the right combination of components. Those components include regional predictability on seasonal timescales of the physical environment from a large-scale model, a high-resolution regional model with biogeochemistry that simulates seasonal conditions in hindcasts, a relationship with local stakeholders, and a real-time observational network. Multiple efforts and approaches in different regions would advance knowledge to provide additional tools to fishers and other stakeholders. PMID:27273473

Experiments with Seasonal Forecasts of ocean conditions for the Northern region of the California Current upwelling system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siedlecki, Samantha A.; Kaplan, Isaac C.; Hermann, Albert J.; Nguyen, Thanh Tam; Bond, Nicholas A.; Newton, Jan A.; Williams, Gregory D.; Peterson, William T.; Alin, Simone R.; Feely, Richard A.

2016-06-01

Resource managers at the state, federal, and tribal levels make decisions on a weekly to quarterly basis, and fishers operate on a similar timeframe. To determine the potential of a support tool for these efforts, a seasonal forecast system is experimented with here. JISAO’s Seasonal Coastal Ocean Prediction of the Ecosystem (J-SCOPE) features dynamical downscaling of regional ocean conditions in Washington and Oregon waters using a combination of a high-resolution regional model with biogeochemistry and forecasts from NOAA’s Climate Forecast System (CFS). Model performance and predictability were examined for sea surface temperature (SST), bottom temperature, bottom oxygen, pH, and aragonite saturation state through model hindcasts, reforecast, and forecast comparisons with observations. Results indicate J-SCOPE forecasts have measurable skill on seasonal timescales. Experiments suggest that seasonal forecasting of ocean conditions important for fisheries is possible with the right combination of components. Those components include regional predictability on seasonal timescales of the physical environment from a large-scale model, a high-resolution regional model with biogeochemistry that simulates seasonal conditions in hindcasts, a relationship with local stakeholders, and a real-time observational network. Multiple efforts and approaches in different regions would advance knowledge to provide additional tools to fishers and other stakeholders.

Global and regional ocean carbon uptake and climate change: sensitivity to a substantial mitigation scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vichi, Marcello; Manzini, Elisa; Fogli, Pier Giuseppe; Alessandri, Andrea; Patara, Lavinia; Scoccimarro, Enrico; Masina, Simona; Navarra, Antonio

2011-11-01

Under future scenarios of business-as-usual emissions, the ocean storage of anthropogenic carbon is anticipated to decrease because of ocean chemistry constraints and positive feedbacks in the carbon-climate dynamics, whereas it is still unknown how the oceanic carbon cycle will respond to more substantial mitigation scenarios. To evaluate the natural system response to prescribed atmospheric "target" concentrations and assess the response of the ocean carbon pool to these values, 2 centennial projection simulations have been performed with an Earth System Model that includes a fully coupled carbon cycle, forced in one case with a mitigation scenario and the other with the SRES A1B scenario. End of century ocean uptake with the mitigation scenario is projected to return to the same magnitude of carbon fluxes as simulated in 1960 in the Pacific Ocean and to lower values in the Atlantic. With A1B, the major ocean basins are instead projected to decrease the capacity for carbon uptake globally as found with simpler carbon cycle models, while at the regional level the response is contrasting. The model indicates that the equatorial Pacific may increase the carbon uptake rates in both scenarios, owing to enhancement of the biological carbon pump evidenced by an increase in Net Community Production (NCP) following changes in the subsurface equatorial circulation and enhanced iron availability from extratropical regions. NCP is a proxy of the bulk organic carbon made available to the higher trophic levels and potentially exportable from the surface layers. The model results indicate that, besides the localized increase in the equatorial Pacific, the NCP of lower trophic levels in the northern Pacific and Atlantic oceans is projected to be halved with respect to the current climate under a substantial mitigation scenario at the end of the twenty-first century. It is thus suggested that changes due to cumulative carbon emissions up to present and the projected concentration

ON THE WIND-INDUCED EXCHANGE BETWEEN INDIAN RIVER BAY, DELAWARE AND THE ADJACENT CONTINENTAL SHELF. (R826945)

EPA Science Inventory

The structure of the wind-induced exchange between Indian River Bay, Delaware and the adjacent continental shelf is examined based on current measurements made at the Indian River Inlet which represents the only conduit of exchange between the bay and the coastal ocean. Local ...

Ocean Virtual Laboratory: A New Way to Explore Multi-Sensor Synergy Demonstrated over the Agulhas Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collard, F.; Quartly, G. D.; Konik, M.; Johannessen, J. A.; Korosov, A.; Chapron, B.; Piolle, J.-F.; Herledan, S.; Darecki, M.; Isar, A.; Nafornita, C.

2015-12-01

Ocean Virtual Laboratory is an ESA-funded project to prototype the concept of a single point of access for all satellite remote-sensing data with ancillary model output and in situ measurements for a given region. The idea is to provide easy access for the non-specialist to both data and state-of-the-art processing techniques and enable their easy analysis and display. The project, led by OceanDataLab, is being trialled in the region of the Agulhas Current, as it contains signals of strong contrast (due to very energetic upper ocean dynamics) and special SAR data acquisitions have been recorded there. The project also encourages the take up of Earth Observation data by developing training material to help those not in large scientific or governmental organizations make the best use of what data are available. The website for access is: http://ovlproject.oceandatalab.com/

Air-sea heat fluxes associated to mesoscale eddies in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean and their dependence on different regional conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leyba, Inés M.; Saraceno, Martín; Solman, Silvina A.

2017-10-01

Heat fluxes between the ocean and the atmosphere largely represent the link between the two media. A possible mechanism of interaction is generated by mesoscale ocean eddies. In this work we evaluate if eddies in Southwestern Atlantic (SWA) Ocean may significantly affect flows between the ocean and the atmosphere. Atmospherics conditions associated with eddies were examined using data of sea surface temperature (SST), sensible (SHF) and latent heat flux (LHF) from NCEP-CFSR reanalysis. On average, we found that NCEP-CFSR reanalysis adequately reflects the variability expected from eddies in the SWA, considering the classical eddy-pumping theory: anticyclonic (cyclonic) eddies cause maximum positive (negative) anomalies with maximum mean anomalies of 0.5 °C (-0.5 °C) in SST, 6 W/m2 (-4 W/m2) in SHF and 12 W/m2 (-9 W/m2) in LHF. However, a regional dependence of heat fluxes associated to mesoscale cyclonic eddies was found: in the turbulent Brazil-Malvinas Confluence (BMC) region they are related with positive heat flux anomaly (ocean heat loss), while in the rest of the SWA they behave as expected (ocean heat gain). We argue that eddy-pumping do not cool enough the center of the cyclonic eddies in the BMC region simply because most of them trapped very warm waters when they originate in the subtropics. The article therefore concludes that in the SWA: (1) a robust link exists between the SST anomalies generated by eddies and the local anomalous heat flow between the ocean and the atmosphere; (2) in the BMC region cyclonic eddies are related with positive heat anomalies, contrary to what is expected.

Nonuniform ocean acidification and attenuation of the ocean carbon sink

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fassbender, Andrea J.; Sabine, Christopher L.; Palevsky, Hilary I.

2017-08-01

Surface ocean carbon chemistry is changing rapidly. Partial pressures of carbon dioxide gas (pCO2) are rising, pH levels are declining, and the ocean's buffer capacity is eroding. Regional differences in short-term pH trends primarily have been attributed to physical and biological processes; however, heterogeneous seawater carbonate chemistry may also be playing an important role. Here we use Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas Version 4 data to develop 12 month gridded climatologies of carbonate system variables and explore the coherent spatial patterns of ocean acidification and attenuation in the ocean carbon sink caused by rising atmospheric pCO2. High-latitude regions exhibit the highest pH and buffer capacity sensitivities to pCO2 increases, while the equatorial Pacific is uniquely insensitive due to a newly defined aqueous CO2 concentration effect. Importantly, dissimilar regional pH trends do not necessarily equate to dissimilar acidity ([H+]) trends, indicating that [H+] is a more useful metric of acidification.

Assessing carbon dioxide removal through global and regional ocean alkalinization under high and low emission pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenton, Andrew; Matear, Richard J.; Keller, David P.; Scott, Vivian; Vaughan, Naomi E.

2018-04-01

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels continue to rise, increasing the risk of severe impacts on the Earth system, and on the ecosystem services that it provides. Artificial ocean alkalinization (AOA) is capable of reducing atmospheric CO2 concentrations and surface warming and addressing ocean acidification. Here, we simulate global and regional responses to alkalinity (ALK) addition (0.25 PmolALK yr-1) over the period 2020-2100 using the CSIRO-Mk3L-COAL Earth System Model, under high (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5; RCP8.5) and low (RCP2.6) emissions. While regionally there are large changes in alkalinity associated with locations of AOA, globally we see only a very weak dependence on where and when AOA is applied. On a global scale, while we see that under RCP2.6 the carbon uptake associated with AOA is only ˜ 60 % of the total, under RCP8.5 the relative changes in temperature are larger, as are the changes in pH (140 %) and aragonite saturation state (170 %). The simulations reveal AOA is more effective under lower emissions, therefore the higher the emissions the more AOA is required to achieve the same reduction in global warming and ocean acidification. Finally, our simulated AOA for 2020-2100 in the RCP2.6 scenario is capable of offsetting warming and ameliorating ocean acidification increases at the global scale, but with highly variable regional responses.

Could artificial ocean alkalinization protect tropical coral ecosystems from ocean acidification?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Ellias Y.; Keller, David P.; Koeve, Wolfgang; Oschlies, Andreas

2016-07-01

Artificial ocean alkalinization (AOA) is investigated as a method to mitigate local ocean acidification and protect tropical coral ecosystems during a 21st century high CO2 emission scenario. Employing an Earth system model of intermediate complexity, our implementation of AOA in the Great Barrier Reef, Caribbean Sea and South China Sea regions, shows that alkalinization has the potential to counteract expected 21st century local acidification in regard to both oceanic surface aragonite saturation Ω and surface pCO2. Beyond preventing local acidification, regional AOA, however, results in locally elevated aragonite oversaturation and pCO2 decline. A notable consequence of stopping regional AOA is a rapid shift back to the acidified conditions of the target regions. We conclude that AOA may be a method that could help to keep regional coral ecosystems within saturation states and pCO2 values close to present-day values even in a high-emission scenario and thereby might ‘buy some time’ against the ocean acidification threat, even though regional AOA does not significantly mitigate the warming threat.

Optimizing dynamic downscaling in one-way nesting using a regional ocean model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, Van Sy; Hwang, Jin Hwan; Ku, Hyeyun

2016-10-01

Dynamical downscaling with nested regional oceanographic models has been demonstrated to be an effective approach for both operationally forecasted sea weather on regional scales and projections of future climate change and its impact on the ocean. However, when nesting procedures are carried out in dynamic downscaling from a larger-scale model or set of observations to a smaller scale, errors are unavoidable due to the differences in grid sizes and updating intervals. The present work assesses the impact of errors produced by nesting procedures on the downscaled results from Ocean Regional Circulation Models (ORCMs). Errors are identified and evaluated based on their sources and characteristics by employing the Big-Brother Experiment (BBE). The BBE uses the same model to produce both nesting and nested simulations; so it addresses those error sources separately (i.e., without combining the contributions of errors from different sources). Here, we focus on discussing errors resulting from the spatial grids' differences, the updating times and the domain sizes. After the BBE was separately run for diverse cases, a Taylor diagram was used to analyze the results and recommend an optimal combination of grid size, updating period and domain sizes. Finally, suggested setups for the downscaling were evaluated by examining the spatial correlations of variables and the relative magnitudes of variances between the nested model and the original data.

Improved ocean-color remote sensing in the Arctic using the POLYMER algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frouin, Robert; Deschamps, Pierre-Yves; Ramon, Didier; Steinmetz, François

2012-10-01

Atmospheric correction of ocean-color imagery in the Arctic brings some specific challenges that the standard atmospheric correction algorithm does not address, namely low solar elevation, high cloud frequency, multi-layered polar clouds, presence of ice in the field-of-view, and adjacency effects from highly reflecting surfaces covered by snow and ice and from clouds. The challenges may be addressed using a flexible atmospheric correction algorithm, referred to as POLYMER (Steinmetz and al., 2011). This algorithm does not use a specific aerosol model, but fits the atmospheric reflectance by a polynomial with a non spectral term that accounts for any non spectral scattering (clouds, coarse aerosol mode) or reflection (glitter, whitecaps, small ice surfaces within the instrument field of view), a spectral term with a law in wavelength to the power -1 (fine aerosol mode), and a spectral term with a law in wavelength to the power -4 (molecular scattering, adjacency effects from clouds and white surfaces). Tests are performed on selected MERIS imagery acquired over Arctic Seas. The derived ocean properties, i.e., marine reflectance and chlorophyll concentration, are compared with those obtained with the standard MEGS algorithm. The POLYMER estimates are more realistic in regions affected by the ice environment, e.g., chlorophyll concentration is higher near the ice edge, and spatial coverage is substantially increased. Good retrievals are obtained in the presence of thin clouds, with ocean-color features exhibiting spatial continuity from clear to cloudy regions. The POLYMER estimates of marine reflectance agree better with in situ measurements than the MEGS estimates. Biases are 0.001 or less in magnitude, except at 412 and 443 nm, where they reach 0.005 and 0.002, respectively, and root-mean-squared difference decreases from 0.006 at 412 nm to less than 0.001 at 620 and 665 nm. A first application to MODIS imagery is presented, revealing that the POLYMER algorithm is

Oceanic Storm Characteristics off the Kennedy Space Center Coast

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. G.; Simpson, A. A.; Cummins, K. L.; Kiriazes, J. J.; Brown, R. G.; Mata, C. T.

2014-01-01

Natural cloud-to-ground lightning may behave differently depending on the characteristics of the attachment mediums, including the peak current (inferred from radiation fields) and the number of ground strike locations per flash. Existing literature has raised questions over the years on these characteristics of lightning over oceans, and the behaviors are not yet well understood. To investigate this we will obtain identical electric field observations over adjacent land and ocean regions during both clear air and thunderstorm periods. Oceanic observations will be obtained using a 3-meter NOAA buoy that has been instrumented with a Campbell Scientific electric field mill and New Mexico Techs slow antenna, to measure the electric fields aloft. We are currently obtaining measurements from this system on-shore at the Florida coast, to calibrate and better understand the behavior of the system in elevated-field environments. Sometime during winter 2013, this system will be moored 20NM off the coast of the Kennedy Space Center. Measurements from this system will be compared to the existing on-shore electric field mill suite of 31 sensors and a coastal slow antenna. Supporting observations will be provided by New Mexico Techs Lightning Mapping Array, the Eastern Range Cloud to Ground Lightning Surveillance System, and the National Lightning Detection Network. An existing network of high-speed cameras will be used to capture cloud-to-ground lightning strikes over the terrain regions to identify a valid data set for analysis. This on-going project will demonstrate the value of off-shore electric field measurements for safety-related decision making at KSC, and may improve our understanding of relative lightning risk to objects on the ground vs. ocean. This presentation will provide an overview of this new instrumentation, and a summary of our progress to date.

Distribution of oceanic 137Cs from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant simulated numerically by a regional ocean model.

PubMed

Tsumune, Daisuke; Tsubono, Takaki; Aoyama, Michio; Hirose, Katsumi

2012-09-01

Radioactive materials were released to the environment from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant as a result of the reactor accident after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011. The measured (137)Cs concentration in a seawater sample near the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant site reached 68 kBq L(-1) (6.8 × 10(4)Bq L(-1)) on 6 April. The two major likely pathways from the accident site to the ocean existed: direct release of high radioactive liquid wastes to the ocean and the deposition of airborne radioactivity to the ocean surface. By analysis of the (131)I/(137)Cs activity ratio, we determined that direct release from the site contributed more to the measured (137)Cs concentration than atmospheric deposition did. We then used a regional ocean model to simulate the (137)Cs concentrations resulting from the direct release to the ocean off Fukushima and found that from March 26 to the end of May the total amount of (137)Cs directly released was 3.5 ± 0.7 PBq ((3.5 ± 0.7) × 10(15)Bq). The simulated temporal change in (137)Cs concentrations near the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant site agreed well with observations. Our simulation results showed that (1) the released (137)Cs advected southward along the coast during the simulation period; (2) the eastward-flowing Kuroshio and its extension transported (137)C during May 2011; and (3) (137)Cs concentrations decreased to less than 10 BqL(-1) by the end of May 2011 in the whole simulation domain as a result of oceanic advection and diffusion. We compared the total amount and concentration of (137)Cs released from the Fukushima Dai-ichi reactors to the ocean with the (137)Cs released to the ocean by global fallout. Even though the measured (137)Cs concentration from the Fukushima accident was the highest recorded, the total released amount of (137)Cs was not very large. Therefore, the effect of (137)Cs released from the Fukushima Dai-ichi reactors on concentration in the whole North

Regional model simulation of summer rainfall over the Philippines: Effect of choice of driving fields and ocean flux schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francisco, R. V.; Argete, J.; Giorgi, F.; Pal, J.; Bi, X.; Gutowski, W. J.

2006-09-01

The latest version of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) regional model RegCM is used to investigate summer monsoon precipitation over the Philippine archipelago and surrounding ocean waters, a region where regional climate models have not been applied before. The sensitivity of simulated precipitation to driving lateral boundary conditions (NCEP and ERA40 reanalyses) and ocean surface flux scheme (BATS and Zeng) is assessed for 5 monsoon seasons. The ability of the RegCM to simulate the spatial patterns and magnitude of monsoon precipitation is demonstrated, both in response to the prominent large scale circulations over the region and to the local forcing by the physiographical features of the Philippine islands. This provides encouraging indications concerning the development of a regional climate modeling system for the Philippine region. On the other hand, the model shows a substantial sensitivity to the analysis fields used for lateral boundary conditions as well as the ocean surface flux schemes. The use of ERA40 lateral boundary fields consistently yields greater precipitation amounts compared to the use of NCEP fields. Similarly, the BATS scheme consistently produces more precipitation compared to the Zeng scheme. As a result, different combinations of lateral boundary fields and surface ocean flux schemes provide a good simulation of precipitation amounts and spatial structure over the region. The response of simulated precipitation to using different forcing analysis fields is of the same order of magnitude as the response to using different surface flux parameterizations in the model. As a result it is difficult to unambiguously establish which of the model configurations is best performing.

Phytoplankton across Tropical and Subtropical Regions of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans

PubMed Central

Estrada, Marta; Delgado, Maximino; Blasco, Dolors; Latasa, Mikel; Cabello, Ana María; Benítez-Barrios, Verónica; Fraile-Nuez, Eugenio; Mozetič, Patricija; Vidal, Montserrat

2016-01-01

We examine the large-scale distribution patterns of the nano- and microphytoplankton collected from 145 oceanic stations, at 3 m depth, the 20% light level and the depth of the subsurface chlorophyll maximum, during the Malaspina-2010 Expedition (December 2010-July 2011), which covered 15 biogeographical provinces across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, between 35°N and 40°S. In general, the water column was stratified, the surface layers were nutrient-poor and the nano- and microplankton (hereafter phytoplankton, for simplicity, although it included also heterotrophic protists) community was dominated by dinoflagellates, other flagellates and coccolithophores, while the contribution of diatoms was only important in zones with shallow nutriclines such as the equatorial upwelling regions. We applied a principal component analysis to the correlation matrix among the abundances (after logarithmic transform) of the 76 most frequent taxa to synthesize the information contained in the phytoplankton data set. The main trends of variability identified consisted of: 1) A contrast between the community composition of the upper and the lower parts of the euphotic zone, expressed respectively by positive or negative scores of the first principal component, which was positively correlated with taxa such as the dinoflagellates Oxytoxum minutum and Scrippsiella spp., and the coccolithophores Discosphaera tubifera and Syracosphaera pulchra (HOL and HET), and negatively correlated with taxa like Ophiaster hydroideus (coccolithophore) and several diatoms, 2) a general abundance gradient between phytoplankton-rich regions with high abundances of dinoflagellate, coccolithophore and ciliate taxa, and phytoplankton-poor regions (second principal component), 3) differences in dominant phytoplankton and ciliate taxa among the Atlantic, the Indian and the Pacific oceans (third principal component) and 4) the occurrence of a diatom-dominated assemblage (the fourth principal

Phytoplankton across Tropical and Subtropical Regions of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

PubMed

Estrada, Marta; Delgado, Maximino; Blasco, Dolors; Latasa, Mikel; Cabello, Ana María; Benítez-Barrios, Verónica; Fraile-Nuez, Eugenio; Mozetič, Patricija; Vidal, Montserrat

2016-01-01

We examine the large-scale distribution patterns of the nano- and microphytoplankton collected from 145 oceanic stations, at 3 m depth, the 20% light level and the depth of the subsurface chlorophyll maximum, during the Malaspina-2010 Expedition (December 2010-July 2011), which covered 15 biogeographical provinces across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, between 35°N and 40°S. In general, the water column was stratified, the surface layers were nutrient-poor and the nano- and microplankton (hereafter phytoplankton, for simplicity, although it included also heterotrophic protists) community was dominated by dinoflagellates, other flagellates and coccolithophores, while the contribution of diatoms was only important in zones with shallow nutriclines such as the equatorial upwelling regions. We applied a principal component analysis to the correlation matrix among the abundances (after logarithmic transform) of the 76 most frequent taxa to synthesize the information contained in the phytoplankton data set. The main trends of variability identified consisted of: 1) A contrast between the community composition of the upper and the lower parts of the euphotic zone, expressed respectively by positive or negative scores of the first principal component, which was positively correlated with taxa such as the dinoflagellates Oxytoxum minutum and Scrippsiella spp., and the coccolithophores Discosphaera tubifera and Syracosphaera pulchra (HOL and HET), and negatively correlated with taxa like Ophiaster hydroideus (coccolithophore) and several diatoms, 2) a general abundance gradient between phytoplankton-rich regions with high abundances of dinoflagellate, coccolithophore and ciliate taxa, and phytoplankton-poor regions (second principal component), 3) differences in dominant phytoplankton and ciliate taxa among the Atlantic, the Indian and the Pacific oceans (third principal component) and 4) the occurrence of a diatom-dominated assemblage (the fourth principal

The origins of the anomalous warming in the California coastal ocean and San Francisco Bay during 2014-2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chao, Yi; Farrara, John D.; Bjorkstedt, Eric; Chai, Fei; Chavez, Francisco; Rudnick, Daniel L.; Enright, Wendy; Fisher, Jennifer L.; Peterson, William T.; Welch, Gregory F.; Davis, Curtiss O.; Dugdale, Richard C.; Wilkerson, Frances P.; Zhang, Hongchun; Zhang, Yinglong; Ateljevich, Eli

2017-09-01

During 2014 exceptionally warm water temperatures developed across a wide area off the California coast and within San Francisco Bay (SFB) and persisted into 2016. Observations and numerical model output are used to document this warming and determine its origins. The coastal warming was mostly confined to the upper 100 m of the ocean and was manifested strongly in the two leading modes of upper ocean (0-100 m) temperature variability in the extratropical eastern Pacific. Observations suggest that the coastal warming in 2014 propagated into nearshore regions from the west while later indicating a warming influence that propagated from south to north into the region associated with the 2015-2016 El Niño event. An analysis of the upper ocean (0-100 m) heat budget in a Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) simulation confirmed this scenario. The results from a set of sensitivity runs with the model in which the lateral boundary conditions varied supported the conclusions drawn from the heat budget analysis. Concerning the warming in the SFB, an examination of the observations and the heat budget in an unstructured-grid numerical model simulation suggested that the warming during the second half of 2014 and early 2016 originated in the adjacent California coastal ocean and propagated through the Golden Gate into the Bay. The finding that the coastal and Bay warming are due to the relatively slow propagation of signals from remote sources raises the possibility that such warming events may be predictable many months or even several seasons in advance.

Inventory and comparative evaluation of seabed mapping, classification and modeling activities in the Northwest Atlantic, USA to support regional ocean planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shumchenia, Emily J.; Guarinello, Marisa L.; Carey, Drew A.; Lipsky, Andrew; Greene, Jennifer; Mayer, Larry; Nixon, Matthew E.; Weber, John

2015-06-01

Efforts are in motion globally to address coastal and marine management needs through spatial planning and concomitant seabed habitat mapping. Contrasting strategies are often evident in these processes among local, regional, national and international scientific approaches and policy needs. In answer to such contrasts among its member states, the United States Northeast Regional Ocean Council formed a Habitat Working Group to conduct a regional inventory and comparative evaluation of seabed characterization, classification, and modeling activities in New England. The goals of this effort were to advance regional understanding of ocean habitats and identify opportunities for collaboration. Working closely with the Habitat Working Group, we organized and led the inventory and comparative analysis with a focus on providing processes and tools that can be used by scientists and managers, updated and adapted for future use, and applied in other ocean management regions throughout the world. Visual schematics were a critical component of the comparative analysis and aided discussion among scientists and managers. Regional consensus was reached on a common habitat classification scheme (U.S. Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard) for regional seabed maps. Results and schematics were presented at a region-wide workshop where further steps were taken to initiate collaboration among projects. The workshop culminated in an agreement on a set of future seabed mapping goals for the region. The work presented here may serve as an example to other ocean planning regions in the U.S., Europe or elsewhere seeking to integrate a variety of seabed characterization, classification and modeling activities.

NEPTUNE Canada Regional Cabled Observatory: Transforming Ocean Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Best, M.; Barnes, C.; Bornhold, B.; Johnson, F.; Phibbs, P.; Pirenne, B.

2008-12-01

NEPTUNE Canada is installing a regional cabled ocean observatory across the northern Juan de Fuca Plate in the northeastern Pacific. When installation of the first suite of instruments and connectivity equipment is completed in 2009, this system will provide the continuous power and bandwidth to collect integrated data on physical, chemical, geological, and biological gradients at temporal resolutions relevant to the dynamics of the earth-ocean system. The building of this facility integrates hardware, software, and people networks. Hardware progress to date includes: installation of the 800km powered fiber-optic backbone in the Fall of 2007; development of Nodes and Junction Boxes that are currently being manufactured; acquisition/development and testing of Instruments; development of mobile instrument platforms such as a) a Vertical Profiler which has completed FAT and will be delivered in the Fall of 2008 and b) a Crawler (University of Bremmen) field tested in June 2008 for investigation of exposed hydrate deposits. An integrated test platform is being deployed on the operational VENUS observatory in September 2008, which includes a module developed by Ifremer. In parallel, software and hardware systems are built to acquire, archive, and deliver the continuous real-time data - already in operation for VENUS. A web environment to combine this data access with analysis and visualization, collaborative tools, interoperability, and instrument control is under construction. Finally, a network of scientists and technicians are contributing to the process in every phase. Initial experiments were planned through a series of workshops and international proposal competitions. At inshore Folger Passage, Barkley Sound, understanding controls on biological productivity will help evaluate the effects that marine processes have on fish and marine mammals. Experiments around Barkley Canyon will allow quantification of changes in biological and chemical activity associated with

Microsatellite genetic distances between oceanic populations of the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).

PubMed

Valsecchi, E; Palsbøll, P; Hale, P; Glockner-Ferrari, D; Ferrari, M; Clapham, P; Larsen, F; Mattila, D; Sears, R; Sigurjonsson, J; Brown, M; Corkeron, P; Amos, B

1997-04-01

Mitochondrial DNA haplotypes of humpback whales show strong segregation between oceanic populations and between feeding grounds within oceans, but this highly structured pattern does not exclude the possibility of extensive nuclear gene flow. Here we present allele frequency data for four microsatellite loci typed across samples from four major oceanic regions: the North Atlantic (two mitochondrially distinct populations), the North Pacific, and two widely separated Antarctic regions, East Australia and the Antarctic Peninsula. Allelic diversity is a little greater in the two Antarctic samples, probably indicating historically greater population sizes. Population subdivision was examined using a wide range of measures, including Fst, various alternative forms of Slatkin's Rst, Goldstein and colleagues' delta mu, and a Monte Carlo approximation to Fisher's exact test. The exact test revealed significant heterogeneity in all but one of the pairwise comparisons between geographically adjacent populations, including the comparison between the two North Atlantic populations, suggesting that gene flow between oceans is minimal and that dispersal patterns may sometimes be restricted even in the absence of obvious barriers, such as land masses, warm water belts, and antitropical migration behavior. The only comparison where heterogeneity was not detected was the one between the two Antarctic population samples. It is unclear whether failure to find a difference here reflects gene flow between the regions or merely lack of statistical power arising from the small size of the Antarctic Peninsula sample. Our comparison between measures of population subdivision revealed major discrepancies between methods, with little agreement about which populations were most and least separated. We suggest that unbiased Rst (URst, see Goodman 1995) is currently the most reliable statistic, probably because, unlike the other methods, it allows for unequal sample sizes. However, in view of

The Footprint of Continental-Scale Ocean Currents on the Biogeography of Seaweeds

PubMed Central

Wernberg, Thomas; Thomsen, Mads S.; Connell, Sean D.; Russell, Bayden D.; Waters, Jonathan M.; Zuccarello, Giuseppe C.; Kraft, Gerald T.; Sanderson, Craig; West, John A.; Gurgel, Carlos F. D.

2013-01-01

Explaining spatial patterns of biological organisation remains a central challenge for biogeographic studies. In marine systems, large-scale ocean currents can modify broad-scale biological patterns by simultaneously connecting environmental (e.g. temperature, salinity and nutrients) and biological (e.g. amounts and types of dispersed propagules) properties of adjacent and distant regions. For example, steep environmental gradients and highly variable, disrupted flow should lead to heterogeneity in regional communities and high species turnover. In this study, we investigated the possible imprint of the Leeuwin (LC) and East Australia (EAC) Currents on seaweed communities across ~7,000 km of coastline in temperate Australia. These currents flow poleward along the west and east coasts of Australia, respectively, but have markedly different characteristics. We tested the hypothesis that, regional seaweed communities show serial change in the direction of current flow and that, because the LC is characterised by a weaker temperature gradient and more un-interrupted along-shore flow compared to the EAC, then coasts influenced by the LC have less variable seaweed communities and lower species turnover across regions than the EAC. This hypothesis was supported. We suggest that this pattern is likely caused by a combination of seaweed temperature tolerances and current-driven dispersal. In conclusion, our findings support the idea that the characteristics of continental-scale currents can influence regional community organisation, and that the coupling of ocean currents and marine biological structure is a general feature that transcends taxa and spatial scales. PMID:24260352

33 CFR 334.961 - Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, San Clemente... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.961 Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore. (a) The danger zone: The waters of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to San Clemente...

33 CFR 334.961 - Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, San Clemente... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.961 Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore. (a) The danger zone: The waters of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to San Clemente...

33 CFR 334.961 - Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, San Clemente... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.961 Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore. (a) The danger zone: The waters of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to San Clemente...

33 CFR 334.961 - Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pacific Ocean, San Clemente... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.961 Pacific Ocean, San Clemente Island, California, naval danger zone off the northwest shore. (a) The danger zone: The waters of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to San Clemente...

Sea ice and oceanic processes on the Ross Sea continental shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobs, S. S.; Comiso, J. C.

1989-12-01

We have investigated the spatial and temporal variability of Antarctic sea ice concentrations on the Ross Sea continental shelf, in relation to oceanic and atmospheric forcing. Sea ice data were derived from Nimbus 7 scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) brightness temperatures from 1979-1986. Ice cover over the shelf was persistently lower than above the adjacent deep ocean, averaging 86% during winter with little month-to-month or interannual variability. The large spring Ross Sea polynya on the western shelf results in a longer period of summer insolation, greater surface layer heat storage, and later ice formation in that region the following autumn. Newly identified Pennell and Ross Passage polynyas near the continental shelf break appear to be maintained in part by divergence above a submarine bank and by upwelling of warmer water near the slope front. Warmer subsurface water enters the shelf region year-round and will retard ice growth and enhance heat flux to the atmosphere when entrained in the strong winter vertical circulation. Temperatures at 125-m depth on a mooring near the Ross Ice Shelf during July 1984 averaged 0.15°C above freezing, sufficient to support a vertical heat flux above 100 W/m2. Monthly average subsurface ocean temperatures along the Ross Ice Shelf lag the air temperature cycle and begin to rise several weeks before spring ice breakout. The coarse SMMR resolution and dynamic ice shelf coastlines can compromise the use of microwave sea ice data near continental boundaries.

Seismic structure of the crust and uppermost mantle of north America and adjacent oceanic basins: A synthesis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chulick, G.S.; Mooney, W.D.

2002-01-01

We present a new set of contour maps of the seismic structure of North America and the surrounding ocean basins. These maps include the crustal thickness, whole-crustal average P-wave and S-wave velocity, and seismic velocity of the uppermost mantle, that is, Pn and Sn. We found the following: (1) The average thickness of the crust under North America is 36.7 km (standard deviation [s.d.] ??8.4 km), which is 2.5 km thinner than the world average of 39.2 km (s.d. ?? 8.5) for continental crust; (2) Histograms of whole-crustal P- and S-wave velocities for the North American crust are bimodal, with the lower peak occurring for crust without a high-velocity (6.9-7.3 km/sec) lower crustal layer; (3) Regions with anomalously high average crustal P-wave velocities correlate with Precambrian and Paleozoic orogens; low average crustal velocities are correlated with modern extensional regimes; (4) The average Pn velocity beneath North America is 8.03 km/sec (s.d. ?? 0.19 km/sec); (5) the well-known thin crust beneath the western United States extends into northwest Canada; (6) the average P-wave velocity of layer 3 of oceanic crust is 6.61 km/ sec (s.d. ?? 0.47 km/sec). However, the average crustal P-wave velocity under the eastern Pacific seafloor is higher than the western Atlantic seafloor due to the thicker sediment layer on the older Atlantic seafloor.

Chapter 1. Impacts of the oceans on climate change.

PubMed

Reid, Philip C; Fischer, Astrid C; Lewis-Brown, Emily; Meredith, Michael P; Sparrow, Mike; Andersson, Andreas J; Antia, Avan; Bates, Nicholas R; Bathmann, Ulrich; Beaugrand, Gregory; Brix, Holger; Dye, Stephen; Edwards, Martin; Furevik, Tore; Gangstø, Reidun; Hátún, Hjálmar; Hopcroft, Russell R; Kendall, Mike; Kasten, Sabine; Keeling, Ralph; Le Quéré, Corinne; Mackenzie, Fred T; Malin, Gill; Mauritzen, Cecilie; Olafsson, Jón; Paull, Charlie; Rignot, Eric; Shimada, Koji; Vogt, Meike; Wallace, Craig; Wang, Zhaomin; Washington, Richard

2009-01-01

The oceans play a key role in climate regulation especially in part buffering (neutralising) the effects of increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and rising global temperatures. This chapter examines how the regulatory processes performed by the oceans alter as a response to climate change and assesses the extent to which positive feedbacks from the ocean may exacerbate climate change. There is clear evidence for rapid change in the oceans. As the main heat store for the world there has been an accelerating change in sea temperatures over the last few decades, which has contributed to rising sea-level. The oceans are also the main store of carbon dioxide (CO2), and are estimated to have taken up approximately 40% of anthropogenic-sourced CO2 from the atmosphere since the beginning of the industrial revolution. A proportion of the carbon uptake is exported via the four ocean 'carbon pumps' (Solubility, Biological, Continental Shelf and Carbonate Counter) to the deep ocean reservoir. Increases in sea temperature and changing planktonic systems and ocean currents may lead to a reduction in the uptake of CO2 by the ocean; some evidence suggests a suppression of parts of the marine carbon sink is already underway. While the oceans have buffered climate change through the uptake of CO2 produced by fossil fuel burning this has already had an impact on ocean chemistry through ocean acidification and will continue to do so. Feedbacks to climate change from acidification may result from expected impacts on marine organisms (especially corals and calcareous plankton), ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles. The polar regions of the world are showing the most rapid responses to climate change. As a result of a strong ice-ocean influence, small changes in temperature, salinity and ice cover may trigger large and sudden changes in regional climate with potential downstream feedbacks to the climate of the rest of the world. A warming Arctic Ocean may lead to

Behaviour of oceanic 137Cs following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident for four years simulated numerically by a regional ocean model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsumune, D.; Tsubono, T.; Aoyama, M.; Misumi, K.; Tateda, Y.

2015-12-01

A series of accidents at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (1F NPP) following the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011 resulted in the release of radioactive materials to the ocean by two major pathways, direct release from the accident site and atmospheric deposition.We reconstructed spatiotemporal variability of 137Cs activity in the regional ocean for four years by numerical model, such as a regional scale and the North Pacific scale oceanic dispersion models, an atmospheric transport model, a sediment transport model, a dynamic biological compartment model for marine biota and river runoff model. Direct release rate of 137Cs were estimated for four years after the accident by comparing simulated results and observed activities very close to the site. The estimated total amounts of directly release was 3.6±0.7 PBq. Directly release rate of 137Cs decreased exponentially with time by the end of December 2012 and then, was almost constant. Decrease rate were quite small after 2013. The daily release rate of 137Cs was estimated to be the order of magnitude of 1010 Bq/day by the end of March 2015. The activity of directly released 137Cs was detectable only in the coastal zone after December 2012. Simulated 137Cs activities attributable to direct release were in good agreement with observed activities, a result that implies the estimated direct release rate was reasonable. There is no observed data of 137Cs activity in the ocean from 11 to 21 March 2011. Observed data of marine biota should reflect the history of 137Cs activity in this early period. We reconstructed the history of 137Cs activity in this early period by considering atmospheric deposition, river input, rain water runoff from the 1F NPP site. The comparisons between simulated 137Cs activity of marine biota by a dynamic biological compartment and observed data also suggest that simulated 137Cs activity attributable to atmospheric deposition was underestimated in this early period. The

Behaviour of oceanic 137Cs following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident for four years simulated numerically by a regional ocean model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torn, M. S.; Koven, C. D.; Riley, W. J.; Zhu, B.; Hicks Pries, C.; Phillips, C. L.

2014-12-01

A series of accidents at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (1F NPP) following the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011 resulted in the release of radioactive materials to the ocean by two major pathways, direct release from the accident site and atmospheric deposition.We reconstructed spatiotemporal variability of 137Cs activity in the regional ocean for four years by numerical model, such as a regional scale and the North Pacific scale oceanic dispersion models, an atmospheric transport model, a sediment transport model, a dynamic biological compartment model for marine biota and river runoff model. Direct release rate of 137Cs were estimated for four years after the accident by comparing simulated results and observed activities very close to the site. The estimated total amounts of directly release was 3.6±0.7 PBq. Directly release rate of 137Cs decreased exponentially with time by the end of December 2012 and then, was almost constant. Decrease rate were quite small after 2013. The daily release rate of 137Cs was estimated to be the order of magnitude of 1010 Bq/day by the end of March 2015. The activity of directly released 137Cs was detectable only in the coastal zone after December 2012. Simulated 137Cs activities attributable to direct release were in good agreement with observed activities, a result that implies the estimated direct release rate was reasonable. There is no observed data of 137Cs activity in the ocean from 11 to 21 March 2011. Observed data of marine biota should reflect the history of 137Cs activity in this early period. We reconstructed the history of 137Cs activity in this early period by considering atmospheric deposition, river input, rain water runoff from the 1F NPP site. The comparisons between simulated 137Cs activity of marine biota by a dynamic biological compartment and observed data also suggest that simulated 137Cs activity attributable to atmospheric deposition was underestimated in this early period. The

Ocean acidification postcards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schreppel, Heather A.; Cimitile, Matthew J.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting research on ocean acidification in polar, temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions including the Arctic, West Florida Shelf, and the Caribbean. Project activities include field assessment, experimental laboratory studies, and evaluation of existing data. The USGS is participating in international and interagency working groups to develop research strategies to increase understanding of the global implications of ocean acidification. Research strategies include new approaches for seawater chemistry observation and modeling, assessment of physiological effects on organisms, changes in marine ecosystem structure, new technologies, and information resources. These postcards highlight ongoing USGS research efforts in ocean acidification and carbon cycling in marine and coastal ecosystems in three different regions: polar, temperate, and tropical. To learn more about ocean acidification visit: http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/ocean-acidification/.

India Should Develop Its Naval Power in View of Growing Potential Security Concerns Connected to China’s Non-Transparent Intentions in the Indian Ocean Region

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-09

across the Indian Ocean is central to interests of India and China. Hence, both have increased their regional presence using diplomatic, economic , and...trade across the Indian Ocean is central to interests of India and China. Hence, both have increased their regional presence using diplomatic, economic ...of Defense Staff CPEC China Pakistan Economic Corridor GDP Gross Domestic Product IOR Indian Ocean Region NSS National Security Strategy PLAN

The G4Foam Experiment: global climate impacts of regional ocean albedo modification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabriel, Corey J.; Robock, Alan; Xia, Lili; Zambri, Brian; Kravitz, Ben

2017-01-01

Reducing insolation has been proposed as a geoengineering response to global warming. Here we present the results of climate model simulations of a unique Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project Testbed experiment to investigate the benefits and risks of a scheme that would brighten certain oceanic regions. The National Center for Atmospheric Research CESM CAM4-Chem global climate model was modified to simulate a scheme in which the albedo of the ocean surface is increased over the subtropical ocean gyres in the Southern Hemisphere. In theory, this could be accomplished using a stable, nondispersive foam, comprised of tiny, highly reflective microbubbles. Such a foam has been developed under idealized conditions, although deployment at a large scale is presently infeasible. We conducted three ensemble members of a simulation (G4Foam) from 2020 through to 2069 in which the albedo of the ocean surface is set to 0.15 (an increase of 150 %) over the three subtropical ocean gyres in the Southern Hemisphere, against a background of the RCP6.0 (representative concentration pathway resulting in +6 W m-2 radiative forcing by 2100) scenario. After 2069, geoengineering is ceased, and the simulation is run for an additional 20 years. Global mean surface temperature in G4Foam is 0.6 K lower than RCP6.0, with statistically significant cooling relative to RCP6.0 south of 30° N. There is an increase in rainfall over land, most pronouncedly in the tropics during the June-July-August season, relative to both G4SSA (specified stratospheric aerosols) and RCP6.0. Heavily populated and highly cultivated regions throughout the tropics, including the Sahel, southern Asia, the Maritime Continent, Central America, and much of the Amazon experience a statistically significant increase in precipitation minus evaporation. The temperature response to the relatively modest global average forcing of -1.5 W m-2 is amplified through a series of positive cloud feedbacks, in which more

The G4Foam Experiment: Global climate impacts of regional ocean albedo modification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gabriel, Corey J.; Robock, Alan; Xia, Lili

Reducing insolation has been proposed as a geoengineering response to global warming. Here we present the results of climate model simulations of a unique Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project Testbed experiment to investigate the benefits and risks of a scheme that would brighten certain oceanic regions. The National Center for Atmospheric Research CESM CAM4-Chem global climate model was modified to simulate a scheme in which the albedo of the ocean surface is increased over the subtropical ocean gyres in the Southern Hemisphere. In theory, this could be accomplished using a stable, nondispersive foam, comprised of tiny, highly reflective microbubbles. Such amore » foam has been developed under idealized conditions, although deployment at a large scale is presently infeasible. We conducted three ensemble members of a simulation (G4Foam) from 2020 through to 2069 in which the albedo of the ocean surface is set to 0.15 (an increase of 150%) over the three subtropical ocean gyres in the Southern Hemisphere, against a background of the RCP6.0 (representative concentration pathway resulting in +6Wm -2 radiative forcing by 2100) scenario. After 2069, geoengineering is ceased, and the simulation is run for an additional 20 years. Global mean surface temperature in G4Foam is 0.6 K lower than RCP6.0, with statistically significant cooling relative to RCP6.0 south of 30°N. There is an increase in rainfall over land, most pronouncedly in the tropics during the June–July–August season, relative to both G4SSA (specified stratospheric aerosols) and RCP6.0. Heavily populated and highly cultivated regions throughout the tropics, including the Sahel, southern Asia, the Maritime Continent, Central America, and much of the Amazon experience a statistically significant increase in precipitation minus evaporation. The temperature response to the relatively modest global average forcing of -1.5 W m -2 is amplified through a series of positive cloud feedbacks, in which

The G4Foam Experiment: Global climate impacts of regional ocean albedo modification

DOE PAGES

Gabriel, Corey J.; Robock, Alan; Xia, Lili; ...

2017-01-12

Reducing insolation has been proposed as a geoengineering response to global warming. Here we present the results of climate model simulations of a unique Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project Testbed experiment to investigate the benefits and risks of a scheme that would brighten certain oceanic regions. The National Center for Atmospheric Research CESM CAM4-Chem global climate model was modified to simulate a scheme in which the albedo of the ocean surface is increased over the subtropical ocean gyres in the Southern Hemisphere. In theory, this could be accomplished using a stable, nondispersive foam, comprised of tiny, highly reflective microbubbles. Such amore » foam has been developed under idealized conditions, although deployment at a large scale is presently infeasible. We conducted three ensemble members of a simulation (G4Foam) from 2020 through to 2069 in which the albedo of the ocean surface is set to 0.15 (an increase of 150%) over the three subtropical ocean gyres in the Southern Hemisphere, against a background of the RCP6.0 (representative concentration pathway resulting in +6Wm -2 radiative forcing by 2100) scenario. After 2069, geoengineering is ceased, and the simulation is run for an additional 20 years. Global mean surface temperature in G4Foam is 0.6 K lower than RCP6.0, with statistically significant cooling relative to RCP6.0 south of 30°N. There is an increase in rainfall over land, most pronouncedly in the tropics during the June–July–August season, relative to both G4SSA (specified stratospheric aerosols) and RCP6.0. Heavily populated and highly cultivated regions throughout the tropics, including the Sahel, southern Asia, the Maritime Continent, Central America, and much of the Amazon experience a statistically significant increase in precipitation minus evaporation. The temperature response to the relatively modest global average forcing of -1.5 W m -2 is amplified through a series of positive cloud feedbacks, in which

Implications for an Enhanced Biological Pump in the Sea-Ice Reduction Region of the Western Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishino, S.; Shimada, K.; Itoh, M.; Yamamoto-Kawai, M.; Chiba, S.

2009-12-01

Since the late 1990s, catastrophic sea-ice reduction during summer has been observed in the western Arctic Ocean. Regions of decreasing sea ice might be associated with increased biological production compared to ice-covered ocean areas due to light intensification in the water column. The R/V Mirai field experiments in summer 2004 revealed that the algal biomass (chlorophyll a) in the open water region of the western Canada Basin increased from that observed in summer 1994, when the sea ice covered that area. Under the euphotic zone of the increased algal biomass area, evidence of diatom detritus decomposition was found, while such evidence was not observed in 1994, suggesting an enhancement of biological pump (see figure). The increase of algal biomass was not found throughout the sea-ice reduction region; rather, it was observed western Canada Basin where nutrients are effectively supplied from shelf regions. Further west from the Canada Basin, Russian river water with relatively high nutrients may play an important role in the biogeochemical cycles. Monthly sea-ice concentrations (white = 100%, black = 0%) in September of (a) 1994 and (b) 2004 (National Ice Center), and (c) vertical profiles of silicate obtained from the field experiments of Arctic Ocean Section 94 in 1994 (○) and Mirai04 in 2004 (■). The positions where the profiles were obtained are depicted by dots in (a) and (b), respectively.

Ocean color remote sensing using polarization properties of reflected sunlight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frouin, R.; Pouliquen, E.; Breon, F.-M.

1994-01-01

The effects of the atmosphere and surface on sunlight backscattered to space by the ocean may be substantially reduced by using the unpolarized component of reflectance instead of total reflectance. At 450 nm, a wavelength of interest in ocean color remote sensing, and for typical conditions, 45% of the unpolarized reflectance may originate from the water body instead of 20% of the total reflectance, which represents a gain of a factor 2.2 in useful signal for water composition retrieval. The best viewing geometries are adjacent to the glitter region; they correspond to scattering angles around 100 deg, but they may change slightly depending on the polarization characteristics of the aerosols. As aerosol optical thickness increases, the atmosphere becomes less efficient at polarizing sunlight, and the enhancement of the water body contribution to unpolarized reflectance is reduced. Since the perturbing effects are smaller on unpolarized reflectance, at least for some viewing geometries, they may be more easily corrected, leading to a more accurate water-leaving signal and, therefore, more accurate estimates of phytoplankton pigment concentration.

The tongue of the ocean as a remote sensing ocean color calibration range

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strees, L. V.

1972-01-01

In general, terrestrial scenes remain stable in content from both temporal and spacial considerations. Ocean scenes, on the other hand, are constantly changing in content and position. The solar energy that enters the ocean waters undergoes a process of scattering and selective spectral absorption. Ocean scenes are thus characterized as low level radiance with the major portion of the energy in the blue region of the spectrum. Terrestrial scenes are typically of high level radiance with their spectral energies concentrated in the green-red regions of the visible spectrum. It appears that for the evaluation and calibration of ocean color remote sensing instrumentation, an ocean area whose optical ocean and atmospheric properties are known and remain seasonably stable over extended time periods is needed. The Tongue of the Ocean, a major submarine channel in the Bahama Banks, is one ocean are for which a large data base of oceanographic information and a limited amount of ocean optical data are available.

Apparatus and methods for impingement cooling of an undercut region adjacent a side wall of a turbine nozzle segment

DOEpatents

Burdgick, Steven Sebastian; Itzel, Gary Michael

2001-01-01

A gas turbine nozzle segment has outer and inner bands. Each band includes a side wall, a cover and an impingement plate between the cover and nozzle wall defining two cavities on opposite sides of the impingement plate. Cooling steam is supplied to one cavity for flow through apertures of the impingement plate to cool the nozzle wall. The side wall of the band and inturned flange define with the nozzle wall an undercut region. The inturned flange has a plurality of apertures for directing cooling steam to cool the side wall between adjacent nozzle segments.

Tsunami Early Warning for the Indian Ocean Region - Status and Outlook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lauterjung, Joern; Rudloff, Alexander; Muench, Ute; Gitews Project Team

2010-05-01

The German-Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System (GITEWS) for the Indian Ocean region has gone into operation in Indonesia in November 2008. The system includes a seismological network, together with GPS stations and a network of GPS buoys additionally equipped with ocean bottom pressure sensors and a tide gauge network. The different sensor systems have, for the most part, been installed and now deliver respective data either online or interactively upon request to the Warning Centre in Jakarta. Before 2011, however, the different components requires further optimization and fine tuning, local personnel needs to be trained and eventual problems in the daily operation have to be dealt with. Furthermore a company will be founded in the near future, which will guarantee a sustainable maintenance and operation of the system. This concludes the transfer from a temporarily project into a permanent service. This system established in Indonesia differs from other Tsunami Warning Systems through its application of modern scientific methods and technologies. New procedures for the fast and reliable determination of strong earthquakes, deformation monitoring by GPS, the modeling of tsunamis and the assessment of the situation have been implemented in the Warning System architecture. In particular, the direct incorporation of different sensors provides broad information already at the early stages of Early Warning thus resulting in a stable system and minimizing breakdowns and false alarms. The warning system is designed in an open and modular structure based on the most recent developments and standards of information technology. Therefore, the system can easily integrate additional sensor components to be used for other multi-hazard purposes e.g. meteorological and hydrological events. Up to now the German project group is cooperating in the Indian Ocean region with Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Iran, Yemen, Tanzania and Kenya to set up the equipment primarily for

Oceanic Storm Characteristics Off the Kennedy Space Center Coast

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J.; Simpson, A. A.; Cummins, K. L.; Kiriazes, J. J.; Brown, R. G.; Mata, C. T.

2014-01-01

Natural cloud-to-ground lightning may behave differently depending on the characteristics of the attachment mediums, including the peak current (inferred from radiation fields) and the number of ground strike locations per flash. Existing literature has raised issues over the yea"rs on the behavior of lightning over ocean terrain and these phenomena are not yet well understood. To investigate lightning characteristics over differing terrain we will obtain identical observations over adjacent land and ocean regions during both clear air and thunderstorm periods comparing the electric field behavior over these various terrains. For this, a 3-meter NOAA buoy moored 20NM off the coast of the Kennedy Space Center was instrumented with an electric field mill and New Mexico Tech's slow antenna to measure the electric fields aloft and compared to the existing on-shore electric field mill suite of 31 sensors and a coastal slow antenna. New Mexico Tech's Lightning Mapping Array and the Eastern Range Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Surveillance System, along with the network of high-speed cameras being used to capture cloud-to-ground lightning strikes over the terrain regions to identify a valid data set and verify the electric fields. This is an on-going project with the potential for significant impact on the determination of lightning risk to objects on the ground. This presentation will provide results and instrumentation progress to date.

Evidence that local land use practices influence regional climate, vegetation, and stream flow patterns in adjacent natural areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stohlgren, T.J.; Chase, T.N.; Pielke, R.A.; Kittel, T.G.F.; Baron, Jill S.

1998-01-01

We present evidence that land use practices in the plains of Colorado influence regional climate and vegetation in adjacent natural areas in the Rocky Mountains in predictable ways. Mesoscale climate model simulations using the Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modelling System (RAMS) projected that modifications to natural vegetation in the plains, primarily due to agriculture and urbanization, could produce lower summer temperatures in the mountains. We corroborate the RAMS simulations with three independent sets of data: (i) climate records from 16 weather stations, which showed significant trends of decreasing July temperatures in recent decades; (ii) the distribution of seedlings of five dominant conifer species in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, which suggested that cooler, wetter conditions occurred over roughly the same time period; and (iii) increased stream flow, normalized for changes in precipitation, during the summer months in four river basins, which also indicates cooler summer temperatures and lower transpiration at landscape scales. Combined, the mesoscale atmospheric/land-surface model, short-term in regional temperatures, forest distribution changes, and hydrology data indicate that the effects of land use practices on regional climate may overshadow larger-scale temperature changes commonly associated with observed increases in CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

North Greenland's Ice Shelves and Ocean Warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muenchow, A.; Schauer, U.; Padman, L.; Melling, H.; Fricker, H. A.

2014-12-01

Rapid disintegration of ice shelves (the floating extensions of marine-terminating glaciers) can lead to increasing ice discharge, thinning upstream ice sheets, rising sea level. Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica, and Jacobshavn Isbrae, Greenland, provide prominent examples of these processes which evolve at decadal time scales. We here focus on three glacier systems north of 78 N in Greenland, each of which discharges more than 10 Gt per year of ice and had an extensive ice shelf a decade ago; Petermann Gletscher (PG), Niogshalvfjerdsfjorden (79N), and Zachariae Isstrom (ZI). We summarize and discuss direct observations of ocean and glacier properties for these systems as they have evolved in the northwest (PG) and northeast (79N and ZI) of Greenland over the last two decades. We use a combination of modern and historical snapshots of ocean temperature and salinity (PG, 79N, ZI), moored observations in Nares Strait (PG), and snapshots of temperature and velocity fields on the broad continental shelf off northeast Greenland (79N, ZI) collected between 1993 and 2014. Ocean warming adjacent to PG has been small relative to the ocean warming adjacent to 79N and ZI; however, ZI lost its entire ice shelf during the last decade while 79N, less than 70 km to the north of ZI, remained stable. In contrast, PG has thinned by about 10 m/y just prior to shedding two ice islands representing almost half its ice shelf area or a fifth by volume. At PG advective ice flux divergence explains about half of the dominantly basal melting while response to non-steady external forcing explains the other half. The observations at PG,79N, and ZI suggest that remotely sensed ambient surface ocean temperatures are poor proxies to explain ice shelf thinning and retreat. We posit that local dynamics of the subsurface ocean heat flux matters most. Ocean heat must first be delivered over the sill into the fjord and then within the ice shelf cavity to the base of the shelf near the grounding line

Variable length adjacent partitioning for PTS based PAPR reduction of OFDM signal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ibraheem, Zeyid T.; Rahman, Md. Mijanur; Yaakob, S. N.

2015-05-15

Peak-to-Average power ratio (PAPR) is a major drawback in OFDM communication. It leads the power amplifier into nonlinear region operation resulting into loss of data integrity. As such, there is a strong motivation to find techniques to reduce PAPR. Partial Transmit Sequence (PTS) is an attractive scheme for this purpose. Judicious partitioning the OFDM data frame into disjoint subsets is a pivotal component of any PTS scheme. Out of the existing partitioning techniques, adjacent partitioning is characterized by an attractive trade-off between cost and performance. With an aim of determining effects of length variability of adjacent partitions, we performed anmore » investigation into the performances of a variable length adjacent partitioning (VL-AP) and fixed length adjacent partitioning in comparison with other partitioning schemes such as pseudorandom partitioning. Simulation results with different modulation and partitioning scenarios showed that fixed length adjacent partition had better performance compared to variable length adjacent partitioning. As expected, simulation results showed a slightly better performance of pseudorandom partitioning technique compared to fixed and variable adjacent partitioning schemes. However, as the pseudorandom technique incurs high computational complexities, adjacent partitioning schemes were still seen as favorable candidates for PAPR reduction.« less

Ocean Acidification Monitoring Data Collaborations, Integration and Dissemination: The US Pacific NW Regional IOOS Experience with Local to Global Efforts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayorga, E.; Newton, J.; Tanner, T.

2016-02-01

Over the last several years, the impact of ocean acidification (OA) on coastal ecosystems and resources has become an increasingly important issue in the US Pacific Northwest (NW), leading to multi-faceted efforts that include basic scientific research; targeted partnerships between researchers, industry, and resource managers; increased monitoring of water conditions; and collaborations ranging from local efforts to West Coast, national and global coordination. The Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS), the Pacific NW Regional Association of the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), has played an important role in these initiatives and collaborations.NANOOS' mission focuses on the generation, integration and timely delivery of marine data to serve the needs and decisions of its region in a nationally coordinated fashion. NANOOS collaboratively leverages limited resources to address multiple thematic areas of emphasis. It aggregates and serves meteorological and oceanographic data derived from observation platforms such as buoys, tide gauges, weather stations, gliders, cruises, high-frequency radar and satellites, as well as model forecast information and geospatial map data. These data originate from a wide range of providers including federal, state, tribal and municipal entities, and the private and academic sectors.The NANOOS data management and user products group has actively supported activities that serve OA information access needs locally and regionally. Early efforts have also led to a leading role in wider regional iniatives spanning the West Coast and the NE Pacific, particularly through the IOOS Pacific Region Ocean Acidification (IPACOA) collaboration and data integration application and collaboration with the West Coast Governors Alliance on Ocean Health (WCGA). We have also participated in helping define national and global data integration efforts. We will describe our activities, tools and

Impact of the ocean diurnal cycle on the North Atlantic mean sea surface temperatures in a regionally coupled model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guemas, Virginie; Salas-Mélia, David; Kageyama, Masa; Giordani, Hervé; Voldoire, Aurore

2013-03-01

This study investigates the mechanisms by which the ocean diurnal cycle can affect the ocean mean state in the North Atlantic region. We perform two ocean-atmosphere regionally coupled simulations (20°N-80°N, 80°W-40°E) using the CNRMOM1D ocean model coupled to the ARPEGE4 atmospheric model: one with a 1 h coupling frequency (C1h) and another with a 24 h coupling frequency (C24h). The comparison between both experiments shows that accounting for the ocean diurnal cycle tends to warm up the surface ocean at high latitudes and cool it down in the subtropics during the boreal summer season (June-August). In the subtropics, the leading cause for the formation of the negative surface temperature anomalies is the fact that the nocturnal entrainment heat flux overcompensates the diurnal absorption of solar heat flux. Both in the subtropics and in the high latitudes, the surface temperature anomalies are involved in a positive feedback loop: the cold (warm) surface anomalies favour a decrease (increase) in evaporation, a decrease (increase) in tropospheric humidity, a decrease (increase) in downwelling longwave radiative flux which in turn favours the surface cooling (warming). Furthermore, the decrease in meridional sea surface temperature gradient affects the large-scale atmospheric circulation by a decrease in the zonal mean flow.

Mapping of lithologic and structural units using multispectral imagery. [Afar-Triangle/Ethiopia and adjacent areas (Ethiopian Plateau, Somali Plateau, and parts of Yemen and Saudi Arabia)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kronberg, P. (Principal Investigator)

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS-1 MSS imagery covering the Afar-Triangle/Ethiopia and adjacent regions (Ethiopian Plateau, Somali Plateau, and parts of Yemen and Saudi Arabi) was applied to the mapping of lithologic and structural units of the test area at a scale 1:1,000,000. Results of the geological evaluation of the ERTS-1 imagery of the Afar have proven the usefullness of this type of satellite data for regional geological mapping. Evaluation of the ERTS images also resulted in new aspects of the structural setting and tectonic development of the Afar-Triangle, where three large rift systems, the oceanic rifts of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the continental East African rift system, seem to meet each other. Surface structures mapped by ERTS do not indicate that the oceanic rift of the Gulf of Aden (Sheba Ridge) continues into the area of continental crust west of the Gulf of Tadjura. ERTS data show that the Wonji fault belt of the African rift system does not enter or cut through the central Afar. The Aysha-Horst is not a Horst but an autochthonous spur of the Somali Plateau.

A new interpretation of deformation rates in the Snake River Plain and adjacent basin and range regions based on GPS measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S.J. Payne; R. McCaffrey; R.W. King

2012-04-01

We evaluate horizontal Global Positioning System (GPS) velocities together with geologic, volcanic, and seismic data to interpret extension, shear, and contraction within the Snake River Plain and the Northern Basin and Range Province, U.S.A. We estimate horizontal surface velocities using GPS data collected at 385 sites from 1994 to 2009 and present an updated velocity field within the Stable North American Reference Frame (SNARF). Our results show an ENE-oriented extensional strain rate of 5.9 {+-} 0.7 x 10{sup -9} yr{sup -1} in the Centennial Tectonic belt and an E-oriented extensional strain rate of 6.2 {+-} 0.3 x 10{sup -9} yr{supmore » -1} in the Intermountain Seismic belt combined with the northern Great Basin. These extensional strain rates contrast with the regional north-south contraction of -2.6 {+-} 1.1 x 10{sup -9} yr{sup -1} calculated in the Snake River Plain and Owyhee-Oregon Plateau over a 125 x 650 km region. Tests that include dike-opening reveal that rapid extension by dike intrusion in volcanic rift zones does not occur in the Snake River Plain at present. This slow internal deformation in the Snake River Plain is in contrast to the rapidly-extending adjacent Basin and Range provinces and implies shear along boundaries of the Snake River Plain. We estimate right-lateral shear with slip rates of 0.5-1.5 mm/yr along the northwestern boundary adjacent to the Centennial Tectonic belt and left-lateral oblique extension with slip rates of <0.5 to 1.7 mm/yr along the southeastern boundary adjacent to the Intermountain Seismic belt. The fastest lateral shearing occurs near the Yellowstone Plateau where strike-slip focal mechanisms and faults with observed strike-slip components of motion are documented. The regional GPS velocity gradients are best fit by nearby poles of rotation for the Centennial Tectonic belt, Idaho batholith, Snake River Plain, Owyhee-Oregon Plateau, and central Oregon, indicating that clockwise rotation is driven by extension to

NEPTUNE Canada Regional Cabled Ocean Observatory: Installed and Online!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, C. R.; Best, M.; Bornhold, B.; Johnson, F.; Phibbs, P.; Pirenne, B.

2009-12-01

Through summer 2009, NEPTUNE Canada installed a regional cabled ocean observatory across the northern Juan de Fuca Plate, north-eastern Pacific. This provides continuous power and high bandwidth to collect integrated data on physical, chemical, geological, and biological gradients at temporal resolutions relevant to the dynamics of the earth-ocean system. As the data is freely and openly available through the Internet, this advance opens the ocean to the world. Building this $100M facility required integration of hardware, software, and people networks. Hardware includes: 800km powered fibre-optic backbone cable (installed 2007); development of Nodes and Junction Boxes; acquisition, development of Instruments including mobile platforms a) 400m Vertical Profiler (NGK Ocean) for accessing full upper slope water column, b) a Crawler (Jacobs University, Bremen) to investigate exposed hydrates. In parallel, software and hardware systems are acquiring, archiving, and delivering continuous real-time data. A web environment to combine this data access with analysis and visualization, collaborative tools, interoperability, and instrument control is in place and expanding. A network of scientists, engineers and technicians are contributing to the process in every phase. The currently installed experiments were planned through workshops and international proposal competitions. At inshore Folger Passage (Barkley Sound, west Vancouver Island), understanding controls on biological productivity will evaluate the effects of marine processes on invertebrates, fish and marine mammals. Experiments around Barkley Canyon will quantify changes in biological and chemical activity associated with nutrients and cross-shelf sediment transport at shelf/slope break and through the canyon. Along the mid-continental slope, exposed and shallowly buried hydrates allow monitoring of changes in their distribution, structure, and venting, and relationships to earthquakes, slope failures and plate

Influence of coupling on atmosphere, sea ice and ocean regional models in the Ross Sea sector, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jourdain, Nicolas C.; Mathiot, Pierre; Gallée, Hubert; Barnier, Bernard

2011-04-01

Air-sea ice-ocean interactions in the Ross Sea sector form dense waters that feed the global thermohaline circulation. In this paper, we develop the new limited-area ocean-sea ice-atmosphere coupled model TANGO to simulate the Ross Sea sector. TANGO is built up by coupling the atmospheric limited-area model MAR to a regional configuration of the ocean-sea ice model NEMO. A method is then developed to identify the mechanisms by which local coupling affects the simulations. TANGO is shown to simulate realistic sea ice properties and atmospheric surface temperatures. These skills are mostly related to the skills of the stand alone atmospheric and oceanic models used to build TANGO. Nonetheless, air temperatures over ocean and winter sea ice thickness are found to be slightly improved in coupled simulations as compared to standard stand alone ones. Local atmosphere ocean feedbacks over the open ocean are found to significantly influence ocean temperature and salinity. In a stand alone ocean configuration, the dry and cold air produces an ocean cooling through sensible and latent heat loss. In a coupled configuration, the atmosphere is in turn moistened and warmed by the ocean; sensible and latent heat loss is therefore reduced as compared to the stand alone simulations. The atmosphere is found to be less sensitive to local feedbacks than the ocean. Effects of local feedbacks are increased in the coastal area because of the presence of sea ice. It is suggested that slow heat conduction within sea ice could amplify the feedbacks. These local feedbacks result in less sea ice production in polynyas in coupled mode, with a subsequent reduction in deep water formation.

Surface flux and ocean heat transport convergence contributions to seasonal and interannual variations of ocean heat content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, C. D.; Palmer, M. D.; Allan, R. P.; Desbruyeres, D. G.; Hyder, P.; Liu, C.; Smith, D.

2017-01-01

We present an observation-based heat budget analysis for seasonal and interannual variations of ocean heat content (H) in the mixed layer (Hmld) and full-depth ocean (Htot). Surface heat flux and ocean heat content estimates are combined using a novel Kalman smoother-based method. Regional contributions from ocean heat transport convergences are inferred as a residual and the dominant drivers of Hmld and Htot are quantified for seasonal and interannual time scales. We find that non-Ekman ocean heat transport processes dominate Hmld variations in the equatorial oceans and regions of strong ocean currents and substantial eddy activity. In these locations, surface temperature anomalies generated by ocean dynamics result in turbulent flux anomalies that drive the overlying atmosphere. In addition, we find large regions of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans where heat transports combine with local air-sea fluxes to generate mixed layer temperature anomalies. In all locations, except regions of deep convection and water mass transformation, interannual variations in Htot are dominated by the internal rearrangement of heat by ocean dynamics rather than the loss or addition of heat at the surface. Our analysis suggests that, even in extratropical latitudes, initialization of ocean dynamical processes could be an important source of skill for interannual predictability of Hmld and Htot. Furthermore, we expect variations in Htot (and thus thermosteric sea level) to be more predictable than near surface temperature anomalies due to the increased importance of ocean heat transport processes for full-depth heat budgets.

Turbines in the ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, F. G. W.; Charlier, R. H.

1981-10-01

It is noted that the relatively high-speed ocean currents flowing northward along the east coast of the U.S. may be able to supply a significant proportion of the future electric power requirements of urban areas. The Gulf Stream core lies only about 20 miles east of Miami; here its near-surface water reaches velocities of 4.3 miles per hour. Attention is called to the estimate that the energy available in the current of the Gulf Stream adjacent to Florida is approximately equivalent to that generated by 25 1,000-megawatt power plants. It is also contended that this power could be produced at competitive prices during the 1980s using large turbines moored below the ocean surface near the center of the Stream. Assuming an average ocean-current speed between 4 and 5 knots at the current core, the power density of a hydroturbine could reach 410 watts per square foot, about 100 times that of a wind-driven device of similar scale operating in an airflow of approximately 11 knots.

Impact of asymmetry in the total ozone distribution in Antarctic region to the South Ocean ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovalenok, S.; Evtushevsky, A.; Grytsai, A.; Milinevsky, G.

2009-04-01

Impact of asymmetry in the total ozone distribution in Antarctic region to South Ocean ecosystem is studied. The existence of the considerable zonal asymmetry in total ozone distribution over Antarctica observed last decades based on the satellite TOMS measurements in 1979-2005 due to existence of quasi-stationary planetary waves in a polar stratosphere. As was shown by authors earlier in the latitudinal interval of 55-75°S in Antarctic spring months (Sep-Nov) the region of zonal total ozone minimum experienced the systematic spatial drift to the east. In the same period a minimum and maximum of quasi-stationary wave in TOC distribution are located: minimum over the Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea area, and maximum in the Ross Sea area. We expect that zonal asymmetry in total ozone distribution and its long-term spatial changes should impact to South Ocean ecosystem food chain, especially in primary level. The systematic eastern shift of the quasi-stationary minimum in ozone distribution over north Weddell Sea area should cause the increased UV radiation on sea surface in comparison to Ross Sea area, where the lack of UVR should exist in spring month. To study this influence the available data of phytoplankton distribution in South Ocean in 1997-2007 were analyzed. The results of analysis in connections with Antarctic Peninsula regional climate warming are discussed. The research was partly supported by project 06BF051-12 of the National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv.

Gravity model for the North Atlantic ocean mantle: results, uncertainties and links to regional geodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barantsrva, O.; Artemieva, I. M.; Thybo, H.

2015-12-01

We present the results of gravity modeling for the North Atlantic region based on interpretation of GOCE gravity satellite data. First, to separate the gravity signal caused by density anomalies within the crust and the upper mantle, we subtract the lower harmonics in the gravity field, which are presumably caused by deep density structure of the Earth (the core and the lower mantle). Next, the gravity effect of the upper mantle is calculated by subtracting the gravity effect of the crustal model. Our "basic model" is constrained by a recent regional seismic model EUNAseis for the crustal structure (Artemieva and Thybo, 2013); for bathymetry and topography we use a global ETOPO1 model by NOAA. We test sensitivity of the results to different input parameters, such as bathymetry, crustal structure, and gravity field. For bathymetry, we additionally use GEBCO data; for crustal correction - a global model CRUST 1.0 (Laske, 2013); for gravity - EGM2008 (Pavlis, 2012). Sensitivity analysis shows that uncertainty in the crustal structure produces the largest deviation from "the basic model". Use of different bathymetry data has little effect on the final results, comparable to the interpolation error. The difference in mantle residual gravity models based on GOCE and EMG2008 gravity data is 5-10 mGal. The results based on two crustal models have a similar pattern, but differ significantly in amplitude (ca. 250 mGal) for the Greenland-Faroe Ridge. The results demonstrate the presence of a strong gravity and density heterogeneity in the upper mantle in the North Atlantic region. A number of mantle residual gravity anomalies are robust features, independent of the choice of model parameters. This include (i) a sharp contrast at the continent-ocean transition, (ii) positive mantle gravity anomalies associated with continental fragments (microcontinents) in the North Atlantic ocean; (iii) negative mantle gravity anomalies which mark regions with anomalous oceanic mantle and

Diatom resting spore ecology drives enhanced carbon export from a naturally iron-fertilized bloom in the Southern Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salter, Ian; Kemp, Alan E. S.; Moore, C. Mark; Lampitt, Richard S.; Wolff, George A.; Holtvoeth, Jens

2012-03-01

Southern Ocean Island systems sustain phytoplankton blooms induced by natural iron fertilization that are important for the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide and serve as analogues for past and future climate change. We present data on diatom flux assemblages and the biogeochemical properties of sinking particles to explain the enhanced particulate organic carbon (POC) export fluxes observed in response to natural iron supply in the Crozet Islands region (CROZeX). Moored deep-ocean sediment traps (>2000 m) were located beneath a naturally fertilized island bloom and beneath an adjacent High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) control site. Deep-ocean carbon flux from the naturally-fertilized bloom area was tightly correlated (R = 0.83, n = 12, P < 0.0006) with the resting spore flux of a single island-associated diatom species,Eucampia antarctica var. antarctica. The unusually well preserved state of the Eucampia-associated carbon flux, determined by amino acid studies of organic matter degradation, was likely influenced by their ecology, since diatom resting spores are adapted to settle rapidly out of the surface ocean preserving viable cells. The naturally fertilized bloom enhanced carbon flux and the resulting Si/C and Si/N ratios were 2.0-3.4-fold and 2.2-3.5-fold lower than those measured in the adjacent HNLC control area. The enhanced carbon export and distinctive stoichiometry observed in naturally fertilized systems is therefore largely not attributable to iron relief of open ocean diatoms, but rather to the advection and growth of diatom species characteristic of island systems and the subsequent flux of resting spores. Carbon export estimates from current natural iron fertilization studies therefore represent a highly specific response of the island systems chosen as natural laboratories and may not be appropriate analogues for the larger Southern Ocean response. The broader implications of our results emphasize the role of phytoplankton diversity and

Promoting discovery and access to real time observations produced by regional coastal ocean observing systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, D. M.; Snowden, D. P.; Bochenek, R.; Bickel, A.

2015-12-01

In the U.S. coastal waters, a network of eleven regional coastal ocean observing systems support real-time coastal and ocean observing. The platforms supported and variables acquired are diverse, ranging from current sensing high frequency (HF) radar to autonomous gliders. The system incorporates data produced by other networks and experimental systems, further increasing the breadth of the collection. Strategies promoted by the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) ensure these data are not lost at sea. Every data set deserves a description. ISO and FGDC compliant metadata enables catalog interoperability and record-sharing. Extensive use of netCDF with the Climate and Forecast convention (identifying both metadata and a structured format) is shown to be a powerful strategy to promote discovery, interoperability, and re-use of the data. To integrate specialized data which are often obscure, quality control protocols are being developed to homogenize the QC and make these data more integrate-able. Data Assembly Centers have been established to integrate some specialized streams including gliders, animal telemetry, and HF radar. Subsets of data that are ingested into the National Data Buoy Center are also routed to the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) of the World Meteorological Organization to assure wide international distribution. From the GTS, data are assimilated into now-cast and forecast models, fed to other observing systems, and used to support observation-based decision making such as forecasts, warnings, and alerts. For a few years apps were a popular way to deliver these real-time data streams to phones and tablets. Responsive and adaptive web sites are an emerging flexible strategy to provide access to the regional coastal ocean observations.

Global Ocean Vertical Velocity From a Dynamically Consistent Ocean State Estimate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Xinfeng; Spall, Michael; Wunsch, Carl

2017-10-01

Estimates of the global ocean vertical velocities (Eulerian, eddy-induced, and residual) from a dynamically consistent and data-constrained ocean state estimate are presented and analyzed. Conventional patterns of vertical velocity, Ekman pumping, appear in the upper ocean, with topographic dominance at depth. Intense and vertically coherent upwelling and downwelling occur in the Southern Ocean, which are likely due to the interaction of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and large-scale topographic features and are generally canceled out in the conventional zonally averaged results. These "elevators" at high latitudes connect the upper to the deep and abyssal oceans and working together with isopycnal mixing are likely a mechanism, in addition to the formation of deep and abyssal waters, for fast responses of the deep and abyssal oceans to the changing climate. Also, Eulerian and parameterized eddy-induced components are of opposite signs in numerous regions around the global ocean, particularly in the ocean interior away from surface and bottom. Nevertheless, residual vertical velocity is primarily determined by the Eulerian component, and related to winds and large-scale topographic features. The current estimates of vertical velocities can serve as a useful reference for investigating the vertical exchange of ocean properties and tracers, and its complex spatial structure ultimately permits regional tests of basic oceanographic concepts such as Sverdrup balance and coastal upwelling/downwelling.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of ocean conditions and forage taxa reveal regional structuring of seabird–prey relationships.

PubMed

Santora, Jarrod A; Schroeder, Isaac D; Field, John C; Wells, Brian K; Sydeman, William J

Studies of predator–prey demographic responses and the physical drivers of such relationships are rare, yet essential for predicting future changes in the structure and dynamics of marine ecosystems. Here, we hypothesize that predator–prey relationships vary spatially in association with underlying physical ocean conditions, leading to observable changes in demographic rates, such as reproduction. To test this hypothesis, we quantified spatio-temporal variability in hydrographic conditions, krill, and forage fish to model predator (seabird) demographic responses over 18 years (1990–2007). We used principal component analysis and spatial correlation maps to assess coherence among ocean conditions, krill, and forage fish, and generalized additive models to quantify interannual variability in seabird breeding success relative to prey abundance. The first principal component of four hydrographic measurements yielded an index that partitioned “warm/weak upwelling” and “cool/strong upwelling” years. Partitioning of krill and forage fish time series among shelf and oceanic regions yielded spatially explicit indicators of prey availability. Krill abundance within the oceanic region was remarkably consistent between years, whereas krill over the shelf showed marked interannual fluctuations in relation to ocean conditions. Anchovy abundance varied on the shelf, and was greater in years of strong stratification, weak upwelling and warmer temperatures. Spatio-temporal variability of juvenile forage fish co-varied strongly with each other and with krill, but was weakly correlated with hydrographic conditions. Demographic responses between seabirds and prey availability revealed spatially variable associations indicative of the dynamic nature of “predator–habitat” relationships. Quantification of spatially explicit demographic responses, and their variability through time, demonstrate the possibility of delineating specific critical areas where the

Seismicity in Azerbaijan and Adjacent Caspian Sea

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Panahi, Behrouz M.

2006-03-23

So far no general view on the geodynamic evolution of the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea region is elaborated. This is associated with the geological and structural complexities of the region revealed by geophysical, geochemical, petrologic, structural, and other studies. A clash of opinions on geodynamic conditions of the Caucasus region, sometimes mutually exclusive, can be explained by a simplified interpretation of the seismic data. In this paper I analyze available data on earthquake occurrences in Azerbaijan and the adjacent Caspian Sea region. The results of the analysis of macroseismic and instrumental data, seismic regime, and earthquake reoccurrence indicatemore » that a level of seismicity in the region is moderate, and seismic event are concentrated in the shallow part of the lithosphere. Seismicity is mostly intra-plate, and spatial distribution of earthquake epicenters does not correlate with the plate boundaries.« less

15 CFR Appendix D to Subpart M of... - Dredged Material Disposal Sites Adjacent to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Dredged Material Disposal Sites Adjacent to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary D Appendix D to Subpart M of Part 922 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Commerce and Foreign Trade (Continued) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND...

The role of vigorous current systems in the Southeast Indian Ocean in redistributing deep-sea sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutkiewicz, Adriana; Müller, Dietmar; Hogg, Andrew; Spence, Paul

2017-04-01

Understanding the transport of modern deep-sea sediment is critical for accurate models of climate-ocean history and the widespread use of the sedimentological record as a proxy for productivity where the connection between biogenic seafloor lithologies and sea-surface is tenuous. The Southern Ocean, where diatoms contribute the bulk of pelagic material to the seafloor forming an extensive belt of diatom ooze, is an exemplar. However, most of the key studies on large-scale sediment reworking in the Southern Ocean were conducted in the 1970s when relatively little was known about the oceanography of this region. At this time even our knowledge of the bathymetry and tectonic fabric, which underpin the distribution of deep-sea currents, were fairly general. The record of widespread regional disconformities in the abyssal plains of the Southern Ocean is well-established and indicates extensive erosion of deep-sea sediments throughout the Quaternary. Here we combine a high-resolution numerical model of bottom currents with sedimentological data to constrain the redistribution of sediment across the abyssal plains and adjacent mid-ocean ridges in the Southern Ocean. We use the global ocean-sea ice model (GFDL-MOM01) to simulate ocean circulation at a resolution that results in realistic velocities throughout the water column, and is ideal for estimating interaction between time-dependent bottom currents and ocean bathymetry. 230Th-normalized vertical sediment rain rates for 63 sites in the Southeast Indian Ocean, combined with satellite data-derived surface productivity, demonstrate that a wide belt of fast sedimentation rates (> 5.5 cm/kyr) along the Southeast Indian Ridge (SEIR) occurs in a region of low surface productivity bounded by two major disconformity fields associated with the Kerguelen Plateau to the east and the Macquarie Ridge to the west. Our ocean circulation model illustrates that the disconformity fields occur in regions of intense bottom current

Experimental design for three interrelated marine ice sheet and ocean model intercomparison projects: MISMIP v. 3 (MISMIP +), ISOMIP v. 2 (ISOMIP +) and MISOMIP v. 1 (MISOMIP1)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Asay-Davis, Xylar S.; Cornford, Stephen L.; Durand, Gaël

Coupled ice sheet-ocean models capable of simulating moving grounding lines are just becoming available. Such models have a broad range of potential applications in studying the dynamics of marine ice sheets and tidewater glaciers, from process studies to future projections of ice mass loss and sea level rise. The Marine Ice Sheet-Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (MISOMIP) is a community effort aimed at designing and coordinating a series of model intercomparison projects (MIPs) for model evaluation in idealized setups, model verification based on observations, and future projections for key regions of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). Here we describe computationalmore » experiments constituting three interrelated MIPs for marine ice sheet models and regional ocean circulation models incorporating ice shelf cavities. These consist of ice sheet experiments under the Marine Ice Sheet MIP third phase (MISMIP+), ocean experiments under the Ice Shelf-Ocean MIP second phase (ISOMIP+) and coupled ice sheet-ocean experiments under the MISOMIP first phase (MISOMIP1). All three MIPs use a shared domain with idealized bedrock topography and forcing, allowing the coupled simulations (MISOMIP1) to be compared directly to the individual component simulations (MISMIP+ and ISOMIP+). The experiments, which have qualitative similarities to Pine Island Glacier Ice Shelf and the adjacent region of the Amundsen Sea, are designed to explore the effects of changes in ocean conditions, specifically the temperature at depth, on basal melting and ice dynamics. In future work, differences between model results will form the basis for the evaluation of the participating models.« less

Use of radon-222 to evaluate the influence of groundwater discharge on fecal indicator bacteria concentrations in the near-shore ocean, Malibu, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izbicki, J. A.; Burton, C.; Swarzenski, P. W.

2011-12-01

To protect beach-goers from waterborne disease, California requires water-quality monitoring for fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) at beaches having more than 50,000 visits annually. The source(s) of FIB in ocean beaches in excess of marine recreational water standards is often not known, or may be incorrectly identified. Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) used to treat residential and commercial sewage have been implicated by regulatory agencies as a possible source of FIB to recreational ocean beaches, near Malibu, California. For this to occur, treated wastewater must first move through groundwater prior to discharge at the ocean. Groundwater discharge to the ocean near Malibu Lagoon (the estuary of Malibu Creek) is complicated by seasonally changing water levels in the lagoon. The lagoon is isolated from the ocean by a sand berm that develops across the mouth of the lagoon during the dry season. Higher water levels in the lagoon during the dry season, and lower water-levels during the wet season, cause seasonal changes in the direction of groundwater flow and the magnitude of discharge from the adjacent small (3,400 hectare), alluvial aquifer. Radon-222, an indicator of groundwater discharge, was measured in Malibu Lagoon, in the near-shore ocean adjacent to the lagoon, and in the near-shore ocean adjacent to unsewered residential development to determine the timing and magnitude of groundwater discharge. During the dry season, when the berm of the lagoon was closed and the lagoon was isolated from the ocean, radon-222 concentrations in the near-shore ocean during low tide increased as water discharged from the lagoon through the berm. Enterococcus concentrations in the near-shore ocean increased to almost 600 Most Probable Number (MPN) per 100 milliliter at this time. Radon-222 concentrations also increased at low tide as groundwater discharged to the ocean from the adjacent alluvial aquifer underlying the unsewered residential development, but there was

Height Distribution Between Cloud and Aerosol Layers from the GLAS Spaceborne Lidar in the Indian Ocean Region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hart, William D.; Spinhirne, James D.; Palm, Steven P.; Hlavka, Dennis L.

2005-01-01

The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS), a nadir pointing lidar on the Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) launched in 2003, now provides important new global measurements of the relationship between the height distribution of cloud and aerosol layers. GLAS data have the capability to detect, locate, and distinguish between cloud and aerosol layers in the atmosphere up to 40 km altitude. The data product algorithm tests the product of the maximum attenuated backscatter coefficient b'(r) and the vertical gradient of b'(r) within a layer against a predetermined threshold. An initial case result for the critical Indian Ocean region is presented. From the results the relative height distribution between collocated aerosol and cloud shows extensive regions where cloud formation is well within dense aerosol scattering layers at the surface. Citation: Hart, W. D., J. D. Spinhime, S. P. Palm, and D. L. Hlavka (2005), Height distribution between cloud and aerosol layers from the GLAS spaceborne lidar in the Indian Ocean region,

Insitu aircraft verification of the quality of satellite cloud winds over oceanic regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hasler, A. F.; Skillman, W. C.

1979-01-01

A five year aircraft experiment to verify the quality of satellite cloud winds over oceans using in situ aircraft inertial navigation system wind measurements is presented. The final results show that satellite measured cumulus cloud motions are very good estimators of the cloud base wind for trade wind and subtropical high regions. The average magnitude of the vector differences between the cloud motion and the cloud base wind is given. For cumulus clouds near frontal regions, the cloud motion agreed best with the mean cloud layer wind. For a very limited sample, cirrus cloud motions also most closely followed the mean wind in the cloud layer.

Adjacent slice prostate cancer prediction to inform MALDI imaging biomarker analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuang, Shao-Hui; Sun, Xiaoyan; Cazares, Lisa; Nyalwidhe, Julius; Troyer, Dean; Semmes, O. John; Li, Jiang; McKenzie, Frederic D.

2010-03-01

Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer among men in US [1]. Traditionally, prostate cancer diagnosis is made by the analysis of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and histopathological images of biopsy samples under microscopes. Proteomic biomarkers can improve upon these methods. MALDI molecular spectra imaging is used to visualize protein/peptide concentrations across biopsy samples to search for biomarker candidates. Unfortunately, traditional processing methods require histopathological examination on one slice of a biopsy sample while the adjacent slice is subjected to the tissue destroying desorption and ionization processes of MALDI. The highest confidence tumor regions gained from the histopathological analysis are then mapped to the MALDI spectra data to estimate the regions for biomarker identification from the MALDI imaging. This paper describes a process to provide a significantly better estimate of the cancer tumor to be mapped onto the MALDI imaging spectra coordinates using the high confidence region to predict the true area of the tumor on the adjacent MALDI imaged slice.

A robust interpolation procedure for producing tidal current ellipse inputs for regional and coastal ocean numerical models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byun, Do-Seong; Hart, Deirdre E.

2017-04-01

Regional and/or coastal ocean models can use tidal current harmonic forcing, together with tidal harmonic forcing along open boundaries in order to successfully simulate tides and tidal currents. These inputs can be freely generated using online open-access data, but the data produced are not always at the resolution required for regional or coastal models. Subsequent interpolation procedures can produce tidal current forcing data errors for parts of the world's coastal ocean where tidal ellipse inclinations and phases move across the invisible mathematical "boundaries" between 359° and 0° degrees (or 179° and 0°). In nature, such "boundaries" are in fact smooth transitions, but if these mathematical "boundaries" are not treated correctly during interpolation, they can produce inaccurate input data and hamper the accurate simulation of tidal currents in regional and coastal ocean models. These avoidable errors arise due to procedural shortcomings involving vector embodiment problems (i.e., how a vector is represented mathematically, for example as velocities or as coordinates). Automated solutions for producing correct tidal ellipse parameter input data are possible if a series of steps are followed correctly, including the use of Cartesian coordinates during interpolation. This note comprises the first published description of scenarios where tidal ellipse parameter interpolation errors can arise, and of a procedure to successfully avoid these errors when generating tidal inputs for regional and/or coastal ocean numerical models. We explain how a straightforward sequence of data production, format conversion, interpolation, and format reconversion steps may be used to check for the potential occurrence and avoidance of tidal ellipse interpolation and phase errors. This sequence is demonstrated via a case study of the M2 tidal constituent in the seas around Korea but is designed to be universally applicable. We also recommend employing tidal ellipse parameter

Global and regional axial ocean angular momentum signals and length-of-day variations (1985-1996)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponte, Rui M.; Stammer, Detlef

2000-07-01

Changes in ocean angular momentum M about the polar axis are related to fluctuations in zonal currents (relative component Mr) and latitudinal shifts in mass (planetary component MΩ). Output from a 1° ocean model is used to calculate global Mr, MΩ, and M time series at 5 day intervals for the period January 1985 to April 1996. The annual cycle in Mr, MΩ, and M is larger than the semiannual cycle, and MΩ amplitudes are nearly twice those of Mr. Year-to-year modulation of the seasonal cycle is present, but interannual variability is weak. The spectrum of M is red (background slope between ω-1 and ω-2) at subseasonal periods, implying a white or blue spectrum for the external torque on the ocean. Comparisons with previous studies indicate the importance of direct atmospheric forcing in inducing subseasonal M signals, relative to instabilities and other internal sources of rapid oceanic signals. Regional angular momentum estimates show that seasonal variability tends to be larger at low latitudes, but many local maxima exist because of the spatial structure of zonal current and mass variability. At seasonal timescales, latitudes ~20°S-10°N contribute substantial variability to MΩ, while signals in Mr can be traced to Antarctic Circumpolar Current transports and associated circulation. Variability in M is found to be small when compared with similar time series for the atmosphere and the solid Earth, but ocean signals are significantly coherent with atmosphere-solid Earth residuals, implying a measurable oceanic impact on length-of-day variations.

Variations in freshwater pathways from the Arctic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zeliang; Hamilton, James; Su, Jie

2017-06-01

Understanding the mechanisms that drive exchanges between the Arctic Ocean and adjacent oceans is critical to building our knowledge of how the Arctic is reacting to a warming climate, and how potential changes in Arctic Ocean freshwater export may impact the AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation). Here, freshwater pathways from the Arctic Ocean to the North Atlantic are investigated using a 1 degree global model. An EOF analysis of modeled sea surface height (SSH) demonstrates that while the second mode accounts for only 15% of the variability, the associated geostrophic currents are strongly correlated with freshwater exports through CAA (Canadian Arctic Archipelago; r = 0.75), Nares Strait (r = 0.77) and Fram Strait (r = -0.60). Separation of sea level into contributing parts allows us to show that the EOF1 is primarily a barotropic mode reflecting variability in bottom pressure equivalent sea level, while the EOF2 mode reflects changes in steric height in the Arctic Basin. This second mode is linked to momentum wind driven surface current, and dominates the Arctic Ocean freshwater exports. Both the Arctic Oscillation and Arctic Dipole atmospheric indices are shown to be linked to Arctic Ocean freshwater exports, with the forcing associated with the Arctic Dipole reflecting the out-of-phase relationship between transports through the CAA and those through Fram Strait. Finally, observed freshwater transport variation through the CAA is found to be strongly correlated with tide gauge data from the Beaufort Sea coast (r = 0.81), and with the EOF2 mode of GRACE bottom pressure data (r = 0.85) on inter-annual timescales.

Nitrate-dependent iron oxidation limits iron transport in anoxic ocean regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholz, Florian; Löscher, Carolin R.; Fiskal, Annika; Sommer, Stefan; Hensen, Christian; Lomnitz, Ulrike; Wuttig, Kathrin; Göttlicher, Jörg; Kossel, Elke; Steininger, Ralph; Canfield, Donald E.

2016-11-01

Iron is an essential element for life on Earth and limits primary production in large parts of the ocean. Oxygen-free continental margin sediments represent an important source of bioavailable iron to the ocean, yet little of the iron released from the seabed reaches the productive sea surface. Even in the anoxic water of oxygen minimum zones, where iron solubility should be enhanced, most of the iron is rapidly re-precipitated. To constrain the mechanism(s) of iron removal in anoxic ocean regions we explored the sediment and water in the oxygen minimum zone off Peru. During our sampling campaign the water column featured two distinct redox boundaries separating oxic from nitrate-reducing (i.e., nitrogenous) water and nitrogenous from weakly sulfidic water. The sulfidic water mass in contact with the shelf sediment contained elevated iron concentrations >300 nM. At the boundary between sulfidic and nitrogenous conditions, iron concentrations dropped sharply to <20 nM coincident with a maximum in particulate iron concentration. Within the iron gradient, we found an increased expression of the key functional marker gene for nitrate reduction (narG). Part of this upregulation was related to the activity of known iron-oxidizing bacteria. Collectively, our data suggest that iron oxidation and removal is induced by nitrate-reducing microbes, either enzymatically through anaerobic iron oxidation or by providing nitrite for an abiotic reaction. Given the important role that iron plays in nitrogen fixation, photosynthesis and respiration, nitrate-dependent iron oxidation likely represents a key-link between the marine biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon.

Ciliate diversity and distribution patterns in the sediments of a seamount and adjacent abyssal plains in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean.

PubMed

Zhao, Feng; Filker, Sabine; Stoeck, Thorsten; Xu, Kuidong

2017-09-12

Benthic ciliates and the environmental factors shaping their distribution are far from being completely understood. Likewise, deep-sea systems are amongst the least understood ecosystems on Earth. In this study, using high-throughput DNA sequencing, we investigated the diversity and community composition of benthic ciliates in different sediment layers of a seamount and an adjacent abyssal plain in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean with water depths ranging between 813 m and 4566 m. Statistical analyses were used to assess shifts in ciliate communities across vertical sediment gradients and water depth. Nine out of 12 ciliate classes were detected in the different sediment samples, with Litostomatea accounting for the most diverse group, followed by Plagiopylea and Oligohymenophorea. The novelty of ciliate genetic diversity was extremely high, with a mean similarity of 93.25% to previously described sequences. On a sediment depth gradient, ciliate community structure was more similar within the upper sediment layers (0-1 and 9-10 cm) compared to the lower sediment layers (19-20 and 29-30 cm) at each site. Some unknown ciliate taxa which were absent from the surface sediments were found in deeper sediments layers. On a water depth gradient, the proportion of unique OTUs was between 42.2% and 54.3%, and that of OTUs shared by all sites around 14%. However, alpha diversity of the different ciliate communities was relatively stable in the surface layers along the water depth gradient, and about 78% of the ciliate OTUs retrieved from the surface layer of the shallowest site were shared with the surface layers of sites deeper than 3800 m. Correlation analyses did not reveal any significant effects of measured environmental factors on ciliate community composition and structure. We revealed an obvious variation in ciliate community along a sediment depth gradient in the seamount and the adjacent abyssal plain and showed that water depth is a less important factor

Ocean Observatories and the Integrated Ocean Observing System, IOOS: Developing the Synergy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altalo, M. G.

2006-05-01

The National Office for Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observations is responsible for the planning, coordination and development of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System, IOOS, which is both the U.S. contribution to GOOS as well as the ocean component of GEOSS. The IOOS is comprised of global observations as well as regional coastal observations coordinated so as to provide environmental information to optimize societal management decisions including disaster resilience, public health, marine transport, national security, climate and weather impact, and natural resource and ecosystem management. Data comes from distributed sensor systems comprising Federal and state monitoring efforts as well as regional enhancements, which are managed through data management and communications (DMAC) protocols. At present, 11 regional associations oversee the development of the observing System components in their region and are the primary interface with the user community. The ocean observatories are key elements of this National architecture and provide the infrastructure necessary to test new technologies, platforms, methods, models, and practices which, when validated, can transition into the operational components of the IOOS. This allows the IOOS to remain "state of the art" through incorporation of research at all phases. Both the observatories as well as the IOOS will contribute to the enhanced understanding of the ocean and coastal system so as to transform science results into societal solutions.

100% of the World Ocean Floor Mapped by 2030 - Contribution of the South and West Pacific Regional Data Assembly and Coordination Centre to the Seabed 2030 Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamarche, G.; Neil, H.; Stagpoole, V. M.; Greenland, A.; Mackay, K.; Black, J.; Griffin, E.

2017-12-01

The Seabed 2030 SaWPac Centre (South and West Pacific Ocean Regional Data Assembly and Coordination Centre) has been formed to generate new high resolution ocean floor maps of the western and southern Pacific Ocean. The centre is part of the joint Nippon Foundation and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) initiative to produce a definitive map of the World Ocean floor by 2030, empowering the world to make policy decisions, use the ocean sustainability and undertake scientific research based on detailed bathymetric information of the Earth's seabed. The SaWPac Centre is based at NIWA Wellington (New Zealand) and includes a collaborative partnership with GNS Science and Land Information New Zealand. It is responsible for the region from South America to Australia, north of latitude 50°S to 10° north of the Equator and the western part of the Northern Pacific Ocean to Russia. The region includes the world's deepest trenches and also covers some of the remotest oceans where bathymetric data form existing ship tracks is spaced up to 100 km apart. The challenge for the SaWPac Centre is to collate and combine all the available bathymetric data from the numerous nations that have surveyed in the region. The centre will also promote efforts to collect new data and contribute to map products generated by the Seabed 2030 global mapping project.

Submesoscale-selective compensation of fronts in a salinity-stratified ocean.

PubMed

Spiro Jaeger, Gualtiero; Mahadevan, Amala

2018-02-01

Salinity, rather than temperature, is the leading influence on density in some regions of the world's upper oceans. In the Bay of Bengal, heavy monsoonal rains and runoff generate strong salinity gradients that define density fronts and stratification in the upper ~50 m. Ship-based observations made in winter reveal that fronts exist over a wide range of length scales, but at O(1)-km scales, horizontal salinity gradients are compensated by temperature to alleviate about half the cross-front density gradient. Using a process study ocean model, we show that scale-selective compensation occurs because of surface cooling. Submesoscale instabilities cause density fronts to slump, enhancing stratification along-front. Specifically for salinity fronts, the surface mixed layer (SML) shoals on the less saline side, correlating sea surface salinity (SSS) with SML depth at O(1)-km scales. When losing heat to the atmosphere, the shallower and less saline SML experiences a larger drop in temperature compared to the adjacent deeper SML on the salty side of the front, thus correlating sea surface temperature (SST) with SSS at the submesoscale. This compensation of submesoscale fronts can diminish their strength and thwart the forward cascade of energy to smaller scales. During winter, salinity fronts that are dynamically submesoscale experience larger temperature drops, appearing in satellite-derived SST as cold filaments. In freshwater-influenced regions, cold filaments can mark surface-trapped layers insulated from deeper nutrient-rich waters, unlike in other regions, where they indicate upwelling of nutrient-rich water and enhanced surface biological productivity.

Submesoscale-selective compensation of fronts in a salinity-stratified ocean

PubMed Central

Spiro Jaeger, Gualtiero; Mahadevan, Amala

2018-01-01

Salinity, rather than temperature, is the leading influence on density in some regions of the world’s upper oceans. In the Bay of Bengal, heavy monsoonal rains and runoff generate strong salinity gradients that define density fronts and stratification in the upper ~50 m. Ship-based observations made in winter reveal that fronts exist over a wide range of length scales, but at O(1)-km scales, horizontal salinity gradients are compensated by temperature to alleviate about half the cross-front density gradient. Using a process study ocean model, we show that scale-selective compensation occurs because of surface cooling. Submesoscale instabilities cause density fronts to slump, enhancing stratification along-front. Specifically for salinity fronts, the surface mixed layer (SML) shoals on the less saline side, correlating sea surface salinity (SSS) with SML depth at O(1)-km scales. When losing heat to the atmosphere, the shallower and less saline SML experiences a larger drop in temperature compared to the adjacent deeper SML on the salty side of the front, thus correlating sea surface temperature (SST) with SSS at the submesoscale. This compensation of submesoscale fronts can diminish their strength and thwart the forward cascade of energy to smaller scales. During winter, salinity fronts that are dynamically submesoscale experience larger temperature drops, appearing in satellite-derived SST as cold filaments. In freshwater-influenced regions, cold filaments can mark surface-trapped layers insulated from deeper nutrient-rich waters, unlike in other regions, where they indicate upwelling of nutrient-rich water and enhanced surface biological productivity. PMID:29507874

Water mass characteristic in the outflow region of the Indonesian throughflow during and post 2016 negative Indian ocean dipole event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayhaqi, A.; Iskandar, I.; Surinati, D.; Budiman, A. S.; Wardhana, A. K.; Dirhamsyah; Yuan, D.; Lestari, D. O.

2018-05-01

Strong El Niño and positive Indian Ocean Dipole (pIOD) events in 2015/2016 followed by relatively strong negative Indian Ocean Dipole (nIOD) and weak La Niña in 2016 events have affected hydrography conditions in the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) region. Two research cruises were conducted using RV Baruna Jaya VIII in August and November 2016. These cruises aim to evaluate possible impact of those two climate mode events on the water mass characteristic in the outflow region of the ITF. Hydrographic data from those two cruises were combined with the sea surface temperature (SST) from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and surface wind data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The results showed that in the 2016 anomaly year, the cooler sea surface temperature was observed during the negative IOD (nIOD) event while the warmer temperature was found in the post of nIOD event. The observed water mass characteristics in the outflow region of the ITF revealed that the upper layer was dominated by the Indian Ocean water mass, while the Pacific Ocean water mass was observed in the deeper layer. The observed current data across the Sumba Strait showed that the South Java Coastal Current (SJCC) was observed in the upper layer, propagating eastward toward the Savu Sea. A few days later, the observed currents in the upper layer of the Ombai Strait revealed the ITF flow towards the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, the lower layer showed an eastward flow towards the Ombai Strait.

The Use of the Regional Navy Coastal Ocean Model (RNCOM) by the US Navy in Operational Oceanography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rayburn, J. T.

2016-02-01

The operational RNCOM is a 1/30° resolution nested model run daily by the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO), Stennis Space Center, Mississippi. Operational RNCOM areas are used in combination with the Global HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) to provide full global model coverage with enhanced resolution for temperature, salinity, currents in key areas. This talk will discuss two aspects of RNCOM. First, it will focus on how the model is configured. As a nested model, issues to consider include the source of boundary condition, boundary placement, and observational inputs. Secondly, this talk will focus on the strengths and weaknesses RNCOM demonstrates in accurately characterizing ocean condition with respect to HYCOM and how this regional model's output is used by NAVOCEANO Ocean Forecasters to develop operational forecasts.

Acoustic mapping of the regional seafloor geology in and around Hawaiian ocean dredged-material disposal sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torresan, Michael E.; Gardner, James V.

2000-01-01

During January and February 1998 the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Geology Team (USGS) conducted regional high-resolution multibeam mapping surveys of the area surrounding EPA-designated ocean disposal sites located offshore of the Hawaiian Islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii. The sites are all located within 5 nautical miles of shore on insular shelves or slopes. Regional maps were required of areas much larger than the disposal sites themselves to assess both the regional seafloor geology and the immediate vicinity of the disposal sites. The purpose of the disposal site surveys was to delimit the extent of disposal material by producing detailed bathymetric and backscatter maps of the seafloor with a ± 1 m spatial accuracy and <1% depth error. The advantage of using multibeam over conventional towed, single-beam sidescan sonar is that the multibeam data are accurately georeferenced for precise location of all imaged features. The multibeam produces a coregistered acoustic-backscatter map that is often required to locate individual disposal deposits. These data were collected by the USGS as part of its regional seafloor mapping and in support of ocean disposal site monitoring studies conducted in cooperation with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Army Corps of Engineers (COE).

Identification guide to skates (Family Rajidae) of the Canadian Atlantic and adjacent regions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sulak, Kenneth J.; MacWhirter, P. D.; Luke, K.E.; Norem, A.D.; Miller, J.M.; Cooper, J.A.; Harris, L.E.

2009-01-01

Ecosystem-based management requires sound information on the distribution and abundance of species both common and rare. Therefore, the accurate identification for all marine species has assumed a much greater importance. The identification of many skate species is difficult as several are easily confused and has been found to be problematic in both survey data and fisheries data collection. Identification guides, in combination with training and periodic validation of taxonomic information, improve our accuracy in monitoring data required for ecosystem-based management and monitoring of populations. This guide offers a comparative synthesis of skate species known to occur in Atlantic Canada and adjacent regions. The taxonomic nomenclature and descriptions of key morphological features are based on the most up-to-date understanding of diversity among these species. Although this information will aid the user in accurate identification, some features vary geographically (such as colour) and others with life stage (most notably the proportion of tail length to body length; the presence of spines either sharper in juveniles or in some cases not yet present; and also increases in the number of tooth rows as species grow into maturity). Additional information on juvenile features are needed to facilitate problematic identifications (e.g. L. erinacea vs. L. ocellata). Information on size at maturity is still required for many of these species throughout their geographic distribution.

Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne, New Jersey

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Military Ocean Terminal Bayonne (MOTBY) is a 652 acre, approximately 1/3-mile wide, 2-mile long, manmade peninsula that extends into the upper New York Harbor. It is located on Port Terminal Road adjacent to (west of) the City of Bayonne. Site use as

The Deep South Clouds & Aerosols project: Improving the modelling of clouds in the Southern Ocean region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgenstern, Olaf; McDonald, Adrian; Harvey, Mike; Davies, Roger; Katurji, Marwan; Varma, Vidya; Williams, Jonny

2016-04-01

Southern-Hemisphere climate projections are subject to persistent climate model biases affecting the large majority of contemporary climate models, which degrade the reliability of these projections, particularly at the regional scale. Southern-Hemisphere specific problems include the fact that satellite-based observations comparisons with model output indicate that cloud occurrence above the Southern Ocean is substantially underestimated, with consequences for the radiation balance, sea surface temperatures, sea ice, and the position of storm tracks. The Southern-Ocean and Antarctic region is generally characterized by an acute paucity of surface-based and airborne observations, further complicating the situation. In recognition of this and other Southern-Hemisphere specific problems with climate modelling, the New Zealand Government has launched the Deep South National Science Challenge, whose purpose is to develop a new Earth System Model which reduces these very large radiative forcing problems associated with erroneous clouds. The plan is to conduct a campaign of targeted observations in the Southern Ocean region, leveraging off international measurement campaigns in this area, and using these and existing measurements of cloud and aerosol properties to improve the representation of clouds in the nascent New Zealand Earth System Model. Observations and model development will target aerosol physics and chemistry, particularly sulphate, sea salt, and non-sulphate organic aerosol, its interactions with clouds, and cloud microphysics. The hypothesis is that the cloud schemes in most GCMs are trained on Northern-Hemisphere data characterized by substantial anthropogenic or terrestrial aerosol-related influences which are almost completely absent in the Deep South.

Continental and oceanic crustal structure of the Pampean flat slab region, western Argentina, using receiver function analysis: new high-resolution results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gans, Christine R.; Beck, Susan L.; Zandt, George; Gilbert, Hersh; Alvarado, Patricia; Anderson, Megan; Linkimer, Lepolt

2011-07-01

The Pampean flat slab of central Chile and Argentina (30°-32°S) has strongly influenced Cenozoic tectonics in western Argentina, which contains both the thick-skinned, basement-cored uplifts of the Sierras Pampeanas and the thin-skinned Andean Precordillera fold and thrust belt. In this region of South America, the Nazca Plate is subducting nearly horizontally beneath the South American Plate at ˜100 km depth. To gain a better understanding of the deeper structure of this region, including the transition from flat to 'normal' subduction to the south, three IRIS-PASSCAL arrays of broad-band seismic stations have been deployed in central Argentina. Using the dense SIEMBRA array, combined with the broader CHARGE and ESP arrays, the flat slab is imaged for the first time in 3-D detail using receiver function (RF) analysis. A distinct pair of RF arrivals consisting of a negative pulse that marks the top of the oceanic crust, followed by a positive pulse, which indicates the base of the oceanic crust, can be used to map the slab's structure. Depths to Moho and oceanic crustal thicknesses estimated from RF results provide new, more detailed regional maps. An improved depth to continental Moho map shows depths of more than 70 km in the main Cordillera and ˜50 km in the western Sierras Pampeanas, that shallow to ˜35 km in the eastern Sierras Pampeanas. Depth to Moho contours roughly follow terrane boundaries. Offshore, the hotspot seamount chain of the Juan Fernández Ridge (JFR) is thought to create overthickened oceanic crust, providing a mechanism for flat slab subduction. By comparing synthetic RFs, based on various structures, to the observed RF signal we determine that the thickness of the oceanic crust at the top of the slab averages at least ˜13-19 km, supporting the idea of a moderately overthickened crust to provide the additional buoyancy for the slab to remain flat. The overthickened region is broader than the area directly aligned with the path of the JFR

The Southern Ocean biogeochemical divide.

PubMed

Marinov, I; Gnanadesikan, A; Toggweiler, J R; Sarmiento, J L

2006-06-22

Modelling studies have demonstrated that the nutrient and carbon cycles in the Southern Ocean play a central role in setting the air-sea balance of CO(2) and global biological production. Box model studies first pointed out that an increase in nutrient utilization in the high latitudes results in a strong decrease in the atmospheric carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2). This early research led to two important ideas: high latitude regions are more important in determining atmospheric pCO2 than low latitudes, despite their much smaller area, and nutrient utilization and atmospheric pCO2 are tightly linked. Subsequent general circulation model simulations show that the Southern Ocean is the most important high latitude region in controlling pre-industrial atmospheric CO(2) because it serves as a lid to a larger volume of the deep ocean. Other studies point out the crucial role of the Southern Ocean in the uptake and storage of anthropogenic carbon dioxide and in controlling global biological production. Here we probe the system to determine whether certain regions of the Southern Ocean are more critical than others for air-sea CO(2) balance and the biological export production, by increasing surface nutrient drawdown in an ocean general circulation model. We demonstrate that atmospheric CO(2) and global biological export production are controlled by different regions of the Southern Ocean. The air-sea balance of carbon dioxide is controlled mainly by the biological pump and circulation in the Antarctic deep-water formation region, whereas global export production is controlled mainly by the biological pump and circulation in the Subantarctic intermediate and mode water formation region. The existence of this biogeochemical divide separating the Antarctic from the Subantarctic suggests that it may be possible for climate change or human intervention to modify one of these without greatly altering the other.

Improving estimations of greenhouse gas transfer velocities by atmosphere-ocean couplers in Earth-System and regional models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, V. M. N. C. S.; Sahlée, E.; Jurus, P.; Clementi, E.; Pettersson, H.; Mateus, M.

2015-09-01

Earth-System and regional models, forecasting climate change and its impacts, simulate atmosphere-ocean gas exchanges using classical yet too simple generalizations relying on wind speed as the sole mediator while neglecting factors as sea-surface agitation, atmospheric stability, current drag with the bottom, rain and surfactants. These were proved fundamental for accurate estimates, particularly in the coastal ocean, where a significant part of the atmosphere-ocean greenhouse gas exchanges occurs. We include several of these factors in a customizable algorithm proposed for the basis of novel couplers of the atmospheric and oceanographic model components. We tested performances with measured and simulated data from the European coastal ocean, having found our algorithm to forecast greenhouse gas exchanges largely different from the forecasted by the generalization currently in use. Our algorithm allows calculus vectorization and parallel processing, improving computational speed roughly 12× in a single cpu core, an essential feature for Earth-System models applications.

Seismic hazard and seismic risk assessment based on the unified scaling law for earthquakes: Himalayas and adjacent regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nekrasova, A. K.; Kossobokov, V. G.; Parvez, I. A.

2015-03-01

For the Himalayas and neighboring regions, the maps of seismic hazard and seismic risk are constructed with the use of the estimates for the parameters of the unified scaling law for earthquakes (USLE), in which the Gutenberg-Richter law for magnitude distribution of seismic events within a given area is applied in the modified version with allowance for linear dimensions of the area, namely, log N( M, L) = A + B (5 - M) + C log L, where N( M, L) is the expected annual number of the earthquakes with magnitude M in the area with linear dimension L. The spatial variations in the parameters A, B, and C for the Himalayas and adjacent regions are studied on two time intervals from 1965 to 2011 and from 1980 to 2011. The difference in A, B, and C between these two time intervals indicates that seismic activity experiences significant variations on a scale of a few decades. With a global consideration of the seismic belts of the Earth overall, the estimates of coefficient A, which determines the logarithm of the annual average frequency of the earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.0 and higher in the zone with a linear dimension of 1 degree of the Earth's meridian, differ by a factor of 30 and more and mainly fall in the interval from -1.1 to 0.5. The values of coefficient B, which describes the balance between the number of earthquakes with different magnitudes, gravitate to 0.9 and range from less than 0.6 to 1.1 and higher. The values of coefficient C, which estimates the fractal dimension of the local distribution of epicenters, vary from 0.5 to 1.4 and higher. In the Himalayas and neighboring regions, the USLE coefficients mainly fall in the intervals of -1.1 to 0.3 for A, 0.8 to 1.3 for B, and 1.0 to 1.4 for C. The calculations of the local value of the expected peak ground acceleration (PGA) from the maximal expected magnitude provided the necessary basis for mapping the seismic hazards in the studied region. When doing this, we used the local estimates of the

The Errors Sources Affect to the Results of One-Way Nested Ocean Regional Circulation Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, S. V.

2016-02-01

Pham-Van Sy1, Jin Hwan Hwang2 and Hyeyun Ku3 Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University, KoreaEmail: 1phamsymt@gmail.com (Corresponding author) Email: 2jinhwang@snu.ac.krEmail: 3hyeyun.ku@gmail.comAbstractThe Oceanic Regional Circulation Model (ORCM) is an essential tool in resolving highly a regional scale through downscaling dynamically the results from the roughly revolved global model. However, when dynamic downscaling from a coarse resolution of the global model or observations to the small scale, errors are generated due to the different sizes of resolution and lateral updating frequency. This research evaluated the effect of four main sources on the results of the ocean regional circulation model (ORCMs) during downscaling and nesting the output data from the ocean global circulation model (OGCMs). Representative four error sources should be the way of the LBC formulation, the spatial resolution difference between driving and driven data, the frequency for up-dating LBCs and domain size. Errors which are contributed from each error source to the results of the ORCMs are investigated separately by applying the Big-Brother Experiment (BBE). Within resolution of 3km grid point of the ORCMs imposing in the BBE framework, it clearly exposes that the simulation results of the ORCMs significantly depend on the domain size and specially the spatial and temporal resolution of lateral boundary conditions (LBCs). The ratio resolution of spatial resolution between driving data and driven model could be up to 3, the updating frequency of the LBCs can be up to every 6 hours per day. The optimal domain size of the ORCMs could be smaller than the OGCMs' domain size around 2 to 10 times. Key words: ORCMs, error source, lateral boundary conditions, domain size Acknowledgement: This research was supported by grants from the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries entitled as "Developing total management system for the Keum river estuary and coast

Ocean Dynamics in the Key Regions of North Atlantic-Arctic Exchanges: Evaluation of Global Multi-Resolution FESOM and CMIP-type INMCM Models with Long-Term Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beszczynska-Moeller, A.; Gürses, Ö.; Sidorenko, D.; Goessling, H.; Volodin, E. M.; Gritsun, A.; Iakovlev, N. G.; Andrzejewski, J.

2017-12-01

Enhancing the fidelity of climate models in the Arctic and North Atlantic in order to improve Arctic predictions requires better understanding of the underlying causes of common biases. The main focus of the ERA.Net project NAtMAP (Amending North Atlantic Model Biases to Improve Arctic Predictions) is on the dynamics of the key regions connecting the Arctic and the North Atlantic climate. The study aims not only at increased model realism, but also at a deeper understanding of North Atlantic-Arctic links and their contribution to Arctic predictability. Two complementary approaches employing different global coupled climate models, ECHAM6-FESOM and INMCM4/5, were adopted. The first approach is based on a recent development of climate models with ocean components based on unstructured meshes, allowing to resolve eddies and narrow boundary currents in the most crucial regions while keeping a moderate resolution elsewhere. The multi-resolution sea ice-ocean component of ECHAM6-FESOM allows studying the benefits of very high resolution in key areas of the North Atlantic. An alternative approach to address the North Atlantic and Arctic biases is also tried by tuning the performance of the relevant sub-grid-scale parameterizations in eddy resolving version the CMIP5 climate model INMCM4. Using long-term in situ and satellite observations and available climatologies we attempt to evaluate to what extent a higher resolution, allowing the explicit representation of eddies and narrow boundary currents in the North Atlantic and Nordic Seas, can alleviate the common model errors. The effects of better resolving the Labrador Sea area on reducing the model bias in surface hydrography and improved representation of ocean currents are addressed. Resolving eddy field in the Greenland Sea is assessed in terms of reducing the deep thermocline bias. The impact of increased resolution on the modeled characteristics of Atlantic water transport into the Arctic is examined with a special

Ocean resources: an economic outlook

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Covey, C.W.

1985-10-01

The scope and dimension of traditional marine activities in economic and marketing terms, e.g., offshore oil and gas, marine transportation, commercial fisheries, marine recreation, hard minerals recovery, and coastal zone activity, are reviewed. The economic outlook for ocean resources is discussed under the following topics: (1) jurisdiction of adjacent waters, (2) the coastal zone, (3) offshore oil and gas, (4) marine transport/shipbuilding, (5) national security, (6) commercial fisheries, (7) marine recreation, (8) hard minerals, and (9) future development.

OceanNOMADS: Real-time and retrospective access to operational U.S. ocean prediction products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harding, J. M.; Cross, S. L.; Bub, F.; Ji, M.

2011-12-01

Nowcast/Forecast System over the Gulf of Mexico from 2004-Mar 2011, the operational Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) regional USEast ocean nowcast/forecast system from early 2009 to present, and the NAVOCEANO operational regional AMSEAS (Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean) ocean nowcast/forecast system from its inception 25 June 2010 to present. AMSEAS provided one of the real-time ocean forecast products accessed by NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration from the NGI/NCDDC developmental OceanNOMADS during the Deep Water Horizon oil spill last year. The developmental server also includes archived, real-time Navy coastal forecast products off coastal Japan in support of U.S./Japanese joint efforts following the 2011 tsunami. Real-time NAVOCEANO output from regional prediction systems off Southern California and around Hawaii, currently available on the NCEP ftp server, are scheduled for archival on the developmental OceanNOMADS by late 2011 along with the next generation Navy/NOAA global ocean prediction output. Accession and archival of additional regions is planned as server capacities increase.

OceanSITES: Sustained Ocean Time Series Observations in the Global Ocean.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weller, R. A.; Gallage, C.; Send, U.; Lampitt, R. S.; Lukas, R.

2016-02-01

Time series observations at critical or representative locations are an essential element of a global ocean observing system that is unique and complements other approaches to sustained observing. OceanSITES is an international group of oceanographers associated with such time series sites. OceanSITES exists to promote the continuation and extension of ocean time series sites around the globe. It also exists to plan and oversee the global array of sites in order to address the needs of research, climate change detection, operational applications, and policy makers. OceanSITES is a voluntary group that sits as an Action Group of the JCOMM-OPS Data Buoy Cooperation Panel, where JCOMM-OPS is the operational ocean observing oversight group of the Joint Commission on Oceanography and Marine Meteorology of the International Oceanographic Commission and the World Meteorological Organization. The way forward includes working to complete the global array, moving toward multidisciplinary instrumentation on a subset of the sites, and increasing utilization of the time series data, which are freely available from two Global Data Assembly Centers, one at the National Data Buoy Center and one at Coriolis at IFREMER. One recnet OceanSITES initiative and several results from OceanSITES time series sites are presented. The recent initiative was the assembly of a pool of temperature/conductivity recorders fro provision to OceanSITES sites in order to provide deep ocean temperature and salinity time series. Examples from specific sites include: a 15-year record of surface meteorology and air-sea fluxes from off northern Chile that shows evidence of long-term trends in surface forcing; change in upper ocean salinity and stratification in association with regional change in the hydrological cycle can be seen at the Hawaii time series site; results from monitoring Atlantic meridional transport; and results from a European multidisciplinary time series site.

The development of an advanced vertical discretisation scheme for a regional ocean model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruciaferri, Diego; Shapiro, Georgy; Wobus, Fred

2017-04-01

When designing an ocean model, the choice of the vertical coordinate system must be pursued very carefully (Griffies et al., 2000); especially in those regional areas where local multi-scale processes interact with large-scale oceanographic features. Three main vertical coordinates are usually used in ocean modelling, namely the geopotential, terrain-following and isopycnic, but each one presents its own limitations and strengths. In the last decades, much research has been spent to investigate and develop hybrid approaches able to combine the advantages of each vertical coordinate system but minimising their disadvantages. Here we propose the hybrid s-s-z vertical discretisation scheme, an advanced version of the approach used by Shapiro et al. (2013). In our new scheme, the vertical domain is divided into three zones: in the upper and middle zones use s-coordinates while the deeper zone uses z-levels. The s-s-z vertical grid is introduced into the NEMO (Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean) model code and we compare the model skill of our new vertical discretisation scheme with the NEMO vertical grid using z-levels with partial steps through a set of idealized numerical experiments for which analytical solutions or theoretical models exist. Modelling results demonstrate that the magnitude of spurious currents arising from the horizontal pressure gradient errors are of the same order (10 ^ -3 m/s ) both with z-partial steps or with s-s-z vertical grids for the conditions favourable for the geopotential grids ( horizontal initial density levels). For a number of more realistic conditions representing a general cyclonic circulation in the sea, the new discretisation scheme produces smaller spurious currents and hence is more accurate than the z-level approach. Moreover, the enhanced capability of the s-s-z scheme to reproduce dense water cascades as compared to the z-partial steps grid is shown. Finally, we show how the new s-s-z grid can be useful to improve

Summary of the geology and resources of uranium in the San Juan Basin and adjacent region, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ridgley, Jennie L.; Green, M.W.; Pierson, C.T.; Finch, W.I.; Lupe, R.D.

1978-01-01

The San Juan Basin and adjacent region lie predominantly in the southeastern part of the uranium-rich Colorado Plateau of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. Underlying the province are rocks of the Precambrian basement complex composed mainly of igneous and metamorphic rocks; a thickness of about 3,600 meters of generally horizontal Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic sedimentary rocks; and a variety of Upper Cretaceous and Cenozoic igneous rocks. Sedimentary rocks of the sequence are commonly eroded and well exposed near the present basin margins where Tertiary tectonic activity has uplifted, folded, and faulted the sequence into its present geologic configuration of basins, platforms, monoclines, and other related structural features. Sedimentary rocks of Jurassic age in the southern part of the San Juan Basin contain the largest uranium deposits in the United States, and offer the promise of additional uranium deposits. Elsewhere in the basin and the adjacent Colorado Plateau, reserves and resources of uranium are known primarily in Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous strata. Only scattered occurrences of uranium are known in Paleozoic

Global and Regional Axial Ocean Angular Momentum Signals and Length-of-Day Variations (1985-1996)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponte, Rui M.; Stammer, Detlef

1999-01-01

Changes in ocean angular momentum about the polar axis (M) are related to fluctuations in zonal currents (relative component M(sub r)) and latitudinal shifts in mass (planetary component M(sub Omega)). Output from a 1 deg ocean model is used to calculate global M(sub r), M(sub Omega), and M time series at 5-day intervals for the period January 1985-April 1996. The annual cycle in M(sub r), M(sub Omega), and M is larger than the semiannual cycle, and M(sub Omega) amplitudes are nearly twice those of M(sub r). Year-to-year modulation of the seasonal cycle is present, but interannual variability is weak. The spectrum of M is red (background slope between omega(sup (-1) and omega(sup -2)) at subseasonal periods, implying a white or blue spectrum for the external torque on the ocean. Comparisons with previous studies indicate the importance of direct atmospheric forcing in inducing subseasonal M signals, relative to instabilities and other internal sources of rapid oceanic signals. Regional angular momentum estimates show that seasonal variability tends to be larger at low latitudes but there are many local maxima due to the spatial structure of zonal current and mass variability. At seasonal timescales, latitudes approximately 20 S - 10 N contribute substantial variability to M(sub Omega), while signals in M(sub r) can be traced to Antarctic Circumpolar Current transports and associated circulation. Variability in M is found to be small when compared with similar time series for the atmosphere and the solid Earth, but ocean signals are significantly coherent with atmosphere-solid Earth residuals, implying a measurable oceanic impact on length-of-day variations.

Analyzing coastal turbidity under complex terrestrial loads characterized by a 'stress connectivity matrix' with an atmosphere-watershed-coastal ocean coupled model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Takahiro; Nadaoka, Kazuo

2018-04-01

Atmospheric, watershed and coastal ocean models were integrated to provide a holistic analysis approach for coastal ocean simulation. The coupled model was applied to coastal ocean in the Philippines where terrestrial sediment loads provided from several adjacent watersheds play a major role in influencing coastal turbidity and are partly responsible for the coastal ecosystem degradation. The coupled model was validated using weather and hydrologic measurement to examine its potential applicability. The results revealed that the coastal water quality may be governed by the loads not only from the adjacent watershed but also from the distant watershed via coastal currents. This important feature of the multiple linkages can be quantitatively characterized by a "stress connectivity matrix", which indicates the complex underlying structure of environmental stresses in coastal ocean. The multiple stress connectivity concept shows the potential advantage of the integrated modelling approach for coastal ocean assessment, which may also serve for compensating the lack of measured data especially in tropical basins.

Are the World's Oceans Optically Different?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Szeto, M.; Werdell, P. J.; Moore, T. S.; Campbell, J. W.

2011-01-01

Regional differences in the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor chlorophyll algorithm uncertainty were observed in a large global data set containing coincident in situ measurements of chlorophyll a concentration (Chla) and spectral radiometry. The uncertainty was found to be systematic when the data were sorted by ocean: Atlantic, Pacific, Southern, and Indian Oceans. Artifacts associated with different instrumentation and analytical methods had been previously ruled out. Given these oceanic biases in the chlorophyll algorithm, we hypothesized that the oceans may be optically different, and their optical differences may be intrinsically related to regional differences in phytoplankton community structure or biogeochemical processes. The oceanic biases, originally observed using radiometric measurements, were independently verified using total absorption measurements in a subset of the data. Moreover, they were explained through oceanic differences in the absorption of colored detrital matter (CDM) and phytoplankton. Both effects were considered together in explaining the ocean biases through a stepwise linear regression analysis. Significant oceanic differences in the amount of CDM and in phytoplankton cell sizes and pigmentation would give rise to optical differences, but we raise a concern for the spatial coverage of the data. We do not suggest the application of ocean-based algorithms but rather emphasize the importance of consolidating regional data sets before reaching this conclusion.

Ocean Bottom Pressure Seasonal Cycles and Decadal Trends from GRACE Release-05: Ocean Circulation Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, G. C.; Chambers, D. P.

2013-12-01

Ocean mass variations are important for diagnosing sea level budgets, the hydrological cycle and global energy budget, as well as ocean circulation variability. Here seasonal cycles and decadal trends of ocean mass from January 2003 to December 2012, both global and regional, are analyzed using GRACE Release 05 data. The trend of global flux of mass into the ocean approaches 2 cm decade-1 in equivalent sea level rise. Regional trends are of similar magnitude, with the North Pacific, South Atlantic, and South Indian oceans generally gaining mass and other regions losing mass. These trends suggest a spin-down of the North Pacific western boundary current extension and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the South Atlantic and South Indian oceans. The global average seasonal cycle of ocean mass is about 1 cm in amplitude, with a maximum in early October and volume fluxes in and out of the ocean reaching 0.5 Sv (1 Sv = 1 × 106 m3 s-1) when integrated over the area analyzed here. Regional patterns of seasonal ocean mass change have typical amplitudes of 1-4 cm, and include maxima in the subtropics and minima in the subpolar regions in hemispheric winters. The subtropical mass gains and subpolar mass losses in the winter spin up both subtropical and subpolar gyres, hence the western boundary current extensions. Seasonal variations in these currents are order 10 Sv, but since the associated depth-averaged current variations are only order 0.1 cm s-1, they would be difficult to detect using in situ oceanographic instruments. a) Amplitude (colors, in cm) and b) phase (colors, in months of the year) of an annual harmonic fit to monthly GRACE Release 05 CSR 500 km smoothed maps (concurrently with a trend and the semiannual harmonic). The 97.5% confidence interval for difference from zero is also indicated (solid black line). Data within 300 km of coastlines are not considered.

Ancient drainage basin of the Tharsis region, Mars: Potential source for outflow channel systems and putative oceans or paleolakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dohm, J.M.; Ferris, J.C.; Baker, V.R.; Anderson, R.C.; Hare, T.M.; Strom, R.G.; Barlow, N.G.; Tanaka, K.L.; Klemaszewski, J.E.; Scott, D.H.

2001-01-01

Paleotopographic reconstructions based on a synthesis of published geologic information and high-resolution topography, including topographic profiles, reveal the potential existence of an enormous drainage basin/aquifer system in the eastern part of the Tharsis region during the Noachian Period. Large topographic highs formed the margin of the gigantic drainage basin. Subsequently, lavas, sediments, and volatiles partly infilled the basin, resulting in an enormous and productive regional aquifer. The stacked sequences of water-bearing strata were then deformed locally and, in places, exposed by magmatic-driven uplifts, tectonic deformation, and erosion. This basin model provides a potential source of water necessary to carve the large outflow channel systems of the Tharsis and surrounding regions and to contribute to the formation of putative northern-plains ocean(s) and/or paleolakes. Copyright 2001 by the American Geophysical Union.

The tiger beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Cicindelinae) of Israel and adjacent lands

PubMed Central

Matalin, Andrey V.; Chikatunov, Vladimir I.

2016-01-01

Abstract Based on field studies, museums collections and literature sources, the current knowledge of the tiger beetle fauna of Israel and adjacent lands is presented. In Israel eight species occur, one of them with two subspecies, while in the Sinai Peninsula nine species of tiger beetles are now known. In the combined regions seven genera from two tribes were found. The Rift Valley with six cicindelids species is the most specious region of Israel. Cylindera contorta valdenbergi and Cicindela javeti azari have localized distributions and should be considered regional endemics. A similarity analysis of the tiger beetles faunas of different regions of Israel and the Sinai Peninsula reveal two clusters of species. The first includes the Great Rift Valley and most parts of the Sinai Peninsula, and the second incorporates most regions of Israel together with Central Sinai Foothills. Five distinct adult phenological groups of tiger beetles can be distinguished in these two clusters: active all-year (three species), spring-fall (five species), summer (two species), spring-summer (one species) and spring (one species). The likely origins of the tiger beetle fauna of this area are presented. An annotated list and illustrated identification key of the Cicindelinae of Israel and adjacent lands are provided. PMID:27110198

Effects of Model Resolution and Ocean Mixing on Forced Ice-Ocean Physical and Biogeochemical Simulations Using Global and Regional System Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Meibing; Deal, Clara; Maslowski, Wieslaw; Matrai, Patricia; Roberts, Andrew; Osinski, Robert; Lee, Younjoo J.; Frants, Marina; Elliott, Scott; Jeffery, Nicole; Hunke, Elizabeth; Wang, Shanlin

2018-01-01

The current coarse-resolution global Community Earth System Model (CESM) can reproduce major and large-scale patterns but is still missing some key biogeochemical features in the Arctic Ocean, e.g., low surface nutrients in the Canada Basin. We incorporated the CESM Version 1 ocean biogeochemical code into the Regional Arctic System Model (RASM) and coupled it with a sea-ice algal module to investigate model limitations. Four ice-ocean hindcast cases are compared with various observations: two in a global 1° (40˜60 km in the Arctic) grid: G1deg and G1deg-OLD with/without new sea-ice processes incorporated; two on RASM's 1/12° (˜9 km) grid R9km and R9km-NB with/without a subgrid scale brine rejection parameterization which improves ocean vertical mixing under sea ice. Higher-resolution and new sea-ice processes contributed to lower model errors in sea-ice extent, ice thickness, and ice algae. In the Bering Sea shelf, only higher resolution contributed to lower model errors in salinity, nitrate (NO3), and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a). In the Arctic Basin, model errors in mixed layer depth (MLD) were reduced 36% by brine rejection parameterization, 20% by new sea-ice processes, and 6% by higher resolution. The NO3 concentration biases were caused by both MLD bias and coarse resolution, because of excessive horizontal mixing of high NO3 from the Chukchi Sea into the Canada Basin in coarse resolution models. R9km showed improvements over G1deg on NO3, but not on Chl-a, likely due to light limitation under snow and ice cover in the Arctic Basin.

Estimating planktonic diversity through spatial dominance patterns in a model ocean.

PubMed

Soccodato, Alice; d'Ovidio, Francesco; Lévy, Marina; Jahn, Oliver; Follows, Michael J; De Monte, Silvia

2016-10-01

In the open ocean, the observation and quantification of biodiversity patterns is challenging. Marine ecosystems are indeed largely composed by microbial planktonic communities whose niches are affected by highly dynamical physico-chemical conditions, and whose observation requires advanced methods for morphological and molecular classification. Optical remote sensing offers an appealing complement to these in-situ techniques. Global-scale coverage at high spatiotemporal resolution is however achieved at the cost of restrained information on the local assemblage. Here, we use a coupled physical and ecological model ocean simulation to explore one possible metrics for comparing measures performed on such different scales. We show that a large part of the local diversity of the virtual plankton ecosystem - corresponding to what accessible by genomic methods - can be inferred from crude, but spatially extended, information - as conveyed by remote sensing. Shannon diversity of the local community is indeed highly correlated to a 'seascape' index, which quantifies the surrounding spatial heterogeneity of the most abundant functional group. The error implied in drastically reducing the resolution of the plankton community is shown to be smaller in frontal regions as well as in regions of intermediate turbulent energy. On the spatial scale of hundreds of kms, patterns of virtual plankton diversity are thus largely sustained by mixing communities that occupy adjacent niches. We provide a proof of principle that in the open ocean information on spatial variability of communities can compensate for limited local knowledge, suggesting the possibility of integrating in-situ and satellite observations to monitor biodiversity distribution at the global scale. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The VAMOS Ocean-Cloud-Atmosphere-Land Study Regional Experiment (VOCALS-REx): Goals, platforms, and field operations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wood, R.; Springston, S.; Mechoso, C. R.

2011-01-21

The VAMOS Ocean-Cloud-Atmosphere-Land Study Regional Experiment (VOCALS-REx) was an international field program designed to make observations of poorly understood but critical components of the coupled climate system of the southeast Pacific. This region is characterized by strong coastal upwelling, the coolest SSTs in the tropical belt, and is home to the largest subtropical stratocumulus deck on Earth. The field intensive phase of VOCALS-REx took place during October and November 2008 and constitutes a critical part of a broader CLIVAR program (VOCALS) designed to develop and promote scientific activities leading to improved understanding, model simulations, and predictions of the southeastern Pacificmore » (SEP) coupled ocean-atmosphere-land system, on diurnal to interannual timescales. The other major components of VOCALS are a modeling program with a model hierarchy ranging from the local to global scales, and a suite of extended observations from regular research cruises, instrumented moorings, and satellites. The two central themes of VOCALS-REx focus upon (a) links between aerosols, clouds and precipitation and their impacts on marine stratocumulus radiative properties, and (b) physical and chemical couplings between the upper ocean and the lower atmosphere, including the role that mesoscale ocean eddies play. A set of hypotheses designed to be tested with the combined field, monitoring and modeling work in VOCALS is presented here. A further goal of VOCALS-REx is to provide datasets for the evaluation and improvement of large-scale numerical models. VOCALS-REx involved five research aircraft, two ships and two surface sites in northern Chile. We describe the instrument payloads and key mission strategies for these platforms and give a summary of the missions conducted.« less

Pn tomography of South China Sea, Taiwan Island, Philippine archipelago, and adjacent regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xibing; Song, Xiaodong; Li, Jiangtao

2017-02-01

The South China Sea (SCS) and its surrounding areas are geologically highly heterogeneous from the interactions of multiple plates in Southeast Asia (Eurasian plate, Indian-Australian plate, Philippine Sea plate, and Pacific plate). To understand the tectonics at depth, here we combined bulletin and handpicked data to conduct Pn tomography of the region. The results show distinct features that are correlated with the complex geology at surface, suggesting a lithosphere-scale tectonics of the region. Low Pn velocities are found along a belt of the western Pacific transpressional system from the Okinawa Trough and eastern East China Sea, across central and eastern Taiwan orogeny, to the island arcs of the Luzon Strait and the entire Philippine Islands, as well as under the Palawan Island and part of the continental margin north of the Pearl River Basin. High velocities are found under Ryukyu subduction zone, part of the Philippine subduction zone, part of the Eurasian subduction beneath the southwestern Taiwan, and the continent-ocean boundary between the south China and the SCS basin. The Taiwan Strait, the Mainland SE coast, and the main SCS basin sea are relatively uniform with average Pn values. Crustal thicknesses show large variations in the study region but also coherency with tectonic elements. The Pn pattern in Taiwan shows linear trends of surface geology and suggests strongly lithosphere-scale deformation of the young Taiwan orogenic belt marked by the deformation boundary under the Western Foothill and the Western Coastal Plain at depth, and the crustal thickness shows a complex pattern from the transpressional collision. Our observations are consistent with rifting and extension in the northern margin of the SCS but are not consistent with mantle upwelling as a mechanism for the opening and the subsequent closing of the SCS. The Philippine island arc is affected by volcanisms from both the Asian and Philippine Sea subductions in the south but mainly from

Meltwater and precipitation runoff to the North Atlantic, Arctic, and Gulf of Mexico from the Laurentide Ice Sheet and adjacent regions during the Younger Dryas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teller, James T.

1990-12-01

Runoff from North America may have played a significant role in ocean circulation and climate change during the last deglaciation. Because the driving force behind such changes may have been related to salinity of the north flowing Atlantic Ocean conveyor circulation, it is critical to know the volume, timing, and location of fresh water entering the North Atlantic from the melting Laurentide Ice Sheet. During the Younger Dryas cold episode, 11,000-10,000 years B.P., there was a two-fold increase in the volume of meltwater plus precipitation runoff, to more than 1700 km³ yr-1, flowing through the St. Lawrence valley to the North Atlantic, mainly because retreating ice allowed the glacial Lake Agassiz basin to drain eastward into the Great Lakes at this time. There was a corresponding decline in discharge from Lake Agassiz through the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. Runoff to the Arctic Ocean also increased at about the beginning of the Younger Dryas, from 740 to 900 km³ yr-1, because of the capture of what is now the headwater region of the Mackenzie River watershed. This, in combination with rising sea level and warming climate, may have increased the amount of pack ice reaching the North Atlantic through the Norwegian Sea from the Arctic Ocean. At 10,000 years B.P., eastward overflow from the western interior of North America was blocked by advancing ice, again forcing overflow to the Gulf of Mexico and, possibly, to the northwest into the Arctic Ocean. Although total runoff to the oceans from all regions draining from the Laurentide Ice Sheet did not vary substantially between 12,000 and 9000 years B.P., if discharge to the Gulf of Mexico is excluded, fresh water reaching the North Atlantic averaged 4000 km³ yr-1 during the Younger Dryas, in contrast to 2870 km³ yr-1 just before this cold episode and 3440 km³ yr-1 just after it.

Determination of the extra buffering distance in the one-way nesting procedure for the regional ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Jin Hwan; Pham, Van Sy

2017-04-01

The Big-Brother Experiment (BBE) evaluates the effect of domain size on the ocean regional circulation model (ORCMs) in the downscaling and nesting from the ocean global circulation (OGCMs). The BBE first establishes a mimic ocean global circulation models (M-OGCMs) data and employs a ORCM to simulate for a highly resolved large domain. This M-OGCM's results were then filtered to remove short scales then used for boundary and initial conditions of the nested ORCMs, which have the same resolution to the M-OGCMs. The various sizes of domain were embedded in the M-OGCMs and the cases were simulated to see the effect of domain size with the extra buffering distance to the results of the ORCMs. The diagnostic variables including temperature, salinity and vorticity of the nested domain are then compared with those of the M-OGCMs before filtering. Differences between them can address the errors associating with the sizes of the domain, which are not attributed unambiguously to models errors or observational errors. The results showed that domain size significantly impacts on the results of ORCMs. As the domain size of the ORCM becomes lager, the distance of the extra space between the area of interest and the updated LBCs increases. So, the results of ORCMs perform more highly correlated with the M-OGCM. But, there are a certain optimal sizes of the OGCMs, which could be larger than nested ORCMs' domain size from 2 to 10 times, depending on the computational costs. Key words: domain size, error, ocean regional circulation model, Big-Brother Experiment. Acknowledgement: This research was supported by grants from the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries entitled "Development of integrated estuarine management system" and a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant (No. 2015R1A5A 7037372) funded by MSIP of Korea. The authors thank the Integrated Research Institute of Construction and Environmental Engineering of Seoul National University for administrative support.

Impact of increasing antarctic glacial freshwater release on regional sea-ice cover in the Southern Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merino, Nacho; Jourdain, Nicolas C.; Le Sommer, Julien; Goosse, Hugues; Mathiot, Pierre; Durand, Gael

2018-01-01

The sensitivity of Antarctic sea-ice to increasing glacial freshwater release into the Southern Ocean is studied in a series of 31-year ocean/sea-ice/iceberg model simulations. Glaciological estimates of ice-shelf melting and iceberg calving are used to better constrain the spatial distribution and magnitude of freshwater forcing around Antarctica. Two scenarios of glacial freshwater forcing have been designed to account for a decadal perturbation in glacial freshwater release to the Southern Ocean. For the first time, this perturbation explicitly takes into consideration the spatial distribution of changes in the volume of Antarctic ice shelves, which is found to be a key component of changes in freshwater release. In addition, glacial freshwater-induced changes in sea ice are compared to typical changes induced by the decadal evolution of atmospheric states. Our results show that, in general, the increase in glacial freshwater release increases Antarctic sea ice extent. But the response is opposite in some regions like the coastal Amundsen Sea, implying that distinct physical mechanisms are involved in the response. We also show that changes in freshwater forcing may induce large changes in sea-ice thickness, explaining about one half of the total change due to the combination of atmospheric and freshwater changes. The regional contrasts in our results suggest a need for improving the representation of freshwater sources and their evolution in climate models.

Uranium isotopes in rivers, estuaries and adjacent coastal sediments of western India: their weathering, transport and oceanic budget

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borole, D. V.; Krishnaswami, S.; Somayajulu, B. L. K.

1982-02-01

The two major river systems on the west coast of India, Narbada and Tapti, their estuaries and the coastal Arabian sea sediments have been extensively studied for their uranium concentrations and 238U /238U activity ratios. The 238U concentrations in the aqueous phase of these river systems exhibit a strong positive correlation with the sum of the major cations, σ Na + K + Mg + Ca, and with the HCO 3- ion contents. The abundance ratio of dissolved U to the sum of the major cations in these waters is similar to their ratio in typical crustal rocks. These findings lead us to conclude that 238U is brought into the aqueous phase along with major cations and bicarbonate. The strong positive correlation between 238U and total dissolved salts for selected rivers of the world yield an annual dissolved 238U flux of 0.88 × 10 10g/ yr to the oceans, a value very similar to its removal rate from the oceans, 1.05 × 10 10g/ yr, estimated based on its correlation with HCO 3- contents of rivers. In the estuaries, both 238U and its great-grand daughter 234U behave conservatively beyond chlorosities 0.14 g/l. These data confirm our earlier findings in other Indian estuaries. The behavior of uranium isotopes in the chlorosity zone 0.02-0.14 g/l, was studied in the Narbada estuary in some detail. The results, though not conclusive, seem to indicate a minor removal of these isotopes in this region. Reexamination of the results for the Gironde and Zaire estuaries (Martin et al., 1978a and b) also appear to confirm the conservative behavior of U isotopes in unpolluted estuaries. It is borne out from all the available data that estuaries beyond 0.14 g/l chlorosities act neither as a sink nor as a source for uranium isotopes, the behavior in the low chlorosity zones warrants further detailed investigation. A review of the uranium isotope measurements in river waters yield a discharge weighted-average 238U concentration of 0.22 μg/l with a 234U /238U activity ratio of 1.20 ± 0

Mesoscale Atmosphere-Ocean Coupling Enhances the Transfer of Wind Energy into the Ocean.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrne, D.; Munnich, M.; Frenger, I.; Gruber, N.

2016-02-01

Ocean eddies receive their energy mainly from the atmospheric energy input at large scales, while it is thought that direct atmosphere-ocean interactions at this scale contribute little to the eddies' energy balance. If anything, the prevailing view is that mesoscale atmosphere-ocean interactions lead to a reduction of the energy transfer from the atmosphere to the ocean. From satellite observations, modelling studies and theory, we present results in contrast to this. Specifically, we describe a novel mechanism that provides a new energy pathway from the atmosphere into the ocean that directly injects energy at the mesoscale, shortcutting the classical main pathway from the larger scales. Our hypothesis is based upon recent evidence that the `coupling strength' i.e., the magnitude of the atmospheric response to underlying sea surface temperature anomalies associated with eddies, is dependent upon the background wind speed. We argue that ocean eddies rarely live in an area of constant background wind, particularly not in the Southern Ocean, and that the horizontal gradients in the wind across ocean eddies lead to an increased/decreased work on one side of the eddy that is not compensated for on the other. Essentially, this asymmetry provides a `spin up' or a `spin down' forcing such that the net result is an increase in kinetic energy for both warm and cold core eddies that reside in a negative wind gradient and a decrease in kinetic energy when they are located in a positive wind gradient. This result has strong implications for the Southern Ocean, where large regions of positive and negative wind gradients exist on both sides of the wind maximum. We show from diagnosing the local eddy scale and domain wide energy balance in a high-resolution coupled atmosphere-ocean regional model in the South Atlantic, there are different energy transfers in the two regions and due to the different eddy abundances that this mechanism increases the net kinetic energy contained in

Shifting of phytoplankton community in the frontal regions of Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean using in situ and satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Rajani Kanta; Jena, Babula; Anilkumar, Narayana Pillai; Sinha, Rupesh Kumar

2017-01-01

The phytoplankton pigment indices were used to characterize the spatial succession of the community composition in the frontal regions of the subtropical front (STF), sub-Antarctic front (SAF), and polar front (PF) in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean during austral summer 2013. Diagnostic indices revealed that the flagellates were dominant in STF (51%) and progressively declined toward SAF (39%) and PF (11%). Similarly, the prokaryotes were highest in STF (43%) and decreased to SAF (32%) and PF (28%). In contrast, the diatoms were gradually increased from STF (6%) to SAF (29%) and PF (61%). The variability of flagellates and diatoms from the STF to PF is attributed to the variability of photosynthetically available radiation, sea surface temperature, and sea surface wind speed. The in-situ pigment indices were then compared to the NASA Ocean Biogeochemical model that shows the similar patterns of frontal community distribution except their magnitude. Similarly, the satellite retrieved phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a) was checked for its consistency after comparing with the in-situ observations and the result shows underestimation of satellite measured values. The result suggests that the conjunctive analysis of in-situ, satellite, and model archive is suitable to study the impact of climate variability on the structure of marine ecosystems.

How well-connected is the surface of the global ocean?

PubMed

Froyland, Gary; Stuart, Robyn M; van Sebille, Erik

2014-09-01

The Ekman dynamics of the ocean surface circulation is known to contain attracting regions such as the great oceanic gyres and the associated garbage patches. Less well-known are the extents of the basins of attractions of these regions and how strongly attracting they are. Understanding the shape and extent of the basins of attraction sheds light on the question of the strength of connectivity of different regions of the ocean, which helps in understanding the flow of buoyant material like plastic litter. Using short flow time trajectory data from a global ocean model, we create a Markov chain model of the surface ocean dynamics. The surface ocean is not a conservative dynamical system as water in the ocean follows three-dimensional pathways, with upwelling and downwelling in certain regions. Using our Markov chain model, we easily compute net surface upwelling and downwelling, and verify that it matches observed patterns of upwelling and downwelling in the real ocean. We analyze the Markov chain to determine multiple attracting regions. Finally, using an eigenvector approach, we (i) identify the five major ocean garbage patches, (ii) partition the ocean into basins of attraction for each of the garbage patches, and (iii) partition the ocean into regions that demonstrate transient dynamics modulo the attracting garbage patches.

Seismic anisotropy in the uppermost mantle beneath oceanic regions from data of broadband OBSs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeo, A.; Nishida, K.; Isse, T.; Kawakatsu, H.; Shiobara, H.; Sugioka, H.; Ito, A.; Kanazawa, T.; Suetsugu, D.

2011-12-01

For improving vertical resolution of seismic-anisotropy structure at depths of 10-100 km beneath oceanic regions, we measured phase velocities of surface waves in a broadband frequency range by two methods: the ambient noise interferometry in frequency higher than 0.035 Hz, and array analysis of event waveforms in lower frequency. We use seismograms recorded by broadband ocean bottom seismometers (BBOBSs) in two regions: (i) the Shikoku Basin in the Philippine Sea by Stagnant Slab Project, and (ii) east of Tahiti Island by a project called the tomographic investigation by seafloor array experiment for Society hotspot (TIARES). The frequency ranges of phase-velocity measurements in each region are summarized in Table. For the case of Shikoku Basin, we invert phase velocities for radially anisotropic structure. The resultant structure shows decrease of shear-wave velocity by 6-8 % at depths of 50-70 km, and intensification of radial anisotropy (VSH>VSV) from 1-2 % at 10-20 km depth to 4-6 % at 40-70 km depth. These results indicate increasing amount of preferred-oriented olivine crystal, and/or horizontal layering of partial melt near the boundary between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere. The azimuthal anisotropy of phase velocity in the Shikoku Basin is also investigated by array analysis of event waveforms for the fundamental mode of Rayleigh wave at 0.03 Hz. The fastest direction is NW, and consistent with direction of present plate motion. The velocity difference between fastest and slowest directions is 1-2 %. These results mainly reflect shear-wave velocity at depth of 30-60 km, and imply that lattice preferred orientation is, at least, partly (though may not be fully) responsible for the anisotropy in the depth range. We will obtain radially anisotropic structure and azimuthal anisotropy in Tahiti region, and will present difference between two regions.
Frequency range of phase-velocity measurements for two regions of analyses.

A Method to Identify Estuarine Water Quality Exceedances Associated with Ocean Conditions

EPA Science Inventory

Wind driven coastal upwelling along the Pacific Northwest Coast of the US results in oceanic water that may be periodically entrained into adjacent estuaries and which possess high nutrients and low dissolved oxygen (DO). Measurement of water quality indicators during these upwe...

Global and Regional Axial Ocean Angular Momentum Signals and Length-of-day Variations (1985-1996)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponte, Rui M.; Stammer, Detlef

2000-01-01

Changes in ocean angular momentum M about the polar axis are related to fluctuations in zonal currents (relative component M(sub tau) and latitudinal shifts in mass (planetary component M(sub Omega). Output from a 1 deg. ocean model is used to calculate global M(sub tau), (sub Omega), and M time series at 5 day intervals for the period January 1985 to April 1996. The annual cycle in M(sub tau), M(sub Omega), and M is larger than the semiannual cycle, and M(sub Omega) amplitudes are nearly twice those of M(sub tau). Year-to-year modulation of the seasonal cycle is present, but interannual variability is weak. The spectrum of M is red (background slope between omega(sup -1) and omega(sup -2) at sub-seasonal periods, implying a white or blue spectrum for the external torque on the ocean. Comparisons with previous studies indicate the importance of direct atmospheric forcing in inducing sub-seasonal M signals, relative to instabilities and other internal sources of rapid oceanic signals. Regional angular momentum estimates show that seasonal variability tends to be larger at low latitudes, but many local maxima exist because of the spatial structure of zonal current and mass variability. At seasonal timescales, latitudes approx. 20 deg. S - 10 deg. N contribute substantial variability to M(sub Omega), while signals in M(sub tau) can be traced to Antarctic Circumpolar Current transports and associated circulation. Variability in M is found to be small when compared with similar time series for the atmosphere and the solid Earth, but ocean signals are significantly coherent with atmosphere-solid Earth residuals, implying a measurable oceanic impact on length-of-day variations.

Size cues and the adjacency principle.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1963-11-01

The purpose of the present study was to apply the adjacency principle to the perception of relative depth from size cues. In agreement with the adjacency principle, it was found that the size cue between adjacent objects was more effective than the s...

Ocean-atmosphere coupling at the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence region based on in situ, satellite and numerical model data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casagrande, F.; Souza, R.; Pezzi, L.

2013-05-01

In the Southwest Atlantic close to 40oS, the meeting of two ocean currents with distinct characteristics, the Brazil Current (BC), warm and saline, and the Malvinas Current (MC), cold and low salinity, resulting in strong activity marked by the formation of mesoscale eddies, this region is known as Brazil Malvinas Confluence (BMC). The INTERCONF project (Ocean Atmosphere Interaction over the region of CBM) perfoms since the 2002 data collection in situ radiosondes and XBTs onboard the Oceanographic Support Ship Ary Rongel during its trajectory of Brazil to the Antarctic continent. This paper analyzes the thermal contrast and ocean atmosphere coupling on the ocean front from the INTERCONF data, and compares the results to satellite data (QuikSCAT) and numerical models (Eta-CPTEC / INPE). The results indicate that the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) is driving the atmosphere, on the warm waters of the BC occurs an intensification of the winds and heat fluxes, and the reverse occurs on the cold waters of the MC. The data collected in 2009 include the presence of a warm core eddy (42 oS to 43.1 oS) which recorded higher values of heat fluxes and wind speed in relation to its surroundings. On the warm core eddy wind speed recorded was about 10 m.s-1, while on the BC and MC was approximately 7 m.s-1 and 2 m.s-1, respectively. Satellite data and numerical model tends to overestimate the wind speed data in the region in relation to data collected in situ. The heat flux data from the numerical model tend to increase over the warm waters and cold waters on the decline, though the amounts recorded by the model have low correlation.

Nd isotopic composition and REE pattern in the surface waters of the eastern Indian Ocean and its adjacent seas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Amakawa, Hiroshi; Alibo, D.S.; Nozaki, Yoshiyuki

2000-05-01

The Nd isotopic composition and dissolved rare earth elements (REEs) have been measured in the surface waters along the 1996/97 R.V. Hakuho-Maru Expedition route from Tokyo to the Southern Ocean, southwest of Australia, through the Philippine and Indonesian Archipelago, the eastern Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea. The radiogenic {epsilon}{sub Nd} values of {minus}1.3 and {minus}1.4 were found in the Sulu Sea and near the Lombok Strait, indicating the strong influence of surrounding volcanic islands, whereas non-radiogenic {epsilon}{sub Nd} values of less than {minus}10 were found in the Southern Ocean and the Bay of Bengalmore » suggesting Nd of continental origin. The dissolved Nd concentrations also showed a wide range of variation from 2.8 to 19.6 pmol/kg and the trivalent REE patterns exhibited characteristic features that can be grouped into each different oceanic province. The geographical distribution of dissolved Nd is different from that of atmospherically derived {sup 210}Pb, but generally resembles that of coastally derived {sup 228}Ra. This strongly suggests that fluvial and coastal input predominates over eolian input for dissolved Nd in the surface ocean. However, the riverine dissolved Nd flux appears to be relatively minor, and remobilization of Nd from coastal and shelf sediments may play an important role in the total Nd input to the ocean. By modeling the distributions of the isotopic composition and concentration of Nd together with the activity ratio of {sup 228}Ra/{sup 226}Ra in the southeastern Indian Ocean, the authors estimate a mean residence time of Nd in the surface mixed layer to be 1.5--2.6 years. The short mean residence time is comparable with, or slightly longer than that of {sup 210}Pb suggesting similar chemical reactivity.« less

Arctic Ocean Sedimentary Cover Structure, Based on 2D MCS Seismic Data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kireev, A.; Kaminsky, V.; Poselov, V.; Poselova, L.; Kaminsky, D.

2016-12-01

In 2016 the Russian Federation has submitted its partial revised Submission for establishment of the OLCS (outer limit of the continental shelf) in the Arctic Ocean. In order to prepare the Submission, in 2005 - 2014 the Russian organizations carried out a wide range of geological and geophysical studies, so that today over 23000 km of MCS lines and 4000 km of deep seismic sounding are accomplished. For correct time/depth conversion of seismic sections obtained with a short streamer in difficult ice conditions wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic sonobuoy soundings were used. All of these seismic data were used to refine the stratigraphy model, to identify sedimentary complexes and to estimate the total thickness of the sedimentary cover. Seismic stratigraphy model was successively determined for the Cenozoic and pre-Cenozoic parts of the sedimentary section and was based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and seismic data documented by boreholes. Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover is based on correlation of the Russian MCS data and AWI91090 section calibrated by ACEX-2004 boreholes on the Lomonosov Ridge for Amerasia basin and by correlation of onlap contacts onto oceanic crust with defined magnetic anomalies for Eurasia basin. Pre-Cenozoic part of the sedimentary cover is based on tracing major unconformities from boreholes on the Chukchi shelf (Crackerjack, Klondike, Popcorn) to the North-Chuckchi Trough and further to the Mendeleev Rise as well as to the Vilkitsky Trough and the adjacent Podvodnikov Basin. Six main unconformities were traced: regional unconformity (RU), Eocene unconformity (EoU) (for Eurasia basin only), post-Campanian unconformity (pCU), Brookian (BU - base of the Lower Brookian unit), Lower Cretaceous (LCU) and Jurassic (JU - top of the Upper Ellesmerian unit). The final step in our research was to generalize all seismic surveys (top of acoustic basement correlation data) and bathymetry data in the sedimentary cover thickness map

Population Health in Regions Adjacent to the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-09-01

HEALTH OCEANS, AND FISHERIES EFFECTS OF RADIATION ATTN: DIRECTOR U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION ATTN: WINCHESTER ENGINEERING AND OAK RIDGE ASSOCIATED...radionuclides [7]. This commission assessed population health strontium-90 and cesium-137 through the human and hygienic, environmental, and radiation food ...as intake of radioactive sub- identified strontium-90 and potassium-40 in the stances with food and water are provided below. 19 Population Health in

Epigenomic profiling of DNA methylation in paired prostate cancer versus adjacent benign tissue

PubMed Central

Geybels, Milan S.; Zhao, Shanshan; Wong, Chao-Jen; Bibikova, Marina; Klotzle, Brandy; Wu, Michael; Ostrander, Elaine A.; Fan, Jian-Bing; Feng, Ziding; Stanford, Janet L.

2016-01-01

Background Aberrant DNA methylation may promote prostate carcinogenesis. We investigated epigenome-wide DNA methylation profiles in prostate cancer (PCa) compared to adjacent benign tissue to identify differentially methylated CpG sites. Methods The study included paired PCa and adjacent benign tissue samples from 20 radical prostatectomy patients. Epigenetic profiling was done using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Linear models that accounted for the paired study design and False Discovery Rate Q-values were used to evaluate differential CpG methylation. mRNA expression levels of the genes with the most differentially methylated CpG sites were analyzed. Results In total, 2,040 differentially methylated CpG sites were identified in PCa versus adjacent benign tissue (Q-value <0.001), the majority of which were hypermethylated (n = 1,946; 95%). DNA methylation profiles accurately distinguished between PCa and benign tissue samples. Twenty-seven top-ranked hypermethylated CpGs had a mean methylation difference of at least 40% between tissue types, which included 25 CpGs in 17 genes. Furthermore, for ten genes over 50% of promoter region CpGs were hypermethylated in PCa versus benign tissue. The top-ranked differentially methylated genes included three genes that were associated with both promoter hypermethylation and reduced gene expression: SCGB3A1, HIF3A, and AOX1. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data provided confirmatory evidence for our findings. Conclusions This study of PCa versus adjacent benign tissue showed many differentially methylated CpGs and regions in and outside gene promoter regions, which may potentially be used for the development of future epigenetic-based diagnostic tests or as therapeutic targets. PMID:26383847

Epigenomic profiling of DNA methylation in paired prostate cancer versus adjacent benign tissue.

PubMed

Geybels, Milan S; Zhao, Shanshan; Wong, Chao-Jen; Bibikova, Marina; Klotzle, Brandy; Wu, Michael; Ostrander, Elaine A; Fan, Jian-Bing; Feng, Ziding; Stanford, Janet L

2015-12-01

Aberrant DNA methylation may promote prostate carcinogenesis. We investigated epigenome-wide DNA methylation profiles in prostate cancer (PCa) compared to adjacent benign tissue to identify differentially methylated CpG sites. The study included paired PCa and adjacent benign tissue samples from 20 radical prostatectomy patients. Epigenetic profiling was done using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Linear models that accounted for the paired study design and False Discovery Rate Q-values were used to evaluate differential CpG methylation. mRNA expression levels of the genes with the most differentially methylated CpG sites were analyzed. In total, 2,040 differentially methylated CpG sites were identified in PCa versus adjacent benign tissue (Q-value < 0.001), the majority of which were hypermethylated (n = 1,946; 95%). DNA methylation profiles accurately distinguished between PCa and benign tissue samples. Twenty-seven top-ranked hypermethylated CpGs had a mean methylation difference of at least 40% between tissue types, which included 25 CpGs in 17 genes. Furthermore, for 10 genes over 50% of promoter region CpGs were hypermethylated in PCa versus benign tissue. The top-ranked differentially methylated genes included three genes that were associated with both promoter hypermethylation and reduced gene expression: SCGB3A1, HIF3A, and AOX1. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data provided confirmatory evidence for our findings. This study of PCa versus adjacent benign tissue showed many differentially methylated CpGs and regions in and outside gene promoter regions, which may potentially be used for the development of future epigenetic-based diagnostic tests or as therapeutic targets. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Spreading rate dependence of gravity anomalies along oceanic transform faults.

PubMed

Gregg, Patricia M; Lin, Jian; Behn, Mark D; Montési, Laurent G J

2007-07-12

Mid-ocean ridge morphology and crustal accretion are known to depend on the spreading rate of the ridge. Slow-spreading mid-ocean-ridge segments exhibit significant crustal thinning towards transform and non-transform offsets, which is thought to arise from a three-dimensional process of buoyant mantle upwelling and melt migration focused beneath the centres of ridge segments. In contrast, fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges are characterized by smaller, segment-scale variations in crustal thickness, which reflect more uniform mantle upwelling beneath the ridge axis. Here we present a systematic study of the residual mantle Bouguer gravity anomaly of 19 oceanic transform faults that reveals a strong correlation between gravity signature and spreading rate. Previous studies have shown that slow-slipping transform faults are marked by more positive gravity anomalies than their adjacent ridge segments, but our analysis reveals that intermediate and fast-slipping transform faults exhibit more negative gravity anomalies than their adjacent ridge segments. This finding indicates that there is a mass deficit at intermediate- and fast-slipping transform faults, which could reflect increased rock porosity, serpentinization of mantle peridotite, and/or crustal thickening. The most negative anomalies correspond to topographic highs flanking the transform faults, rather than to transform troughs (where deformation is probably focused and porosity and alteration are expected to be greatest), indicating that crustal thickening could be an important contributor to the negative gravity anomalies observed. This finding in turn suggests that three-dimensional magma accretion may occur near intermediate- and fast-slipping transform faults.

Indian Ocean floor deformation induced by the Reunion plume rather than the Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iaffaldano, G.; Davies, D. R.; DeMets, C.

2018-05-01

The central Indian Ocean is considered the archetypal diffuse oceanic plate boundary. Data from seismic stratigraphy and deep-sea drilling indicate that the contractional deformation of the Indian Ocean lithosphere commenced at 15.4-13.9 Ma, but experienced a sharp increase at 8-7.5 Ma. This has been maintained through to the present day, with over 80% of the shortening accrued over the past 8 Myr. Here we build on previous efforts to refine the form, timing and magnitude of the regional plate-motion changes by mitigating the noise in reconstructed Indian and Capricorn plate motions relative to Somalia. Our noise-mitigated reconstructions tightly constrain the significant speed up of the Capricorn plate over the past 8 Myr and demonstrate that the history of the Indian Ocean floor deformation cannot be explained without this plate-motion change. We propose that the Capricorn plate-motion change is driven by an increase in the eastward-directed asthenospheric flow associated with the adjacent Reunion plume, and quantitatively demonstrate the viability of this hypothesis. Our inference is supported by volcanic age distributions along the Reunion hotspot track, the anomalously high residual bathymetry of the Central Indian Ridge, full-waveform seismic tomography of the underlying asthenosphere and geochemical observations from the Central Indian Ridge. These findings challenge the commonly accepted link between the deformation of the Indian Ocean floor and the Tibetan Plateau's orogenic evolution and demonstrate that temporal variations in upwelling mantle flow can drive major tectonic events at the Earth's surface.

Thorium distributions in high- and low-dust regions and the significance for iron supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, Christopher T.; Rosen, Jeffrey; McGee, David; Boyle, Edward A.

2017-02-01

Thorium and uranium isotopes (232Th, 230Th, 238U, and 234U) were investigated to refine their use for estimating mineral dust deposition and Fe delivery to the ocean. U concentrations and isotope ratios were consistent with conservative behavior and can safely be described using published U-salinity relationships and global average seawater isotopic composition. Near Barbados, waters affected by the Amazon outflow contained elevated 232Th. This signals one region where the thorium-dust method is inaccurate because of a confounding continental input. Dissolved 232Th fluxes in this region suggest that Amazonian Fe supply to the adjacent open ocean is much larger than local atmospheric deposition. The colloidal content of dissolved Th south of Bermuda was found to be quite small (2-6%), similar to that found north of Hawaii, despite the order of magnitude higher dust deposition in the Atlantic. This finding supports the assumption that dissolved 232Th and 230Th are scavenged at the same rate despite their different sources and also sheds light on the increase of dissolved 232Th fluxes with integrated depth. Outside the region influenced by Amazon River waters, dissolved 232Th fluxes are compared with Bermudan aerosol Fe deposition to estimate that fractional Th solubility is around 20% in this region. Finally, new dissolved and soluble Fe, Mn, and Cr data from the subtropical North Pacific support the idea that Fe concentrations in the remote ocean are highly buffered, whereas 232Th has a larger dynamic range between high- and low-dust regions.

46 CFR 148.445 - Adjacent spaces.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Adjacent spaces. 148.445 Section 148.445 Shipping COAST... THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL HANDLING Additional Special Requirements § 148.445 Adjacent spaces. When... following requirements must be met: (a) Each space adjacent to a cargo hold must be ventilated by natural...

46 CFR 148.445 - Adjacent spaces.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Adjacent spaces. 148.445 Section 148.445 Shipping COAST... THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL HANDLING Additional Special Requirements § 148.445 Adjacent spaces. When... following requirements must be met: (a) Each space adjacent to a cargo hold must be ventilated by natural...

46 CFR 148.445 - Adjacent spaces.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Adjacent spaces. 148.445 Section 148.445 Shipping COAST... THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL HANDLING Additional Special Requirements § 148.445 Adjacent spaces. When... following requirements must be met: (a) Each space adjacent to a cargo hold must be ventilated by natural...

46 CFR 148.445 - Adjacent spaces.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Adjacent spaces. 148.445 Section 148.445 Shipping COAST... THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL HANDLING Additional Special Requirements § 148.445 Adjacent spaces. When... following requirements must be met: (a) Each space adjacent to a cargo hold must be ventilated by natural...

A Three-Dimensional Variational Data Assimilation Scheme for the Regional Ocean Modeling System: Implementation and Basic Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Zhijin; Chao, Yi; McWilliams, James C.; Ide, Kayo

2008-01-01

A three-dimensional variational data assimilation scheme for the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS), named ROMS3DVAR, has been described in the work of Li et al. (2008). In this paper, ROMS3DVAR is applied to the central California coastal region, an area characterized by inhomogeneity and anisotropy, as well as by dynamically unbalanced flows. A method for estimating the model error variances from limited observations is presented, and the construction of the inhomogeneous and anisotropic error correlations based on the Kronecker product is demonstrated. A set of single observation experiments illustrates the inhomogeneous and anisotropic error correlations and weak dynamic constraints used. Results are presented from the assimilation of data gathered during the Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network (AOSN) experiment during August 2003. The results show that ROMS3DVAR is capable of reproducing complex flows associated with upwelling and relaxation, as well as the rapid transitions between them. Some difficulties encountered during the experiment are also discussed.

What's Happening on the West Coast? The National Ocean Policy, EBM and Ocean Governance on the West Coast of the U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, J. R.

2016-02-01

A robust update on the latest ocean governance developments in the West Coast region of the U.S. will be provided, highlighting implementation of the National Ocean Policy and ongoing dialog among federal, state and tribal entities and coastal stakeholders at a range of scales. The link between ecosystem-based management (EBM) as a guiding principle and meaningful management outcomes will discussed, guided by the latest ocean policy priorities from local, state, tribal and regional scales in the West Coast. The West Coast Regional Planning Body has been recently initiated under the framework provided by the National Ocean Policy, bringing together a formal partnership of state and tribal governments with federal agencies in a way never before achieved in the region. The newly reformed West Coast Ocean Partnership builds upon efforts of the West Coast Governors Alliance on Ocean Health to continue to address priority ocean policy topics, while other regional efforts are identifying data, science and tools to support an EBM approach. All of these will be discussed in detail, providing both up-to-date reports on the latest West Coast activities, while illustrating lessons learned from past regional efforts and exactly how EBM has been effectively integrated. The West Coast of the U.S. is a unique region in terms of geographic scale, governance structure and history of innovative ocean management approaches. Using opportunities provided by recent state, tribal, regional and national policy initiatives, the West Coast has undertaken a range of activities to better coordinate ocean management while enhancing dialogs to support it. This presentation will provide a concise summary of current efforts, demonstrating how policy is being translated into significant action and highlighting opportunities to build on successful outcomes to date.

What's Happening on the West Coast? The National Ocean Policy, EBM and Ocean Governance on the West Coast of the U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, J. R.

2016-12-01

A robust update on the latest ocean governance developments in the West Coast region of the U.S. will be provided, highlighting implementation of the National Ocean Policy and ongoing dialog among federal, state and tribal entities and coastal stakeholders at a range of scales. The link between ecosystem-based management (EBM) as a guiding principle and meaningful management outcomes will discussed, guided by the latest ocean policy priorities from local, state, tribal and regional scales in the West Coast. The West Coast Regional Planning Body has been recently initiated under the framework provided by the National Ocean Policy, bringing together a formal partnership of state and tribal governments with federal agencies in a way never before achieved in the region. The newly reformed West Coast Ocean Partnership builds upon efforts of the West Coast Governors Alliance on Ocean Health to continue to address priority ocean policy topics, while other regional efforts are identifying data, science and tools to support an EBM approach. All of these will be discussed in detail, providing both up-to-date reports on the latest West Coast activities, while illustrating lessons learned from past regional efforts and exactly how EBM has been effectively integrated. The West Coast of the U.S. is a unique region in terms of geographic scale, governance structure and history of innovative ocean management approaches. Using opportunities provided by recent state, tribal, regional and national policy initiatives, the West Coast has undertaken a range of activities to better coordinate ocean management while enhancing dialogs to support it. This presentation will provide a concise summary of current efforts, demonstrating how policy is being translated into significant action and highlighting opportunities to build on successful outcomes to date.

Simulation of the Pinatubo Impact on the Red Sea Using Coupled Regional Ocean/Atmosphere Modeling System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stenchikov, G. L.; Osipov, S.

2016-12-01

This study focuses on the Middle East regional climate response to the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption of 1991. It is motivated by the observed severe winter cooling in the Middle East during the winter of 1991/92. The Red Sea surface temperature dropped by more than 1K and deep water mixing caused coral bleaching for a few years. To better understand the mechanisms of the Middle East climate response and evaluate the effects of radiative cooling and regional meteorological processes on the Red Sea, we employ the Regional Ocean Modeling system (ROMS) fully coupled with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The WRF model parent and nested domains are configured over the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and over the Red Sea with 30 and 10 km resolution, respectively. The ROMS model over the Red Sea has 2 km grid spacing. The WRF code was modified to interactively account for the radiative effect of volcanic aerosols. Spectral optical properties of sulfate aerosols are computed using Mie based on the Sato's optical depth. Both atmosphere and ocean models capture the main features of the MENA climate response and correctly reproduce the anomalous winter cooling of 1991/92. We find that the sea surface cooling associated with meteorological effects prevails that caused by the direct radiative forcing of volcanic aerosols. The overturning circulation in the Red Sea strengthens. The salinity distribution and deep water formation are significantly perturbed.

A comparison of the South China Sea and Canada Basin: two small marginal ocean basins with hyper-extended margins and central zones of sea-floor spreading.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L.

2015-12-01

Both the South China Sea and Canada Basin preserve oceanic spreading centres and adjacent passive continental margins characterized by broad COT zones with hyper-extended continental crust. We have investigated the nature of strain accommodation in the regions immediately adjacent to the oceanic spreading centres in these two basins using 2-D backstripping subsidence reconstructions, coupled with forward modelling constrained by estimates of upper crustal extensional faulting. Modelling is better constrained in the South China Sea but our results for the Beaufort Sea are analogous. Depth-dependent extension is required to explain the great depth of both basins because only modest upper crustal faulting is observed. A weak lower crust in the presence of high heat flow is suggested for both basins. Extension in the COT may continue even after sea-floor spreading has ceased. The analogous results for the two basins considered are discussed in terms of (1) constraining the timing and distribution of crustal thinning along the respective continental margins, (2) defining the processes leading to hyper-extension of continental crust in the respective tectonic settings and (3) illuminating the processes that control hyper-extension in these basins and more generally.

Modeling South Pacific Ice-Ocean Interactions in the Global Climate System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holland, David M.; Jenkins, Adrian; Jacobs, Stanley S.

2001-01-01

The objective of this project has been to improve the modeling of interactions between large Antarctic ice shelves and adjacent regions of the Southern Ocean. Our larger goal is to gain a better understanding of the extent to which the ocean controls ice shelf attrition, thereby influencing the size and dynamics of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Melting and freezing under ice shelves also impacts seawater properties, regional upwelling and sinking and the larger-scale ocean circulation. Modifying an isopycnal coordinate general circulation model for use in sub-ice shelf cavities, we found that the abrupt change in water column thickness at an ice shelf front does not form a strong barrier to buoyancy-driven circulation across the front. Outflow along the ice shelf base, driven by melting of the thickest ice, is balanced by deep inflow. Substantial effort was focused on the Filchner-Ronne cavity, where other models have been applied and time-series records are available from instruments suspended beneath the ice. A model comparison indicated that observed changes in the production of High Salinity Shelf Water could have a major impact on circulation within the cavity. This water propagates into the cavity with an asymmetric seasonal signal that has similar phasing and shape in the model and observations, and can be related to winter production at the sea surface. Even remote parts of the sub-ice shelf cavity are impacted by external forcing on sub-annual time scales. This shows that cavity circulations and products, and therefore cavity shape, will respond to interannual variability in sea ice production and longer-term climate change. The isopycnal model gives generally lower net melt rates than have been obtained from other models and oceanographic data, perhaps due to its boundary layer formulation, or the lack of tidal forcing. Work continues on a manuscript describing the Ross cavity results.

Sedimentary and crustal thicknesses and Poisson's ratios for the NE Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent regions based on dense seismic arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Weilai; Wu, Jianping; Fang, Lihua; Lai, Guijuan; Cai, Yan

2017-03-01

The sedimentary and crustal thicknesses and Poisson's ratios of the NE Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent regions are estimated by the h- κ stacking and CCP image of receiver functions from the data of 1,317 stations. The horizontal resolution of the obtained results is as high as 0.5° × 0.5°, which can be used for further high resolution model construction in the region. The crustal thicknesses from Airy's equilibrium are smaller than our results in the Sichuan Basin, Qilian tectonic belt, northern Alxa block and Qaidam Basin, which is consistent with the high densities in the mantle lithosphere and may indicate that the high-density lithosphere drags crust down overall. High Poisson's ratios and low velocity zones are found in the mid- and lower crust beneath eastern Qilian tectonic belt and the boundary areas of the Ordos block, indicating that partial melting may exist in these regions. Low Poisson's ratios and low-velocity anomalies are observed in the crust in the NE Tibetan Plateau, implying that the mafic lower crust is thinning or missing and that the mid- and lower crust does not exhibit melting or partial melting in the NE Tibetan Plateau, and weak flow layers are not likely to exist in this region.

Oceanic Methane Concentrations in Three Mexican Regions

EPA Science Inventory

The atmospheric concentration of methane has increased significantly over the last several decades. Methane is an important greenhouse gas, and it is important to better quantify methane sources and sinks. Dissolved methane in the ocean is produced by biological and hydrothermal ...

Feature-oriented regional modeling and simulations in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gangopadhyay, Avijit; Robinson, Allan R.; Haley, Patrick J.; Leslie, Wayne G.; Lozano, Carlos J.; Bisagni, James J.; Yu, Zhitao

2003-03-01

The multiscale synoptic circulation system in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank (GOMGB) region is presented using a feature-oriented approach. Prevalent synoptic circulation structures, or 'features', are identified from previous observational studies. These features include the buoyancy-driven Maine Coastal Current, the Georges Bank anticyclonic frontal circulation system, the basin-scale cyclonic gyres (Jordan, Georges and Wilkinson), the deep inflow through the Northeast Channel (NEC), the shallow outflow via the Great South Channel (GSC), and the shelf-slope front (SSF). Their synoptic water-mass ( T- S) structures are characterized and parameterized in a generalized formulation to develop temperature-salinity feature models. A synoptic initialization scheme for feature-oriented regional modeling and simulation (FORMS) of the circulation in the coastal-to-deep region of the GOMGB system is then developed. First, the temperature and salinity feature-model profiles are placed on a regional circulation template and then objectively analyzed with appropriate background climatology in the coastal region. Furthermore, these fields are melded with adjacent deep-ocean regional circulation (Gulf Stream Meander and Ring region) along and across the SSF. These initialization fields are then used for dynamical simulations via the primitive equation model. Simulation results are analyzed to calibrate the multiparameter feature-oriented modeling system. Experimental short-term synoptic simulations are presented for multiple resolutions in different regions with and without atmospheric forcing. The presented 'generic and portable' methodology demonstrates the potential of applying similar FORMS in many other regions of the Global Coastal Ocean.

TRMM-observed summer warm rain over the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean: Characteristics and regional differences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Fang; Fu, Yunfei

2016-06-01

Based on the merged measurements from the TRMM Precipitation Radar and Visible and Infrared Scanner, refined characteristics (intensity, frequency, vertical structure, and diurnal variation) and regional differences of the warm rain over the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean (40ffiS-40ffiN, 120ffiE-70ffiW) in boreal summer are investigated for the period 1998-2012. The results reveal that three warm rain types (phased, pure, and mixed) exist over these regions. The phased warm rain, which occurs during the developing or declining stage of precipitation weather systems, is located over the central to western Intertropical Convergence Zone, South Pacific Convergence Zone, and Northwest Pacific. Its occurrence frequency peaks at midnight and minimizes during daytime with a 5.5-km maximum echo top. The frequency of this warm rain type is about 2.2%, and it contributes to 40% of the regional total rainfall. The pure warm rain is characterized by typical stable precipitation with an echo top lower than 4 km, and mostly occurs in Southeast Pacific. Although its frequency is less than 1.3%, this type of warm rain accounts for 95% of the regional total rainfall. Its occurrence peaks before dawn and it usually disappears in the afternoon. For the mixed warm rain, some may develop into deep convective precipitation, while most are similar to those of the pure type. The mixed warm rain is mainly located over the ocean east of Hawaii. Its frequency is 1.2%, but this type of warm rain could contribute to 80% of the regional total rainfall. The results also uncover that the mixed and pure types occur over the regions where SST ranges from 295 to 299 K, accompanied by relatively strong downdrafts at 500 hPa. Both the mixed and pure warm rains happen in a more unstable atmosphere, compared with the phased warm rain.

Nimbus 7 SMMR Derived Seasonal Variations in the Water Vapor, Liquid Water and Surface Winds over the Global Oceans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, C.; Short, D. A.

1984-01-01

Monthly mean distributions of water vapor and liquid water contained in a vertical column of the atmosphere and the surface wind speed were derived from Nimbus Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) observations over the global oceans for the period November 1978 to November 1979. The remote sensing techniques used to estimate these parameters from SMMR are presented to reveal the limitations, accuracies, and applicability of the satellite-derived information for climate studies. On a time scale of the order of a month, the distribution of atmospheric water vapor over the oceans is controlled by the sea surface temperature and the large scale atmospheric circulation. The monthly mean distribution of liquid water content in the atmosphere over the oceans closely reflects the precipitation patterns associated with the convectively and baroclinically active regions. Together with the remotely sensed surface wind speed that is causing the sea surface stress, the data collected reveal the manner in which the ocean-atmosphere system is operating. Prominent differences in the water vapor patterns from one year to the next, or from month to month, are associated with anomalies in the wind and geopotential height fields. In association with such circulation anomalies the precipitation patterns deduced from the meteorological network over adjacent continents also reveal anomalous distributions.

The ocean mixed layer under Southern Ocean sea-ice: Seasonal cycle and forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pellichero, Violaine; Sallée, Jean-Baptiste; Schmidtko, Sunke; Roquet, Fabien; Charrassin, Jean-Benoît

2017-02-01

The oceanic mixed layer is the gateway for the exchanges between the atmosphere and the ocean; in this layer, all hydrographic ocean properties are set for months to millennia. A vast area of the Southern Ocean is seasonally capped by sea-ice, which alters the characteristics of the ocean mixed layer. The interaction between the ocean mixed layer and sea-ice plays a key role for water mass transformation, the carbon cycle, sea-ice dynamics, and ultimately for the climate as a whole. However, the structure and characteristics of the under-ice mixed layer are poorly understood due to the sparseness of in situ observations and measurements. In this study, we combine distinct sources of observations to overcome this lack in our understanding of the polar regions. Working with elephant seal-derived, ship-based, and Argo float observations, we describe the seasonal cycle of the ocean mixed-layer characteristics and stability of the ocean mixed layer over the Southern Ocean and specifically under sea-ice. Mixed-layer heat and freshwater budgets are used to investigate the main forcing mechanisms of the mixed-layer seasonal cycle. The seasonal variability of sea surface salinity and temperature are primarily driven by surface processes, dominated by sea-ice freshwater flux for the salt budget and by air-sea flux for the heat budget. Ekman advection, vertical diffusivity, and vertical entrainment play only secondary roles. Our results suggest that changes in regional sea-ice distribution and annual duration, as currently observed, widely affect the buoyancy budget of the underlying mixed layer, and impact large-scale water mass formation and transformation with far reaching consequences for ocean ventilation.

Exploration of the Climate Change Frontier in Polar Regions at the Land Ice-Ocean Boundary.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rignot, E. J.

2014-12-01

Ice sheets are the largest contributors to sea level rise at present, and responsible for the largest uncertainty in sea level projections. Ice sheets raised sea level 5 m per century 13.5 kyr ago during one period of rapid change. Leading regions for future rapid changes include the marine-based, retrograde bed parts of Greenland (north center and east), West Antarctica (Amundsen Sea), and East Antarctica (Filchner basin and Wilkes Land). Fast changes require an increase in ice melt from a warmer ocean and an increase in iceberg calving. Our understanding of both processes remains limited due to a lack of basic observations. Understanding ocean forcing requires observations on the continental shelf, along bays and glacial fjords and at ice-ocean boundaries, beneath kilometers of ice (Antarctica) or at near-vertical calving cliffs (Greenland), of ocean temperature and sea floor bathymetry. Where such observations exist, the sea floor is much deeper than anticipated because of the carving of deep channels by multiple glacier advances. Warm subsurface waters penetrate throughout the Amundsen Sea Embayment of West Antarctica, the southeast and probably the entire west coasts of Greenland. In Greenland, discharge of subglacial water from surface runoff at the glacier grounding line increases ice melting by the ocean even if the ocean temperature remains the same. Near ice-ocean boundaries, satellite observations are challenged, airborne observations and field surveys are limited, so advanced robotic techniques for cold, deep, remote environments are ultimately required in combination with advanced numerical modeling techniques. Until such technological advances take place and advanced networks are put in place, it is critical to conduct boat surveys, install moorings, and conduct extensive airborne campaigns (for instance, gravity-derived bathymetry and air-dropped CTDs), some of which is already taking place. In the meantime, projections of ice sheet evolution in a

Perfluorinated compounds in the Antarctic region: ocean circulation provides prolonged protection from distant sources.

PubMed

Bengtson Nash, Susan; Rintoul, Stephen R; Kawaguchi, So; Staniland, Iain; van den Hoff, John; Tierney, Megan; Bossi, Rossana

2010-09-01

In order to investigate the extent to which Perfluorinated Contaminants (PFCs) have permeated the Southern Ocean food web to date, a range of Antarctic, sub-Antarctic and Antarctic-migratory biota were analysed for key ionic PFCs. Based upon the geographical distribution pattern and ecology of biota with detectable vs. non-detectable PFC burdens, an evaluation of the potential contributory roles of alternative system input pathways is made. Our analytical findings, together with previous reports, reveal only the occasional occurrence of PFCs in migratory biota and vertebrate predators with foraging ranges extending into or north of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). Geographical contamination patterns observed correspond most strongly with those expected from delivery via hydrospheric transport as governed by the unique oceanographic features of the Southern Ocean. We suggest that hydrospheric transport will form a slow, but primary, input pathway of PFCs to the Antarctic region. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ocean bottom characterestics between Iles Rodrigues and Chagos-Maldives Archepelago in western Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longhinos, Biju; Thanu Iyer, Radhakrishnan; Mohan, Karthika

2014-05-01

The geological and geophysical complexities in Indian ocean basin, pointed out by many earlier workers remained unresolved. Instead, taking aid from stop gap arguments, the data has been construed to follow plate tectonics format. The concept of large igneous complexes emplaced through crustal drifting ( between the India and Mozambique) during later Mesozoic to Recent fail to address geophysical characteristics exhibited here. The geophysical signatures of the sub crustal part of the ocean here resemble to that of continental regions elsewhere. Granites, greenstones and mylonized gabbro, recovered from the western Indian ocean basin, rather give Late Pre- Cambrian and Paleozoic isotopic dates. Under this light, the present paper looks into the ocean bottom characteristics of a region between iles Rodrigues and Chagos- Maldives archipelago. The region has first order curvilienar fractures, with along which the crust has displaced more than 1000m. The sea-bottom topography of the region has been modeled in Geographical Information System environment using Modified ETOPO5 provided by National Institute of Oceanography. The spatial relationship of topography with gravity and magnetic data area are analysed visually and mathematically. The detail bathymetry, gravity and magnetic data give morphology similar to that of half graben formed on a felsic crust, which later has undergone basification / eclogitization through first order fracture zones.

A New Paradigm for New Oceans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foulger, G. R.; Doré, A. G.; Franke, D.; Geoffroy, L.; Gernigon, L.; Hole, M.; Hoskuldsson, A.; Julian, B. R.; Kusznir, N.; Martinez, F.; Natland, J. H.; Peace, A.; Petersen, K. D.; Schiffer, C.; Stephenson, R.; Stoker, M. S.

2017-12-01

The original simple theory of plate tectonics had to be refined to accommodate second-order geological features such as back-arc basins and continental deformation zones. We propose an additional refinement that is required by complexities that form and persist in new oceans when inhomogeneous continental lithosphere/tectosphere disintegrates. Such complexities include continual plate-boundary reorganizations and migrations, distributed continental material in the ocean, propagating and dying ridges, and sagging, flexing and tilting in the oceans and at continent-ocean boundary zones. Reorganizations of stress and motion persist, resulting in variable orientations over short distances, tectonic reactivations, complex plate boundary configurations including multiple triple junctions, and the formation and abandonment of oceanic microplates. Resulting local compressions and extensions are manifest as bathymetric anomalies, vertical motions, and distributed volcanism at various times and places as the new ocean grows. Examples of regions that exhibit some or all of these features include the North Atlantic, the Rio Grande Rise/Walvis Ridge region of the South Atlantic, and the Seychelles-Mauritius region in the Indian Ocean. We suggest that these complexities arise as a result of the formation of new spreading plate boundaries by rifts propagating through continental lithosphere/tectosphere that is anisotropic as a result of inherited structure/composition and/or a sub-lithospheric mantle destabilized by lithospheric-controlled processes. Such scenarios result in complicated disintegration of continents and local persistent dynamic instability in the new ocean.

Crustal stress pattern in China and its adjacent areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Xingping; Zang, Arno; Heidbach, Oliver; Cui, Xiaofeng; Xie, Furen; Chen, Jiawei

2017-11-01

During the update of the World Stress Map (WSM) database, we integrated the China stress database by strictly using the internationally developed quality ranking scheme for each individual stress data record. This effort resulted in a comprehensive and reliable dataset for the crustal stress of China and its adjacent areas with almost double the amount of data records from the WSM database release 2008, i.e., a total of 8228 data records with reliable A-C qualities in the region of 45-155° East and 0-60° North. We use this dataset for an analysis of the stress pattern for the orientation of maximum compressive horizontal stress (SHmax). In contrast to earlier findings that suggested that the mean SHmax orientation would be aligned with the direction of plate motion, we clearly see from our results that the plate boundary forces, as well as topography and faulting, are important control factors for the overall stress pattern. Furthermore, the smoothing results indicate that the SHmax orientation in China rotates clockwise from the west to the east, which results in a fan-shaped crustal stress pattern for the continental scale. The plate boundary forces around China, which are the Indian-Eurasian plate collision in the west and the Pacific plate subduction and the push from the Philippine plate in the east, can still be seen as the key driving processes and the first-order controls for the crustal stress pattern. The South-North seismic zone can be seen as the separation zone for the western and eastern plate boundary forces. Topographic variation and faulting activity, however, provide second-order changes, and lead to local variations and different inhomogeneity scales for the stress pattern. Due to differences in these factors, Northeast China and the central part of the Tibetan plateau have notably homogeneous stress patterns, while the South-North seismic zone, the Hindu Kush-Pamir region, and the Taiwan region have extremely inhomogeneous stress patterns

Overview of the Frontal Air-Sea Interaction Experiment (FASINEX) - A study of air-sea interaction in a region of strong oceanic gradients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weller, Robert A.

1991-01-01

From 1984 to 1986 the cooperative Frontal Air-Sea Interaction Experiment (FASINEX) was conducted in the subtropical convergence zone southwest of Bermuda. The overall objective of the experiment was to study air-sea interaction on 1- to 100-km horizontal scales in a region of the open ocean characterized by strong horizontal gradients in upper ocean and sea surface properties. Ocean fronts provided both large spatial gradients in sea surface temperature and strong jetlike flows in the upper ocean. The motivation for and detailed objectives of FASINEX are reviewed. Then the components of the field program are summarized. Finally, selected results are presented in order to provide an overview of the outcome of FASINEX.

OASIS: Ocean-Atmosphere-Sea-Ice-Snowpack Interactions in Polar Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bottenheim, J. W.; Abbatt, J.; Beine, H.; Berg, T.; Bigg, K.; Domine, F.; Leck, C.; Lindberg, S.; Matrai, P.; MacDonald, R.; McConnell, J.; Platt, U.; Raspopov, O.; Shepson, P.; Shumilov, O.; Stutz, J.; Wolff, E.

2004-05-01

While Polar regions encompass a large part of the globe, little attention has been paid to the interactions between the atmosphere and its extensive snow-covered surfaces. Recent discoveries in the Arctic and Antarctic show that the top ten centimeters of snow is not simply a white blanket but in fact is a surprisingly reactive medium for chemical reactions in the troposphere. It has been concluded that interlinked physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms, fueled by the sun and occurring in the snow, are responsible for depletion of tropospheric ozone and gaseous mercury. At the same time production of highly reactive compounds (e.g. formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide) has been observed at the snow surface. Air-snow interactions also have an impact on the chemical composition of the snow and hence the nature and amounts of material released in terrestrial/marine ecosystems during the melting of seasonal snow-packs. Many details of these possibly naturally occurring processes are yet to be discovered. For decades humans have added waste products including acidic particles (sulphates) and toxic contaminants such as gaseous mercury and POPs (persistent organic pollutants) to the otherwise pristine snow surface. Virtually nothing is known about transformations of these contaminants in the snowpack, making it impossible to assess the risk to the polar environment, including humans. This is especially disconcerting when considering that climate change will undoubtedly alter the nature of these transformations involving snow, ice, atmosphere, ocean, and, ultimately, biota. To address these topics an interdisciplinary group of scientists from North America, Europe and Japan is developing a set of coordinated research activities under the banner of the IGBP programs IGAC and SOLAS. The program of Ocean-Atmosphere-Sea Ice-Snowpack (OASIS) interactions has been established with a mission statement aimed at determining the impact of OASIS chemical exchange on tropospheric

Inferring Source Regions and Supply Mechanisms of Iron in the Southern Ocean from Satellite Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, R. M.

2016-02-01

In many biogeochemical models a large shelf sediment iron flux is prescribed through the seafloor over all areas of bathymetry shallower than 1000 m. Here we infer the likely location of shelf sediment iron sources by identifying where mean annual satellite chlorophyll concentrations are enhanced over shallow bathymetry ( < 1000 m). We show that mean annual chlorophyll concentrations are not visibly enhanced over areas of shallow bathymetry located more than 500 km from a coastline. Chlorophyll concentrations > 2 mg m-3are only found within 50 km of a continental or island coastline. These results suggest that large sedimentary iron fluxes only exist on continental or island shelves. Large sedimentary iron fluxes are unlikely to be found on isolated seamounts and submerged plateaus. We further compare satellite chlorophyll concentrations to the position of ocean fronts to assess the relative role of horizontal advection and upwelling for supplying iron to the ocean surface. Sharp gradients in chlorophyll concentrations are observed across western boundary currents. Large chlorophyll blooms develop where western boundary currents detach from the continental shelves and turn eastwards into the Southern Ocean. Chlorophyll concentrations are enhanced along contours of sea surface height extending off continental and island shelves. These observations support the hypothesis that bioavailable iron from continental shelves is entrained into western boundary currents and advected into the Sub-Antarctic Zone along the Dynamical Subtropical Front. Likewise, iron from island shelves is entrained into nearby fronts and advected downstream. Mean annual chlorophyll concentrations are very low in open ocean regions with large modelled upwelling velocities, where fronts cross over topographic ridges. These results suggests that open ocean upwelling is unlikely to deliver iron to the surface from deep sources such as hydrothermal vents.

A Voronoi interior adjacency-based approach for generating a contour tree

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jun; Qiao, Chaofei; Zhao, Renliang

2004-05-01

A contour tree is a good graphical tool for representing the spatial relations of contour lines and has found many applications in map generalization, map annotation, terrain analysis, etc. A new approach for generating contour trees by introducing a Voronoi-based interior adjacency set concept is proposed in this paper. The immediate interior adjacency set is employed to identify all of the children contours of each contour without contour elevations. It has advantages over existing methods such as the point-in-polygon method and the region growing-based method. This new approach can be used for spatial data mining and knowledge discovering, such as the automatic extraction of terrain features and construction of multi-resolution digital elevation model.

Turnover and release of P-, N-, Si-nutrients in the Mexicali Valley (Mexico): interactions between the lower Colorado River and adjacent ground- and surface water systems.

PubMed

Orozco-Durán, A; Daesslé, L W; Camacho-Ibar, V F; Ortiz-Campos, E; Barth, J A C

2015-04-15

A study on dissolved nitrate, ammonium, phosphate and silicate concentrations was carried out in various water compartments (rivers, drains, channels, springs, wetland, groundwater, tidal floodplains and ocean water) in the Mexicali Valley and the Colorado River delta between 2012 and 2013, to assess modern potential nutrient sources into the marine system after river damming. While nitrate and silicate appear to have a significant input into the coastal ocean, phosphate is rapidly transformed into a particulate phase. Nitrate is, in general, rapidly bio-consumed in the surface waters rich in micro algae, but its excess (up to 2.02 mg L(-1) of N from NO3 in winter) in the Santa Clara Wetland represents a potential average annual source to the coast of 59.4×10(3)kg N-NO3. Despite such localized inputs, continuous regional groundwater flow does not appear to be a source of nitrate to the estuary and coastal ocean. Silicate is associated with groundwaters that are also geothermally influenced. A silicate receiving agricultural drain adjacent to the tidal floodplain had maximum silicate concentrations of 16.1 mg L(-1) Si-SiO2. Seepage of drain water and/or mixing with seawater during high spring tides represents a potential source of dissolved silicate and nitrate into the Gulf of California. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Global and Regional Trends of Aerosol Optical Depth over Land and Ocean Using SeaWiFS Measurements from 1997 to 2010

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsu, N. C.; Gautam, R.; Sayer, A. M.; Bettenhausen, C.; Li, C.; Jeong, M. J.; Tsay, S. C.; Holben, B. N.

2012-01-01

Both sensor calibration and satellite retrieval algorithm play an important role in the ability to determine accurately long-term trends from satellite data. Owing to the unprecedented accuracy and long-term stability of its radiometric calibration, the SeaWiFS measurements exhibit minimal uncertainty with respect to sensor calibration. In this study, we take advantage of this well-calibrated set of measurements by applying a newly-developed aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval algorithm over land and ocean to investigate the distribution of AOD, and to identify emerging patterns and trends in global and regional aerosol loading during its 13-year mission. Our results indicate that the averaged AOD trend over global ocean is weakly positive from 1998 to 2010 and comparable to that observed by MODIS but opposite in sign to that observed by AVHRR during overlapping years. On a smaller scale, different trends are found for different regions. For example, large upward trends are found over the Arabian Peninsula that indicate a strengthening of the seasonal cycle of dust emission and transport processes over the whole region as well as over downwind oceanic regions. In contrast, a negative-neutral tendency is observed over the desert/arid Saharan region as well as in the associated dust outflow over the north Atlantic. Additionally, we found decreasing trends over the eastern US and Europe, and increasing trends over countries such as China and India that are experiencing rapid economic development. In general, these results are consistent with those derived from ground-based AERONET measurements.

Applications of Satellite Ocean Color Imagery for Detecting and Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms in the Olympic Peninsula Region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holt, Ashley C.; Stumpf, Richard P.; Tomlinson, Michelle C.

2003-08-01

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) attributed to Pseudo-nitzschia species, a diatom that produces Domoic acid, are a common occurrence and serious threat along the coast of the US Northwest. Monitoring these events or providing advanced warning of their occurrence at the coast would provide an important aid to fisheries managers. Remote sensing, which is being used in the Gulf of Mexico for HAB detection and forecasting (of a different algae), could provide a tool for monitoring and warnings. Chlorophyll and SST imagery are being used to support a research and monitoring program for the region, and HAB monitoring techniques used inmore » the Gulf of Mexico are being examined for their potential utility along the Washington coast. The focus of this study is to determine the efficacy of using satellite ocean color imagery for HAB monitoring off of Washingtons Olympic Peninsula region, and to provide support in the form of ocean color imagery products for management and mitigation efforts.« less

Atmosphere-Wave-Ocean Coupling from Regional to Global Earth System Models for High-Impact Extreme Weather Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, S. S.; Curcic, M.

2017-12-01

The need for acurrate and integrated impact forecasts of extreme wind, rain, waves, and storm surge is growing as coastal population and built environment expand worldwide. A key limiting factor in forecasting impacts of extreme weather events associated with tropical cycle and winter storms is fully coupled atmosphere-wave-ocean model interface with explicit momentum and energy exchange. It is not only critical for accurate prediction of storm intensity, but also provides coherent wind, rian, ocean waves and currents forecasts for forcing for storm surge. The Unified Wave INterface (UWIN) has been developed for coupling of the atmosphere-wave-ocean models. UWIN couples the atmosphere, wave, and ocean models using the Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF). It is a physically based and computationally efficient coupling sytem that is flexible to use in a multi-model system and portable for transition to the next generation global Earth system prediction mdoels. This standardized coupling framework allows researchers to develop and test air-sea coupling parameterizations and coupled data assimilation, and to better facilitate research-to-operation activities. It has been used and extensively tested and verified in regional coupled model forecasts of tropical cycles and winter storms (Chen and Curcic 2016, Curcic et al. 2016, and Judt et al. 2016). We will present 1) an overview of UWIN and its applications in fully coupled atmosphere-wave-ocean model predictions of hurricanes and coastal winter storms, and 2) implenmentation of UWIN in the NASA GMAO GEOS-5.

Organophosphorus esters in the oceans and possible relation with ocean gyres.

PubMed

Cheng, Wenhan; Xie, Zhouqing; Blais, Jules M; Zhang, Pengfei; Li, Ming; Yang, Chengyun; Huang, Wen; Ding, Rui; Sun, Liguang

2013-09-01

Four organophosphorus esters (OPEs) were detected in aerosol samples collected in the West Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean from 2009 to 2010, suggesting their circumpolar and global distribution. In general, the highest concentrations were detected near populated regions in China, Australia and New Zealand. OPE concentrations in the Southern Ocean were about two orders of magnitude lower than those near major continents. Additionally, relatively high OPE concentrations were detected at the Antarctic Peninsula, where several scientific survey stations are located. The four OPEs investigated here are significantly correlated with each other, suggesting they may derive from the same source. In the circumpolar transect, OPE concentrations were associated with ocean gyres in the open ocean. Their concentrations were positively related with average vorticity in the sampling area suggesting that a major source of OPEs may be found in ocean gyres where plastic debris is known to accumulate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An inventory of Arctic Ocean data in the World Ocean Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zweng, Melissa M.; Boyer, Tim P.; Baranova, Olga K.; Reagan, James R.; Seidov, Dan; Smolyar, Igor V.

2018-03-01

The World Ocean Database (WOD) contains over 1.3 million oceanographic casts (where cast refers to an oceanographic profile or set of profiles collected concurrently at more than one depth between the ocean surface and ocean bottom) collected in the Arctic Ocean basin and its surrounding marginal seas. The data, collected from 1849 to the present, come from many submitters and countries, and were collected using a variety of instruments and platforms. These data, along with the derived products World Ocean Atlas (WOA) and the Arctic Regional Climatologies, are exceptionally useful - the data are presented in a standardized, easy to use format and include metadata and quality control information. Collecting data in the Arctic Ocean is challenging, and coverage in space and time ranges from excellent to nearly non-existent. WOD continues to compile a comprehensive collection of Arctic Ocean profile data, ideal for oceanographic, environmental and climatic analyses (https://doi.org/10.7289/V54Q7S16).

Successive Two-sided Loop Jets Caused by Magnetic Reconnection between Two Adjacent Filamentary Threads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Zhanjun; Liu, Yu; Shen, Yuandeng; Elmhamdi, Abouazza; Su, Jiangtao; Liu, Ying D.; Kordi, Ayman. S.

2017-08-01

We present observational analysis of two successive two-sided loop jets observed by the ground-based New Vacuum Solar Telescope and the space-borne Solar Dynamics Observatory. The two successive two-sided loop jets manifested similar evolution processes and both were associated with the interaction of two small-scale adjacent filamentary threads, magnetic emerging, and cancellation processes at the jet’s source region. High temporal and high spatial resolution observations reveal that the two adjacent ends of the two filamentary threads are rooted in opposite magnetic polarities within the source region. The two threads approached each other, and then an obvious brightening patch is observed at the interaction position. Subsequently, a pair of hot plasma ejections are observed heading in opposite directions along the paths of the two filamentary threads at a typical speed for two-sided loop jets of the order 150 km s-1. Close to the end of the second jet, we report the formation of a bright hot loop structure at the source region, which suggests the formation of new loops during the interaction. Based on the observational results, we propose that the observed two-sided loop jets are caused by magnetic reconnection between the two adjacent filamentary threads, largely different from the previous scenario that a two-sided loop jet is generated by magnetic reconnection between an emerging bipole and the overlying horizontal magnetic fields.

Aerosol Optical Depths over Oceans: a View from MISR Retrievals and Collocated MAN and AERONET in Situ Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witek, Marcin L.; Garay, Michael J.; Diner, David J.; Smirnov, Alexander

2013-01-01

In this study, aerosol optical depths over oceans are analyzed from satellite and surface perspectives. Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) aerosol retrievals are investigated and validated primarily against Maritime Aerosol Network (MAN) observations. Furthermore, AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) data from 19 island and coastal sites is incorporated in this study. The 270 MISRMAN comparison points scattered across all oceans were identified. MISR on average overestimates aerosol optical depths (AODs) by 0.04 as compared to MAN; the correlation coefficient and root-mean-square error are 0.95 and 0.06, respectively. A new screening procedure based on retrieval region characterization is proposed, which is capable of substantially reducing MISR retrieval biases. Over 1000 additional MISRAERONET comparison points are added to the analysis to confirm the validity of the method. The bias reduction is effective within all AOD ranges. Setting a clear flag fraction threshold to 0.6 reduces the bias to below 0.02, which is close to a typical ground-based measurement uncertainty. Twelve years of MISR data are analyzed with the new screening procedure. The average over ocean AOD is reduced by 0.03, from 0.15 to 0.12. The largest AOD decrease is observed in high latitudes of both hemispheres, regions with climatologically high cloud cover. It is postulated that the screening procedure eliminates spurious retrieval errors associated with cloud contamination and cloud adjacency effects. The proposed filtering method can be used for validating aerosol and chemical transport models.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Region: Alaska Coastal and Ocean Science

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holland-Bartels, Leslie

2009-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a bureau of the Department of the Interior (DOI), is the Nation's largest water, earth, and biological science and mapping agency. The bureau's science strategy 'Facing Tomorrow's Challenges - U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 2007-2017' describes the USGS vision for its science in six integrated areas of societal concern: Understanding Ecosystems and Predicting Ecosystem Change; Climate Variability and Change; Energy and Minerals; Hazards, Risk, and Resilience; Environment and Wildlife in Human Health; and Water Census of the United States. USGS has three Regions that encompass nine geographic Areas. This fact sheet describes examples of USGS science conducted in coastal, nearshore terrestrial, and ocean environments in the Alaska Area.

Stable isotopes in juvenile marine fishes and their invertebrate prey from the Thames Estuary, UK, and adjacent coastal regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leakey, Chris D. B.; Attrill, Martin J.; Jennings, Simon; Fitzsimons, Mark F.

2008-04-01

Estuaries are regarded as valuable nursery habitats for many commercially important marine fishes, potentially providing a thermal resource, refuge from predators and a source of abundant prey. Stable isotope analysis may be used to assess relative resource use from isotopically distinct sources. This study comprised two major components: (1) development of a spatial map and discriminant function model of stable isotope variation in selected invertebrate groups inhabiting the Thames Estuary and adjacent coastal regions; and (2) analysis of stable isotope signatures of juvenile bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax), sole ( Solea solea) and whiting ( Merlangius merlangus) for assessment of resource use and feeding strategies. The data were also used to consider anthropogenic enrichment of the estuary and potential energetic benefits of feeding in estuarine nursery habitat. Analysis of carbon (δ 13C), nitrogen (δ 15N) and sulphur (δ 34S) isotope data identified significant differences in the 'baseline' isotopic signatures between estuarine and coastal invertebrates, and discriminant function analysis allowed samples to be re-classified to estuarine and coastal regions with 98.8% accuracy. Using invertebrate signatures as source indicators, stable isotope data classified juvenile fishes to the region in which they fed. Feeding signals appear to reflect physiological (freshwater tolerance) and functional (mobility) differences between species. Juvenile sole were found to exist as two isotopically-discrete sub-populations, with no evidence of mixing between the two. An apparent energetic benefit of estuarine feeding was only found for sole.

Ocean heat content variability and change in an ensemble of ocean reanalyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palmer, M. D.; Roberts, C. D.; Balmaseda, M.; Chang, Y.-S.; Chepurin, G.; Ferry, N.; Fujii, Y.; Good, S. A.; Guinehut, S.; Haines, K.; Hernandez, F.; Köhl, A.; Lee, T.; Martin, M. J.; Masina, S.; Masuda, S.; Peterson, K. A.; Storto, A.; Toyoda, T.; Valdivieso, M.; Vernieres, G.; Wang, O.; Xue, Y.

2017-08-01

Accurate knowledge of the location and magnitude of ocean heat content (OHC) variability and change is essential for understanding the processes that govern decadal variations in surface temperature, quantifying changes in the planetary energy budget, and developing constraints on the transient climate response to external forcings. We present an overview of the temporal and spatial characteristics of OHC variability and change as represented by an ensemble of dynamical and statistical ocean reanalyses (ORAs). Spatial maps of the 0-300 m layer show large regions of the Pacific and Indian Oceans where the interannual variability of the ensemble mean exceeds ensemble spread, indicating that OHC variations are well-constrained by the available observations over the period 1993-2009. At deeper levels, the ORAs are less well-constrained by observations with the largest differences across the ensemble mostly associated with areas of high eddy kinetic energy, such as the Southern Ocean and boundary current regions. Spatial patterns of OHC change for the period 1997-2009 show good agreement in the upper 300 m and are characterized by a strong dipole pattern in the Pacific Ocean. There is less agreement in the patterns of change at deeper levels, potentially linked to differences in the representation of ocean dynamics, such as water mass formation processes. However, the Atlantic and Southern Oceans are regions in which many ORAs show widespread warming below 700 m over the period 1997-2009. Annual time series of global and hemispheric OHC change for 0-700 m show the largest spread for the data sparse Southern Hemisphere and a number of ORAs seem to be subject to large initialization `shock' over the first few years. In agreement with previous studies, a number of ORAs exhibit enhanced ocean heat uptake below 300 and 700 m during the mid-1990s or early 2000s. The ORA ensemble mean (±1 standard deviation) of rolling 5-year trends in full-depth OHC shows a relatively steady

Seasonal Atmospheric and Oceanic Predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roads, John; Rienecker, Michele (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

Several projects associated with dynamical, statistical, single column, and ocean models are presented. The projects include: 1) Regional Climate Modeling; 2) Statistical Downscaling; 3) Evaluation of SCM and NSIPP AGCM Results at the ARM Program Sites; and 4) Ocean Forecasts.

Atmospheric Transport and Input of Iron to the Southern Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tindale, N. W.

2002-12-01

While Australia is not generally considered to be a major source of mineral dust to the atmosphere, at least compared to Asian and African desert regions, it does appear to be the main source of mineral material to the Southern Ocean region south of Australia and New Zealand. In common with most of the greater Southern Ocean, this region contains high nitrate, low chlorophyll (HNLC) waters. Recent open ocean iron enrichment experiments in this region have demonstrated that phytoplankton growth and biomass are limited by iron availability. However the flux of atmospheric iron to this open ocean region is poorly known with very few direct measurements of mineral aerosol levels and input. Using mineral aerosol samples collected on Macquarie Island and at Cape Grim, together with other chemical data, air mass trajectories and satellite data, the spatial and temporal variability of aerosol iron transport and input to the Southern Ocean region south of Australia is estimated.

Dust and Ocean Plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Adding iron to the diet of marine plant life has been shown in shipboard experiments to boost the amount of carbon-absorbing phytoplankton in certain parts of the world's oceans. A new study promises to give scientists their first global picture of the extent of these unique 'iron-limited' ocean regions, an important step in understanding how the ocean's biology controls the flow of carbon between the atmosphere and the ocean. The new study by researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory was presented at the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting in San Francisco on Friday, Dec. 15, 2000. Oceanic phytoplankton remove nearly as much carbon from the atmosphere each year as all land-based plants. Identifying the location and size of nutrient-limited areas in the open ocean has challenged oceanographers for nearly a century. The study pinpointed iron-limited regions by seeing which phytoplankton-rich areas of the world's oceans were also areas that received iron from wind-blown dust. In this map, areas with high levels of chlorophyll from phytoplankton and high levels of dust deposition (high correlation coefficients) are indicated in dark brown. Dust deposition was calculated by a 3-year modelled climatology for the years 1996-1998. The chlorophyll measurements are from 1998 observations from the SeaWiFS (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor) instrument on the OrbView-2 satellite. 'Global, satellite-based analyses such as this gives us insight into where iron deposition may be limiting ocean biological activity,' says lead author David Erickson of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Computer Science and Mathematics Division. 'With this information we will be able to infer how the ocean productivity/iron deposition relationship might shift in response to climate change.' Map Source: David Erickson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Computer Science and Mathematics Division

Anomalous Structure of Oceanic Lithosphere in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans: A Preliminary Analysis Based on Bathymetry, Gravity and Crustal Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barantsrva, O.

2014-12-01

We present a preliminary analysis of the crustal and upper mantle structure for off-shore regions in the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. These regions have anomalous oceanic lithosphere: the upper mantle of the North Atlantic ocean is affected by the Iceland plume, while the Arctic ocean has some of the slowest spreading rates. Our specific goal is to constrain the density structure of the upper mantle in order to understand the links between the deep lithosphere dynamics, ocean spreading, ocean floor bathymetry, heat flow and structure of the oceanic lithosphere in the regions where classical models of evolution of the oceanic lithosphere may not be valid. The major focus is on the oceanic lithosphere, but the Arctic shelves with a sufficient data coverage are also included into the analysis. Out major interest is the density structure of the upper mantle, and the analysis is based on the interpretation of GOCE satellite gravity data. To separate gravity anomalies caused by subcrustal anomalous masses, the gravitational effect of water, crust and the deep mantle is removed from the observed gravity field. For bathymetry we use the global NOAA database ETOPO1. The crustal correction to gravity is based on two crustal models: (1) global model CRUST1.0 (Laske, 2013) and, for a comparison, (2) a regional seismic model EUNAseis (Artemieva and Thybo, 2013). The crustal density structure required for the crustal correction is constrained from Vp data. Previous studies have shown that a large range of density values corresponds to any Vp value. To overcome this problem and to reduce uncertainty associated with the velocity-density conversion, we account for regional tectonic variations in the Northern Atlantics as constrained by numerous published seismic profiles and potential-field models across the Norwegian off-shore crust (e.g. Breivik et al., 2005, 2007), and apply different Vp-density conversions for different parts of the region. We present preliminary results

Activation gating kinetics of GIRK channels are mediated by cytoplasmic residues adjacent to transmembrane domains.

PubMed

Sadja, Rona; Reuveny, Eitan

2009-01-01

G-protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRK/Kir3.x) are involved in neurotransmission-mediated reduction of excitability. The gating mechanism following G protein activation of these channels likely proceeds from movement of inner transmembrane helices to allow K(+) ions movement through the pore of the channel. There is limited understanding of how the binding of G-protein betagamma subunits to cytoplasmic regions of the channel transduces the signal to the transmembrane regions. In this study, we examined the molecular basis that governs the activation kinetics of these channels, using a chimeric approach. We identified two regions as being important in determining the kinetics of activation. One region is the bottom of the outer transmembrane helix (TM1) and the cytoplasmic domain immediately adjacent (the slide helix); and the second region is the bottom of the inner transmembrane helix (TM2) and the cytoplasmic domain immediately adjacent. Interestingly, both of these regions are sufficient in mediating the kinetics of fast activation gating. This result suggests that there is a cooperative movement of either one of these domains to allow fast and efficient activation gating of GIRK channels.

Global and regional trends of aerosol optical depth over land and ocean using SeaWiFS measurements from 1997 to 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, N. C.; Gautam, R.; Sayer, A. M.; Bettenhausen, C.; Li, C.; Jeong, M. J.; Tsay, S.-C.; Holben, B. N.

2012-09-01

Both sensor calibration and satellite retrieval algorithm play an important role in the ability to determine accurately long-term trends from satellite data. Owing to the unprecedented accuracy and long-term stability of its radiometric calibration, SeaWiFS measurements exhibit minimal uncertainty with respect to sensor calibration. In this study, we take advantage of this well-calibrated set of measurements by applying a newly-developed aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval algorithm over land and ocean to investigate the distribution of AOD, and to identify emerging patterns and trends in global and regional aerosol loading during its 13-yr mission. Our correlation analysis between climatic indices (such as ENSO) and AOD suggests strong relationships for Saharan dust export as well as biomass-burning activity in the tropics, associated with large-scale feedbacks. The results also indicate that the averaged AOD trend over global ocean is weakly positive from 1998 to 2010 and comparable to that observed by MODIS but opposite in sign to that observed by AVHRR during overlapping years. On regional scales, distinct tendencies are found for different regions associated with natural and anthropogenic aerosol emission and transport. For example, large upward trends are found over the Arabian Peninsula that indicate a strengthening of the seasonal cycle of dust emission and transport processes over the whole region as well as over downwind oceanic regions. In contrast, a negative-neutral tendency is observed over the desert/arid Saharan region as well as in the associated dust outflow over the north Atlantic. Additionally, we found decreasing trends over the eastern US and Europe, and increasing trends over countries such as China and India that are experiencing rapid economic development. In general, these results are consistent with those derived from ground-based AERONET measurements.

Remote sensing of ocean color in the Arctic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maynard, N. G.

1988-01-01

The main objectives of the research are: to increase the understanding of biological production (and carbon fluxes) along the ice edge, in frontal regions, and in open water areas of the Arctic and the physical factors controlling that production through the use of satellite and aircraft remote sensing techniques; and to develop relationships between measured radiances from the Multichannel Aircraft Radiometer System (MARS) and the bio-optical properties of the water in the Arctic and adjacent seas. Several recent Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) studies in the Arctic have shown that, despite constraints imposed by cloud cover, satellite ocean color is a useful means of studying mesoscale physical and biological oceanographic phenomena at high latitudes. The imagery has provided detailed information on ice edge and frontal processes such as spring breakup and retreat of the ice edge, influence of ice on ice effects of stratification on phytoplankton production, river sediment transport, effects of spring runoff, water mass boundaries, circulation patterns, and eddy formation in Icelandic waters and in the Greenland, Barents, Norwegian, and Bering Seas.

Studies of regional-scale climate variability and change. Hidden Markov models and coupled ocean-atmosphere modes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghil, M.; Kravtsov, S.; Robertson, A. W.

2008-10-14

This project was a continuation of previous work under DOE CCPP funding, in which we had developed a twin approach of probabilistic network (PN) models (sometimes called dynamic Bayesian networks) and intermediate-complexity coupled ocean-atmosphere models (ICMs) to identify the predictable modes of climate variability and to investigate their impacts on the regional scale. We had developed a family of PNs (similar to Hidden Markov Models) to simulate historical records of daily rainfall, and used them to downscale GCM seasonal predictions. Using an idealized atmospheric model, we had established a novel mechanism through which ocean-induced sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies might influencemore » large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns on interannual and longer time scales; we had found similar patterns in a hybrid coupled ocean-atmosphere-sea-ice model. The goal of the this continuation project was to build on these ICM results and PN model development to address prediction of rainfall and temperature statistics at the local scale, associated with global climate variability and change, and to investigate the impact of the latter on coupled ocean-atmosphere modes. Our main results from the grant consist of extensive further development of the hidden Markov models for rainfall simulation and downscaling together with the development of associated software; new intermediate coupled models; a new methodology of inverse modeling for linking ICMs with observations and GCM results; and, observational studies of decadal and multi-decadal natural climate results, informed by ICM results.« less

Pronounced centennial-scale Atlantic Ocean climate variability correlated with Western Hemisphere hydroclimate.

PubMed

Thirumalai, Kaustubh; Quinn, Terrence M; Okumura, Yuko; Richey, Julie N; Partin, Judson W; Poore, Richard Z; Moreno-Chamarro, Eduardo

2018-01-26

Surface-ocean circulation in the northern Atlantic Ocean influences Northern Hemisphere climate. Century-scale circulation variability in the Atlantic Ocean, however, is poorly constrained due to insufficiently-resolved paleoceanographic records. Here we present a replicated reconstruction of sea-surface temperature and salinity from a site sensitive to North Atlantic circulation in the Gulf of Mexico which reveals pronounced centennial-scale variability over the late Holocene. We find significant correlations on these timescales between salinity changes in the Atlantic, a diagnostic parameter of circulation, and widespread precipitation anomalies using three approaches: multiproxy synthesis, observational datasets, and a transient simulation. Our results demonstrate links between centennial changes in northern Atlantic surface-circulation and hydroclimate changes in the adjacent continents over the late Holocene. Notably, our findings reveal that weakened surface-circulation in the Atlantic Ocean was concomitant with well-documented rainfall anomalies in the Western Hemisphere during the Little Ice Age.

Pronounced centennial-scale Atlantic Ocean climate variability correlated with Western Hemisphere hydroclimate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thirumalai, Kaustubh; Quinn, Terrence M.; Okumura, Yuko; Richey, Julie; Partin, Judson W.; Poore, Richard Z.; Moreno-Chamarro, Eduardo

2018-01-01

Surface-ocean circulation in the northern Atlantic Ocean influences Northern Hemisphere climate. Century-scale circulation variability in the Atlantic Ocean, however, is poorly constrained due to insufficiently-resolved paleoceanographic records. Here we present a replicated reconstruction of sea-surface temperature and salinity from a site sensitive to North Atlantic circulation in the Gulf of Mexico which reveals pronounced centennial-scale variability over the late Holocene. We find significant correlations on these timescales between salinity changes in the Atlantic, a diagnostic parameter of circulation, and widespread precipitation anomalies using three approaches: multiproxy synthesis, observational datasets, and a transient simulation. Our results demonstrate links between centennial changes in northern Atlantic surface-circulation and hydroclimate changes in the adjacent continents over the late Holocene. Notably, our findings reveal that weakened surface-circulation in the Atlantic Ocean was concomitant with well-documented rainfall anomalies in the Western Hemisphere during the Little Ice Age.

Mesoscale atmosphere ocean coupling enhances the transfer of wind energy into the ocean

PubMed Central

Byrne, D.; Münnich, M.; Frenger, I.; Gruber, N.

2016-01-01

Although it is well established that the large-scale wind drives much of the world's ocean circulation, the contribution of the wind energy input at mesoscales (10–200 km) remains poorly known. Here we use regional simulations with a coupled high-resolution atmosphere–ocean model of the South Atlantic, to show that mesoscale ocean features and, in particular, eddies can be energized by their thermodynamic interactions with the atmosphere. Owing to their sea-surface temperature anomalies affecting the wind field above them, the oceanic eddies in the presence of a large-scale wind gradient provide a mesoscale conduit for the transfer of energy into the ocean. Our simulations show that this pathway is responsible for up to 10% of the kinetic energy of the oceanic mesoscale eddy field in the South Atlantic. The conditions for this pathway to inject energy directly into the mesoscale prevail over much of the Southern Ocean north of the Polar Front. PMID:27292447

The role of ocean-atmosphere interaction in Typhoon Sinlaku (2008) using a regional coupled data assimilation system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wada, Akiyoshi; Kunii, Masaru

2017-05-01

For improving analyses of tropical cyclone (TC) and sea surface temperature (SST) and thereby TC simulations, a regional mesoscale strongly coupled atmosphere-ocean data assimilation system was developed with the local ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF) implemented with the Japan Meteorological Agency's nonhydrostatic model (NHM) coupled with a multilayer ocean model and the third-generation ocean wave model. The NHM-LETKF coupled data assimilation system was applied to Typhoon Sinlaku (2008) along with the original NHM-LETKF system to investigate the sensitivity of Sinlaku to SST assimilation with the Level 2 Pre-processed (L2P) standard product of satellite SST. SST calculated in the coupled-assimilation experiment with the coupled data assimilation system and the satellite SST (CPL) showed a better correlation with Optimally Interpolated SST than SST used in the control experiment with the original NHM-LETKF (CNTL) and SST calculated in the succession experiment with the coupled system without satellite SST (SUCC). The time series in the CPL experiment well captured the variation in the SST observed at the Kuroshio Extension Observation buoy site. In addition, TC-induced sea surface cooling was analyzed more realistically in the CPL experiment than that in the CNTL and SUCC experiments. However, the central pressure analyzed in each three experiments was overestimated compared with the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center Tokyo best-track central pressure, mainly due to the coarse horizontal resolution of 15 km. The 96 h TC simulations indicated that the CPL experiment provided more favorable initial and boundary conditions than the CNTL experiment to simulate TC tracks more accurately.

Lithospheric thinning beneath rifted regions of Southern California.

PubMed

Lekic, Vedran; French, Scott W; Fischer, Karen M

2011-11-11

The stretching and break-up of tectonic plates by rifting control the evolution of continents and oceans, but the processes by which lithosphere deforms and accommodates strain during rifting remain enigmatic. Using scattering of teleseismic shear waves beneath rifted zones and adjacent areas in Southern California, we resolve the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary and lithospheric thickness variations to directly constrain this deformation. Substantial and laterally abrupt lithospheric thinning beneath rifted regions suggests efficient strain localization. In the Salton Trough, either the mantle lithosphere has experienced more thinning than the crust, or large volumes of new lithosphere have been created. Lack of a systematic offset between surface and deep lithospheric deformation rules out simple shear along throughgoing unidirectional shallow-dipping shear zones, but is consistent with symmetric extension of the lithosphere.

Successive Two-sided Loop Jets Caused by Magnetic Reconnection between Two Adjacent Filamentary Threads

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tian, Zhanjun; Liu, Yu; Shen, Yuandeng

We present observational analysis of two successive two-sided loop jets observed by the ground-based New Vacuum Solar Telescope and the space-borne Solar Dynamics Observatory . The two successive two-sided loop jets manifested similar evolution processes and both were associated with the interaction of two small-scale adjacent filamentary threads, magnetic emerging, and cancellation processes at the jet’s source region. High temporal and high spatial resolution observations reveal that the two adjacent ends of the two filamentary threads are rooted in opposite magnetic polarities within the source region. The two threads approached each other, and then an obvious brightening patch is observedmore » at the interaction position. Subsequently, a pair of hot plasma ejections are observed heading in opposite directions along the paths of the two filamentary threads at a typical speed for two-sided loop jets of the order 150 km s{sup −1}. Close to the end of the second jet, we report the formation of a bright hot loop structure at the source region, which suggests the formation of new loops during the interaction. Based on the observational results, we propose that the observed two-sided loop jets are caused by magnetic reconnection between the two adjacent filamentary threads, largely different from the previous scenario that a two-sided loop jet is generated by magnetic reconnection between an emerging bipole and the overlying horizontal magnetic fields.« less

Air-Ocean Characteristics During the Impact of Typhoons on the Ocean in the Pacific (ITOP) Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

high. The largest analyzed and observed differences were found to occur in regions of TC- induced ocean changes. The significance of this comparison...and observed differences were found to occur in regions of TC- induced ocean changes. The significance of this comparison is the contribution to...gift for inducing calm into a stressful process. I would also like to thank CDR J. Dumas for his support and assistance as not only a second reader

Making sense of ocean sensing: the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System links observations to applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simoniello, Christina; Jochens, Ann E.; Howard, Matthew K.; Swaykos, Joseph; Levin, Douglas R.; Stone, Debbi; Kirkpatrick, Barbara; Kobara, Shinichi

2011-06-01

The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System Regional Association (GCOOS-RA) works to enhance our ability to collect, deliver and use ocean information. The GCOOS-RA Education and Outreach Council works to bring together industry, governments, academia, formal and informal educators, and the public to assess regional needs for coastal ocean information, foster cooperation, and increase utility of the data. Examples of data products in varying stages of development are described, including web pages for recreational boaters and fishermen, novel visualizations of storm surge, public exhibits focused on five Gulf of Mexico Priority Issues defined by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, a Harmful Algae Bloom warning system, the Basic Observation Buoy project designed to engage citizen scientists in ocean monitoring activities, and the GCOOS Data Portal, instrumental in Deepwater Horizon mitigation efforts.

Quantifying 10 years of improved earthquake-monitoring performance in the Caribbean region

USGS Publications Warehouse

McNamara, Daniel E.; Hillebrandt-Andrade, Christa; Saurel, Jean-Marie; Huerfano-Moreno, V.; Lynch, Lloyd

2015-01-01

Over 75 tsunamis have been documented in the Caribbean and adjacent regions during the past 500 years. Since 1500, at least 4484 people are reported to have perished in these killer waves. Hundreds of thousands are currently threatened along the Caribbean coastlines. Were a great tsunamigenic earthquake to occur in the Caribbean region today, the effects would potentially be catastrophic due to an increasingly vulnerable region that has seen significant population increases in the past 40–50 years and currently hosts an estimated 500,000 daily beach visitors from North America and Europe, a majority of whom are not likely aware of tsunami and earthquake hazards. Following the magnitude 9.1 Sumatra–Andaman Islands earthquake of 26 December 2004, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Coordination Group (ICG) for the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Early Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (CARIBE‐EWS) was established and developed minimum performance standards for the detection and analysis of earthquakes. In this study, we model earthquake‐magnitude detection threshold and P‐wave detection time and demonstrate that the requirements established by the UNESCO ICG CARIBE‐EWS are met with 100% of the network operating. We demonstrate that earthquake‐monitoring performance in the Caribbean Sea region has improved significantly in the past decade as the number of real‐time seismic stations available to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tsunami warning centers have increased. We also identify weaknesses in the current international network and provide guidance for selecting the optimal distribution of seismic stations contributed from existing real‐time broadband national networks in the region.

Plastic pollution in islands of the Atlantic Ocean.

PubMed

Monteiro, Raqueline C P; Ivar do Sul, Juliana A; Costa, Monica F

2018-07-01

Marine plastic pollution is present in all oceans, including remote oceanic islands. Despite the increasing number of articles on plastic pollution in the last years, there is still a lack of studies in islands, that are biodiversity hotspots when compared to the surrounding ocean, and even other recognized highly biodiverse marine environments. Articles published in the peer reviewed literature (N = 20) were analysed according to the presence of macro (>5 mm) and microplastics (<5 mm) on beaches and the marine habitats immediately adjacent to 31 islands of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The first articles date from the 1980s, but most were published in the 2000s. Articles on macroplastics were predominant in this review (N = 12). Beaches were the most studied environment, possibly due to easy access. The main focus of most articles was the spatial distribution of plastics associated with variables such as position of the beach in relation to wind and currents. Very few studies have analysed plastics colonization by organisms or the identification of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Islands of the North/South Atlantic and Caribbean Sea were influenced by different sources of macroplastics, being marine-based sources (i.e., fishing activities) predominant in the Atlantic Ocean basin. On the other hand, in the Caribbean Sea, land-based sources were more common. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

S-to-P Conversions from Mid-mantle Slow Scatterers in Slab Regions: Observations of Deep/Stagnated Oceanic Crust?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xiaobo; Zheng, Yixian

2018-02-01

The fate of a subducted slab is a key ingredient in the context of plate tectonics, yet it remains enigmatic especially in terms of its crustal component. In this study, our efforts are devoted to resolve slab-related structures in the mid-mantle below eastern Indonesia, the Izu-Bonin region, and the Peru area by employing seismic array analysing techniques on high-frequency waveform data from F-net in Japan and the Alaska regional network and the USArray in North America. A pronounced arrival after the direct P wave is observed in the recordings of four deep earthquakes (depths greater than 400 km) from three subduction systems including the Philippines, the Izu-Bonin, and the Peru. This later arrival displays a slightly lower slowness compared to the direct P wave and its back-azimuth deviates somewhat from the great-circle direction. We explain it as an S-to-P conversion at a deep scatterer below the sources in the source region. In total, five scatterers are seen at depths ranging from 930 to 1500 km. Those scatterers appear to be characterised by an 7 km-thick low-velocity layer compared to the ambient mantle. Combined evidence from published mineral physical analysis suggests that past subducted oceanic crust, possibly fragmented, is most likely responsible for these thin-layer compositional heterogeneities trapped in the mid-mantle beneath the study regions. Our observations give a clue to the potential fate of subducted oceanic crust.

Diurnal tides in the Arctic Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kowalik, Z.; Proshutinsky, A. Y.

1993-01-01

A 2D numerical model with a space grid of about 14 km is applied to calculate diurnal tidal constituents K(1) and O(1) in the Arctic Ocean. Calculated corange and cotidal charts show that along the continental slope, local regions of increased sea level amplitude, highly variable phase and enhanced currents occur. It is shown that in these local regions, shelf waves (topographic waves) of tidal origin are generated. In the Arctic Ocean and Northern Atlantic Ocean more than 30 regions of enhanced currents are identified. To prove the near-resonant interaction of the diurnal tides with the local bottom topography, the natural periods of oscillations for all regions have been calculated. The flux of energy averaged over the tidal period depicts the gyres of semitrapped energy, suggesting that the shelf waves are partially trapped over the irregularities of the bottom topography. It is shown that the occurrence of near-resonance phenomenon changes the energy flow in the tidal waves. First, the flux of energy from the astronomical sources is amplified in the shelf wave regions, and afterwards the tidal energy is strongly dissipated in the same regions.

Distribution of oil and natural-gas wells in relation to ground-water flow systems in the Great Basin region of Nevada and Utah, and adjacent states

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schaefer, Donald H.

1996-01-01

This map publication is one of several in a series concerning various aspects of the ground-water hydrology of the Great Basin in Nevada, Utah, and adjacent States.  One report in the series describes the hydrogeologic framework of the Great Basin (Plume and Carlton, 1988).  Another shows the ground-water levels for the aquifer systems of the Great Basin (Thomas and others, 1986).  A third report in the series describes the regional ground-water flow patterns in the Great Basin (Harrill and others, 1988).

Trends in Southern Ocean Eddy Kinetic Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, Don

2016-04-01

A recent study by Hogg et al. (JGR, 2015) has demonstrated a 20-year trend in eddy kinetic energy (EKE) computed from satellite altimetry data. However, this estimate is based on an averaging over large spatial areas. In this study, we use the same methods to examine regional EKE trends throughout the Southern Ocean, from 1993-2015. We do find significant positive trends in several areas of the Southern Ocean, mainly in regions with high mean EKE associated with interactions between jets and bathymetry. At the same time, however, there are also regions with significant negative trends. Overall, EKE in the majority of the Southern Ocean has not changed. These results suggest that the estimates of Hogg et al. may have been biased by these regional extremes, and that more work is needed to quantify climatic changes in EKE.

Trends in Southern Ocean Eddy Kinetic Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, D. P.

2016-02-01

A recent study by Hogg et al. (JGR, 2015) has demonstrated a 20-year trend in eddy kinetic energy (EKE) computed from satellite altimetry data. However, this estimate is based on an averaging over large spatial areas. In this study, we use the same methods to examine regional EKE trends throughout the Southern Ocean, from 1993-2015. We do find significant positive trends in several areas of the Southern Ocean, mainly in regions with high mean EKE associated with interactions between jets and bathymetry. At the same time, however, there are also regions with significant negative trends. Overall, EKE in the majority of the Southern Ocean has not changed. These results suggest that the estimates of Hogg et al. may have been biased by these regional extremes, and that more work is needed to quantify climatic changes in EKE.

Carbon and Nutrient Cycling in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Windom, Herbert; Piola, Alberto; McKee, Brent

2009-03-01

State of Knowledge on the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean Margin; Montevideo, Uruguay, 16-22 November 2008; The southwestern Atlantic Ocean margin (SWAOM), along the coasts of southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, is one of the most productive regions of the world ocean and is believed to be the largest carbon dioxide (CO2) sink in the Atlantic Ocean. The region is dominated by two major boundary currents (the Brazil and the Malvinas), which impinge on a broad continental shelf along southeastern South America and converge offshore of the Rio de la Plata, the largest source of freshwater to the South Atlantic Ocean. Scientific knowledge about this region is based on past research focused generally on processes within the confines of the waters of the individual countries and from single disciplines. However, the complex interactions of physical, chemical, and biological processes that control the transport and production in time and space across this region require multidisciplinary investigation and international cooperation. This led a group of more than 40 marine scientists from these countries and the United States to convene a workshop to review what is known about this region, to suggest how future multidisciplinary research might be organized, and to foster regional and North-South scientific cooperation.

Specificity of Atmosphere Correction of Satellite Ocean Color Data in Far-Eastern Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trusenkova, O.; Kachur, V.; Aleksanin, A. I.

2016-02-01

It was carried out an error analysis of satellite reflectance coefficients (Rrs) of MODIS/AQUA colour data for two atmospheric correction algorithms (NIR, MUMM) in the Far-Eastern region. Some sets of unique data of in situ and satellite measurements have been analysed. A set has some measurements with ASD spectroradiometer for each satellite pass. The measurement allocations were selected so the Chlorophyll-a concentration has high variability. Analysis of arbitrary set demonstrated that the main error component is systematic error, and it has simple relations on Rrs values. The reasons of such error behavior are considered. The most probable explanation of the large errors of oceanic color parameters in the Far-Eastern region is the ability of high concentrations of continental aerosol. A comparison of satellite and in situ measurements at AERONET stations of USA and South Korea regions has been made. It was shown that for NIR-correction of the atmosphere influence the error values in these two regions have differences up to 10 times for almost the same water turbidity and relatively good accuracy of computation of aerosol optical thickness. The study was supported by grant Russian Scientific Foundation No. 14-50-00034, by grant of Russian Foundation of Basic Research No.15-35-21032-mol-a-ved, and by Program of Basic Research "Far East" of Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences.

Ocean Observations of Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, Don

2016-01-01

The ocean influences climate by storing and transporting large amounts of heat, freshwater, and carbon, and exchanging these properties with the atmosphere. About 93% of the excess heat energy stored by the earth over the last 50 years is found in the ocean. More than three quarters of the total exchange of water between the atmosphere and the earth's surface through evaporation and precipitation takes place over the oceans. The ocean contains 50 times more carbon than the atmosphere and is at present acting to slow the rate of climate change by absorbing one quarter of human emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning, cement production, deforestation and other land use change.Here I summarize the observational evidence of change in the ocean, with an emphasis on basin- and global-scale changes relevant to climate. These include: changes in subsurface ocean temperature and heat content, evidence for regional changes in ocean salinity and their link to changes in evaporation and precipitation over the oceans, evidence of variability and change of ocean current patterns relevant to climate, observations of sea level change and predictions over the next century, and biogeochemical changes in the ocean, including ocean acidification.

Large-Scale Distribution and Activity of Prokaryotes in Deep-Sea Surface Sediments of the Mediterranean Sea and the Adjacent Atlantic Ocean

PubMed Central

Giovannelli, Donato; Molari, Massimiliano; d’Errico, Giuseppe; Baldrighi, Elisa; Pala, Claudia; Manini, Elena

2013-01-01

The deep-sea represents a substantial portion of the biosphere and has a major influence on carbon cycling and global biogeochemistry. Benthic deep-sea prokaryotes have crucial roles in this ecosystem, with their recycling of organic matter from the photic zone. Despite this, little is known about the large-scale distribution of prokaryotes in the surface deep-sea sediments. To assess the influence of environmental and trophic variables on the large-scale distribution of prokaryotes, we investigated the prokaryotic assemblage composition (Bacteria to Archaea and Euryarchaeota to Crenarchaeota ratio) and activity in the surface deep-sea sediments of the Mediterranean Sea and the adjacent North Atlantic Ocean. Prokaryotic abundance and biomass did not vary significantly across the Mediterranean Sea; however, there were depth-related trends in all areas. The abundance of prokaryotes was positively correlated with the sedimentary concentration of protein, an indicator of the quality and bioavailability of organic matter. Moving eastwards, the Bacteria contribution to the total prokaryotes decreased, which appears to be linked to the more oligotrophic conditions of the Eastern Mediterranean basins. Despite the increased importance of Archaea, the contributions of Crenarchaeota Marine Group I to the total pool was relatively constant across the investigated stations, with the exception of Matapan-Vavilov Deep, in which Euryarchaeota Marine Group II dominated. Overall, our data suggest that deeper areas of the Mediterranean Sea share more similar communities with each other than with shallower sites. Freshness and quality of sedimentary organic matter were identified through Generalized Additive Model analysis as the major factors for describing the variation in the prokaryotic community structure and activity in the surface deep-sea sediments. Longitude was also important in explaining the observed variability, which suggests that the overlying water masses might have a

Phosphorus dynamics in biogeochemically distinct regions of the southeast subtropical Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duhamel, Solange; Björkman, Karin M.; Repeta, Daniel J.; Karl, David M.

2017-02-01

The southeast subtropical Pacific Ocean was sampled along a zonal transect between the coasts of Chile and Easter Island. This remote area of the world's ocean presents strong gradients in physical (e.g., temperature, density and light), chemical (e.g., salinity and nutrient concentrations) and microbiological (e.g., cell abundances, biomass and specific growth rates) properties. The goal of this study was to describe the phosphorus (P) dynamics in three main ecosystems along this transect: the upwelling regime off the northern Chilean coast, the oligotrophic area associated with the southeast subtropical Pacific gyre and the transitional area in between these two biomes. We found that inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentrations were high and turnover times were long (>210 nmol l-1 and >31 d, respectively) in the upper water column, along the entire transect. Pi uptake rates in the gyre were low (euphotic layer integrated rates were 0.26 mmol m-2 d-1 in the gyre and 1.28 mmol m-2 d-1 in the upwelling region), yet not only driven by decreases in particle mass or cell abundance (particulate P- and cell- normalized Pi uptake rates in the euphotic layer were ∼1-4 times and ∼3-15 times lower in the gyre than in the upwelling, respectively). However these Pi uptake rates were at or near the maximum Pi uptake velocity (i.e., uptake rates in Pi amended samples were not significantly different from those at ambient concentration: 1.5 and 23.7 nmol l-1 d-1 at 50% PAR in the gyre and upwelling, respectively). Despite the apparent Pi replete conditions, selected dissolved organic P (DOP) compounds were readily hydrolyzed. Nucleotides were the most bioavailable of the DOP substrates tested. Microbes actively assimilated adenosine-5‧-triphosphate (ATP) leading to Pi and adenosine incorporation as well as Pi release to the environment. The southeast subtropical Pacific Ocean is a Pi-sufficient environment, yet DOP hydrolytic processes are maintained and contribute to P

Advancing coastal ocean modelling, analysis, and prediction for the US Integrated Ocean Observing System

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkin, John L.; Rosenfeld, Leslie; Allen, Arthur; Baltes, Rebecca; Baptista, Antonio; He, Ruoying; Hogan, Patrick; Kurapov, Alexander; Mehra, Avichal; Quintrell, Josie; Schwab, David; Signell, Richard; Smith, Jane

2017-01-01

This paper outlines strategies that would advance coastal ocean modelling, analysis and prediction as a complement to the observing and data management activities of the coastal components of the US Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) and the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). The views presented are the consensus of a group of US-based researchers with a cross-section of coastal oceanography and ocean modelling expertise and community representation drawn from Regional and US Federal partners in IOOS. Priorities for research and development are suggested that would enhance the value of IOOS observations through model-based synthesis, deliver better model-based information products, and assist the design, evaluation, and operation of the observing system itself. The proposed priorities are: model coupling, data assimilation, nearshore processes, cyberinfrastructure and model skill assessment, modelling for observing system design, evaluation and operation, ensemble prediction, and fast predictors. Approaches are suggested to accomplish substantial progress in a 3–8-year timeframe. In addition, the group proposes steps to promote collaboration between research and operations groups in Regional Associations, US Federal Agencies, and the international ocean research community in general that would foster coordination on scientific and technical issues, and strengthen federal–academic partnerships benefiting IOOS stakeholders and end users.

Southern Ocean vertical iron fluxes; the ocean model effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schourup-Kristensen, V.; Haucke, J.; Losch, M. J.; Wolf-Gladrow, D.; Voelker, C. D.

2016-02-01

The Southern Ocean plays a key role in the climate system, but commonly used large-scale ocean general circulation biogeochemical models give different estimates of current and future Southern Ocean net primary and export production. The representation of the Southern Ocean iron sources plays an important role for the modeled biogeochemistry. Studies of the iron supply to the surface mixed layer have traditionally focused on the aeolian and sediment contributions, but recent work has highlighted the importance of the vertical supply from below. We have performed a model study in which the biogeochemical model REcoM2 was coupled to two different ocean models, the Finite Element Sea-ice Ocean Model (FESOM) and the MIT general circulation model (MITgcm) and analyzed the magnitude of the iron sources to the surface mixed layer from below in the two models. Our results revealed a remarkable difference in terms of mechanism and magnitude of transport. The mean iron supply from below in the Southern Ocean was on average four times higher in MITgcm than in FESOM and the dominant pathway was entrainment in MITgcm, whereas diffusion dominated in FESOM. Differences in the depth and seasonal amplitude of the mixed layer between the models affect on the vertical iron profile, the relative position of the base of the mixed layer and ferricline and thereby also on the iron fluxes. These differences contribute to differences in the phytoplankton composition in the two models, as well as in the timing of the onset of the spring bloom. The study shows that the choice of ocean model has a significant impact on the iron supply to the Southern Ocean mixed layer and thus on the modeled carbon cycle, with possible implications for model runs predicting the future carbon uptake in the region.

Spaceborne imaging spectrometer for environmental assessment of the coastal ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Curtiss O.

1996-10-01

With half of the world's population living within 50 km of the coastal ocean the coast and adjacent land areas are heavily used for recreation, and for frequently conflicting uses, such as, fisheries, oil and gas production, disposal of wastes, transportation and naval operations. Coastal ecosystems are sensitive, highly productive systems which are being heavily impacted by human activities, but which are not adequately sampled by any present or planned spaceborne remote sensing system. To remedy that situation we propose building a coastal ocean imaging spectrometer (COIS) with adequate spectral and spatial resolution and high signal to noise to provide long term monitoring and real-time characterization of the coastal environment. COIS would provide a snapshot of the effects of human activities and natural processes, including runoff, tides, currents and storms, on the distributions of phytoplankton, suspended sediments, colored dissolved organic matter, including sediment resuspension and changes in bathymetry. COIS will also be an excellent tool to assess changing land use practices and the health of corps and natural vegetation on the adjacent land areas. This paper reviews the scientific rationale for such an instrument, and the recent scientific and engineering innovations that make it possible to build a small inexpensive spaceborne instrument to meet these requirements.

Oceanic Precondition and Evolution of the Indian Ocean Dipole Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horii, T.; Masumoto, Y.; Ueki, I.; Hase, H.; Mizuno, K.

2008-12-01

Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is one of the interannual climate variability in the Indian Ocean, associated with the negative (positive) SST anomaly in the eastern (western) equatorial region developing during boreal summer/autumn seasons. Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) has been deploying TRITON buoys in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean since October 2001. Details of subsurface ocean conditions associated with IOD events were observed by the mooring buoys in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean in 2006, 2007, and 2008. In the 2006 IOD event, large-scale sea surface signals in the tropical Indian Ocean associated with the positive IOD started in August 2006, and the anomalous conditions continued until December 2006. Data from the mooring buoys, however, captured the first appearance of the negative temperature anomaly at the thermocline depth with strong westward current anomalies in May 2006, about three months earlier than the development of the surface signatures. Similar appearance of negative temperature anomalies in the subsurface were also observed in 2007 and 2008, while the amplitude, the timing, and the relation to the surface layer were different among the events. The implications of the subsurface conditions for the occurrences of these IOD events are discussed.

Atlantic and Indian Oceans Pollution in Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abubakar, B.

2007-05-01

Africa is the second largest and most populated continent after Asia. Geographically it is located between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Most of the Africa's most populated and industrialized cities are located along the coast of the continent facing the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, example of such cities include Casablanca, Dakar, Accra, Lagos, Luanda and Cape town all facing the Atlantic Ocean and cities like East London, Durban, Maputo, Dar-es-salaam and Mogadishu are all facing the Indian Ocean. As a result of the geographical locations of African Coastal Cities plus increase in their population, industries, sea port operations, petroleum exploration activities, trafficking of toxic wastes and improper waste management culture lead to the incessant increase in the pollution of the two oceans. NATURE OF POLLUTION OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN i. The petroleum exploration activities going on along the coast of "Gulf of Guinea" region and Angola continuously causes oil spillages in the process of drilling, bunkering and discharging of petroleum products in the Atlantic Ocean. ii. The incessant degreasing of the Sea Ports "Quay Aprons" along the Coastal cities of Lagos, Luanda, Cape Town etc are continuously polluting the Atlantic Ocean with chemicals. iii. Local wastes generated from the houses located in the coastal cities are always finding their ways into the Atlantic Ocean. NATURE OF POLLUTION OF THE INDIAN OCEAN i. Unlike the Atlantic ocean where petroleum is the major pollutant, the Indian Ocean is polluted by Toxic / Radioactive waste suspected to have been coming from the developed nations as reported by the United Nations Environmental Programme after the Tsunami disaster in December 2004 especially along the coast of Somalia. ii. The degreasing of the Quay Aprons at Port Elizabeth, Maputo, Dar-es-Salaam and Mongolism Sea Ports are also another major source polluting the Indian Ocean. PROBLEMS GENERATED AS A RESULT OF THE OCEANS POLLUTION i. Recent report

Global Mapping of Oceanic and Continental Shelf Crustal Thickness and Ocean-Continent Transition Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusznir, Nick; Alvey, Andy; Roberts, Alan

2017-04-01

The 3D mapping of crustal thickness for continental shelves and oceanic crust, and the determination of ocean-continent transition (OCT) structure and continent-ocean boundary (COB) location, represents a substantial challenge. Geophysical inversion of satellite derived free-air gravity anomaly data incorporating a lithosphere thermal anomaly correction (Chappell & Kusznir, 2008) now provides a useful and reliable methodology for mapping crustal thickness in the marine domain. Using this we have produced the first comprehensive maps of global crustal thickness for oceanic and continental shelf regions. Maps of crustal thickness and continental lithosphere thinning factor from gravity inversion may be used to determine the distribution of oceanic lithosphere, micro-continents and oceanic plateaux including for the inaccessible polar regions (e.g. Arctic Ocean, Alvey et al.,2008). The gravity inversion method provides a prediction of continent-ocean boundary location which is independent of ocean magnetic anomaly and isochron interpretation. Using crustal thickness and continental lithosphere thinning factor maps with superimposed shaded-relief free-air gravity anomaly, we can improve the determination of pre-breakup rifted margin conjugacy and sea-floor spreading trajectory during ocean basin formation. By restoring crustal thickness & continental lithosphere thinning to their initial post-breakup configuration we show the geometry and segmentation of the rifted continental margins at their time of breakup, together with the location of highly-stretched failed breakup basins and rifted micro-continents. For detailed analysis to constrain OCT structure, margin type (i.e. magma poor, "normal" or magma rich) and COB location, a suite of quantitative analytical methods may be used which include: (i) Crustal cross-sections showing Moho depth and crustal basement thickness from gravity inversion. (ii) Residual depth anomaly (RDA) analysis which is used to investigate OCT

Oceanic and atmospheric conditions associated with the pentad rainfall over the southeastern peninsular India during the North-East Indian Monsoon season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanmugasundaram, Jothiganesh; Lee, Eungul

2018-03-01

The association of North-East Indian Monsoon rainfall (NEIMR) over the southeastern peninsular India with the oceanic and atmospheric conditions over the adjacent ocean regions at pentad time step (five days period) was investigated during the months of October to December for the period 1985-2014. The non-parametric correlation and composite analyses were carried out for the simultaneous and lagged time steps (up to four lags) of oceanic and atmospheric variables with pentad NEIMR. The results indicated that NEIMR was significantly correlated: 1) positively with both sea surface temperature (SST) led by 1-4 pentads (lag 1-4 time steps) and latent heat flux (LHF) during the simultaneous, lag 1 and 2 time steps over the equatorial western Indian Ocean, 2) positively with SST but negatively with LHF (less heat flux from ocean to atmosphere) during the same and all the lagged time steps over the Bay of Bengal. Consistently, during the wet NEIMR pentads over the southeastern peninsular India, SST significantly increased over the Bay of Bengal during all the time steps and the equatorial western Indian Ocean during the lag 2-4 time steps, while the LHF decreased over the Bay of Bengal (all time steps) and increased over the Indian Ocean (same, lag 1 and 2). The investigation on ocean-atmospheric interaction revealed that the enhanced LHF over the equatorial western Indian Ocean was related to increased atmospheric moisture demand and increased wind speed, whereas the reduced LHF over the Bay of Bengal was associated with decreased atmospheric moisture demand and decreased wind speed. The vertically integrated moisture flux and moisture transport vectors from 1000 to 850 hPa exhibited that the moisture was carried away from the equatorial western Indian Ocean to the strong moisture convergence regions of the Bay of Bengal during the same and lag 1 time steps of wet NEIMR pentads. Further, the moisture over the Bay of Bengal was transported to the southeastern peninsular

Extreme diagenesis displayed by Pliocene-Pleistocene Calcareous Nannofossils in IODP Hole 1396A, adjacent to Montserrat Island in the Lesser Antilles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aljahdali, M. H.; Behzad, A.; Missimer, T. M.; Wise, S. W.; Scientists, E.

2013-12-01

Adjacent to Montserrat Island in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean Sea, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site 1396 recovered lower Pliocene to Pleistocene calcareous nannofossil assemblages (CN11 to CN15) that range between common to abundant and display a variety of preservations. High-resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) observation of calcareous nannofossil assemblages in selected samples from Hole 1396A, shows severe diagenesis (overgrowth and/or dissolution) even near the top of the sequence. The nannofossil assemblages in this relatively shallow basin (e.g., 800 m) reveal abnormal diagenesis for such young specimens that are quite similar to the heavy overgrowths and dissolution generally seen only in older deposits (e.g., Cretaceous). Our hypothesis is that volcanic activity in the region probably induced this extreme diagenesis. A more detailed examination of these samples should provide a better understanding of the progression of carbonate diagenesis in this basin. The nannofossil biostratigraphy and magnetostratigraphy at Site 1396 also suggest lower sedimentation rates in the Pleistocene than in the Pliocene. A comparison site (ODP Leg 165 Site 1000) in the Caribbean Sea also shows a similar sedimentation-rate pattern. This we interpret as a regional event caused by the closure of the Central American Seaway.

The Coastal Ocean Prediction Systems program: Understanding and managing our coastal ocean

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eden, H.F.; Mooers, C.N.K.

1990-06-01

The goal of COPS is to couple a program of regular observations to numerical models, through techniques of data assimilation, in order to provide a predictive capability for the US coastal ocean including the Great Lakes, estuaries, and the entire Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The objectives of the program include: determining the predictability of the coastal ocean and the processes that govern the predictability; developing efficient prediction systems for the coastal ocean based on the assimilation of real-time observations into numerical models; and coupling the predictive systems for the physical behavior of the coastal ocean to predictive systems for biological,more » chemical, and geological processes to achieve an interdisciplinary capability. COPS will provide the basis for effective monitoring and prediction of coastal ocean conditions by optimizing the use of increased scientific understanding, improved observations, advanced computer models, and computer graphics to make the best possible estimates of sea level, currents, temperatures, salinities, and other properties of entire coastal regions.« less

Using Long-Term Satellite Observations to Identify Sensitive Regimes and Active Regions of Aerosol Indirect Effects for Liquid Clouds Over Global Oceans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xuepeng; Liu, Yangang; Yu, Fangquan; Heidinger, Andrew K.

2018-01-01

Long-term (1981-2011) satellite climate data records of clouds and aerosols are used to investigate the aerosol-cloud interaction of marine water cloud from a climatology perspective. Our focus is on identifying the regimes and regions where the aerosol indirect effects (AIEs) are evident in long-term averages over the global oceans through analyzing the correlation features between aerosol loading and the key cloud variables including cloud droplet effective radius (CDER), cloud optical depth (COD), cloud water path (CWP), cloud top height (CTH), and cloud top temperature (CTT). An aerosol optical thickness (AOT) range of 0.13 < AOT < 0.3 is identified as the sensitive regime of the conventional first AIE where CDER is more susceptible to AOT than the other cloud variables. The first AIE that manifests as the change of long-term averaged CDER appears only in limited oceanic regions. The signature of aerosol invigoration of water clouds as revealed by the increase of cloud cover fraction (CCF) and CTH with increasing AOT at the middle/high latitudes of both hemispheres is identified for a pristine atmosphere (AOT < 0.08). Aerosol invigoration signature is also revealed by the concurrent increase of CDER, COD, and CWP with increasing AOT for a polluted marine atmosphere (AOT > 0.3) in the tropical convergence zones. The regions where the second AIE is likely to manifest in the CCF change are limited to several oceanic areas with high CCF of the warm water clouds near the western coasts of continents. The second AIE signature as represented by the reduction of the precipitation efficiency with increasing AOT is more likely to be observed in the AOT regime of 0.08 < AOT < 0.4. The corresponding AIE active regions manifested themselves as the decline of the precipitation efficiency are mainly limited to the oceanic areas downwind of continental aerosols. The sensitive regime of the conventional AIE identified in this observational study is likely associated with the

Depth of origin of ocean-circulation-induced magnetic signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irrgang, Christopher; Saynisch-Wagner, Jan; Thomas, Maik

2018-01-01

As the world ocean moves through the ambient geomagnetic core field, electric currents are generated in the entire ocean basin. These oceanic electric currents induce weak magnetic signals that are principally observable outside of the ocean and allow inferences about large-scale oceanic transports of water, heat, and salinity. The ocean-induced magnetic field is an integral quantity and, to first order, it is proportional to depth-integrated and conductivity-weighted ocean currents. However, the specific contribution of oceanic transports at different depths to the motional induction process remains unclear and is examined in this study. We show that large-scale motional induction due to the general ocean circulation is dominantly generated by ocean currents in the upper 2000 m of the ocean basin. In particular, our findings allow relating regional patterns of the oceanic magnetic field to corresponding oceanic transports at different depths. Ocean currents below 3000 m, in contrast, only contribute a small fraction to the ocean-induced magnetic signal strength with values up to 0.2 nT at sea surface and less than 0.1 nT at the Swarm satellite altitude. Thereby, potential satellite observations of ocean-circulation-induced magnetic signals are found to be likely insensitive to deep ocean currents. Furthermore, it is shown that annual temporal variations of the ocean-induced magnetic field in the region of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current contain information about sub-surface ocean currents below 1000 m with intra-annual periods. Specifically, ocean currents with sub-monthly periods dominate the annual temporal variability of the ocean-induced magnetic field.

Models for ecological models: Ocean primary productivity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wikle, Christopher K.; Leeds, William B.; Hooten, Mevin B.

2016-01-01

The ocean accounts for more than 70% of planet Earth's surface, and it processes are critically important to marine and terrestrial life.  Ocean ecosystems are strongly dependent on the physical state of the ocean (e.g., transports, mixing, upwelling, runoff, and ice dynamics(.  As an example, consider the Coastal Gulf of Alaska (CGOA) region.

The ocean mixed layer under Southern Ocean sea-ice: seasonal cycle and forcing.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Violaine, P.; Sallee, J. B.; Schmidtko, S.; Roquet, F.; Charrassin, J. B.

2016-02-01

The mixed-layer at the surface of the ocean is the gateway for all exchanges between air and sea. A vast area of the Southern Ocean is however seasonally capped by sea-ice, which alters this gateway and the characteristic the ocean mixed-layer. The interaction between the ocean mixed-layer and sea-ice plays a key role for water-mass formation and circulation, carbon cycle, sea-ice dynamics, and ultimately for the climate as a whole. However, the structure and characteristics of the mixed layer, as well as the processes responsible for its evolution, are poorly understood due to the lack of in-situ observations and measurements. We urgently need to better understand the forcing and the characteristics of the ocean mixed-layer under sea-ice if we are to understand and predict the world's climate. In this study, we combine a range of distinct sources of observation to overcome this lack in our understanding of the Polar Regions. Working on Elephant Seal-derived data as well as ship-based observations and Argo float data, we describe the seasonal cycle of the characteristics and stability of the ocean mixed layer over the entire Southern Ocean (South of 40°S), and specifically under sea-ice. Mixed-layer budgets of heat and freshwater are used to investigate the main forcings of the mixed-layer seasonal cycle. The seasonal variability of sea surface salinity and temperature are primarily driven by surface processes, dominated by sea-ice freshwater flux for the salt budget, and by air-sea flux for the heat budget. Ekman advection, vertical diffusivity and vertical entrainment play only secondary role.Our results suggest that changes in regional sea-ice distribution or sea-ice seasonal cycle duration, as currently observed, would widely affect the buoyancy budget of the underlying mixed-layer, and impacts large-scale water-mass formation and transformation.

Dynamics of Oceanic Motions

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-09-30

research is multiscale , interdisciplinary and generic. The methods are applicable to an arbitrary region of the coastal and/or deep ocean and across the...dynamics. OBJECTIVES General objectives are: (I) To determine for the coastal and/or coupled deep ocean the multiscale processes which occur: i) in...Straits and the eastern basin; iii) extension and application of our balance of terms scheme (EVA) to multiscale , interdisciplinary fields with data

Effects of the Changiang river discharge on the change in ocean and atmosphere over the East Asian region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, M. H.; Lim, Y. J.; Kang, H. S.; Kim, B. J.; Cho, C.

2017-12-01

This study investigates the effects of freshwater from the Changiang river basin over the East Asian region for summer season. To do this, we simulated global seasonal forecasting system (GloSea5) of KMA (Korea Meteorology Administration). GloSea5 consists of atmosphere, ocean, sea ice and land model. Also, it has river routing model (TRIP), which links between land and ocean using freshwater. It is very important component in long-term forecast because of be able to change the air-sea interaction. To improve more the freshwater performance over the East Asian region, we realistically modified the river mouth, direction and storage around Changiang river basin of TRIP in GloSea5. Here, the comparison study among the no freshwater forcing experiment to ocean model (TRIP-OFF), the operated original file based freshwater coupled experiment (TRIP-ON) and the improved one (TRIP-MODI) has been carried out and the results are evaluated against the reanalysis data. As a result, the amount of fresh water to the Yellow Sea increase in TRIP-ON experiment and it attributes to the improvement of bias and RMSE of local SST over the East Asia. The implementation of the realistic river related ancillary files (TRIP-MODI) improves the abnormal salinity distribution around the Changjiang river gate and its related SST reduces cold bias about 0.37˚C for July over the East Sea. Warm SST over this region is caused by barrier layer (BL). Freshwater flux and salinity changes can create a pronounced salinity-induced mixed layer (ML) above the top of the thermocline. The layer between the base of the ML and the top of the thermocline is called a barrier layer (BL), because it isolates the warm surface water from cold deep water. In addition, the improved fresh water forcing can lead to the change in the local volume transport from the Kuroshio to the Strait of Korea and Changed the transport and SST over the Straits of Korea have correlation 0.57 at 95% confidence level. For the

Editorial: Eutrophication and hypoxia and their impacts on the ecosystem of the Changjiang Estuary and adjacent coastal environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jing; Xiao, Tian; Huang, Daji; Liu, Su Mei; Fang, Jianguang

2016-02-01

The Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary plays an important role in the land-ocean interactions of East Asia, particularly in regard to the fate of land-derived materials and their impact on marine ecosystems in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. The 12 papers included in this special issue describe results from the MEcoPAM Study, an IMBER-China project, which occurred in 2011-2015. This project used a multi-disciplinary approach to understand ecosystem function of the Changjiang Estuary in response to multiple stressors (i.e. combined external forcings). The results presented here show that human activities in the watersheds have greatly changed the flux and variation of dissolved and particulate materials from the river. Further interactions between the Changjiang Watersheds and the East China Sea can dramatically modify the pathways of biogeochemistry and food web dynamics of the estuary and adjacent coastal environment at seasonal and inter-annual scales.

North Pacific barium isotope distributions illustrate importance of ocean mixing in controlling barium distributions despite weak regional circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geyman, B.; Auro, M. E. E.; LaVigne, M.; Ptacek, J. L.; Horner, T. J.

2016-12-01

The dissolved behavior of barium in the ocean exhibits a `refractory' nutrient-type profile similar to that of silicon, which has led to the use of Ba as a proxy for paleo-productivity and carbon cycling. Marine barium cycling appears to be controlled by the precipitation of micron-scale barite crystals in the mesopelagic and their subsequent dissolution throughout the water column, which has been shown to impart an isotopic signature that may itself harbor information about ocean circulation and export production. However, the utility of Ba-based proxies in chemical and paleoceanography relies on a sound understanding of the processes governing marine barium distributions, which remain unresolved. Here, we report the first full oceanographic depth profile of barium isotopes from the North Pacific Ocean (30 N, 140 W), which offers the ability to resolve biogeochemical cycling from mixing processes in a given water mass. Our data confirm findings from other oceanographic regions showing a close coupling between increasing [Ba] and decreasing Ba-isotope compositions with depth. Unlike other profiles however, this coupling is restricted to the upper 1,000 m of the North Pacific water column, with samples from between 1,000 m and 4,500 m showing a roughly 60 % increase in [Ba] but essentially no changes in their Ba-isotope compositions (within measurement uncertainty of 15 ppm/AMU). As with Atlantic data, samples spanning the entire profile define a linear trend (R2 > 0.9) when plotted as Ba-isotope compositions against 1/[Ba], indicating that conservative mixing can account for much of the Ba-isotope variation in the North Pacific water column. Overall, these findings highlight the utility of stable isotope measurements to illuminate the processes governing nutrient cycling, and support the critical role of large-scale ocean circulation in setting `refractory' nutrient distributions. These results have particular relevance to regions with relatively weak overturning

Response of the North American monsoon to regional changes in ocean surface temperature

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barron, John A.; Metcalfe, Sarah E.; Addison, Jason A.

2012-01-01

The North American monsoon (NAM), an onshore wind shift occurring between July and September, has evolved in character during the Holocene largely due to changes in Northern Hemisphere insolation. Published paleoproxy and modeling studies suggest that prior to ∼8000 cal years BP, the NAM affected a broader region than today, extending westward into the Mojave Desert of California. Holocene proxy SST records from the Gulf of California (GoC) and the adjacent Pacific provide constraints for this changing NAM climatology. Prior to ∼8000 cal years BP, lower GoC SSTs would not have fueled northward surges of tropical moisture up the GoC, which presently contribute most of the monsoon precipitation to the western NAM region. During the early Holocene, the North Pacific High was further north and SSTs in the California Current off Baja California were warmer, allowing monsoonal moisture flow from the subtropical Pacific to take a more direct, northwesterly trajectory into an expanded area of the southwestern U.S. west of 114°W. A new upwelling record off southwest Baja California reveals that enhanced upwelling in the California Current beginning at ∼7500 cal year BP may have triggered a change in NAM climatology, focusing the geographic expression of NAM in the southwest USA into its modern core region east of ∼114°W, in Arizona and New Mexico. Holocene proxy precipitation records from the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico, including lakes, vegetation/pollen, and caves are reviewed and found to be largely supportive of this hypothesis of changing Holocene NAM climatology.

Estuary-ocean connectivity: fast physics, slow biology.

PubMed

Raimonet, Mélanie; Cloern, James E

2017-06-01

Estuaries are connected to both land and ocean so their physical, chemical, and biological dynamics are influenced by climate patterns over watersheds and ocean basins. We explored climate-driven oceanic variability as a source of estuarine variability by comparing monthly time series of temperature and chlorophyll-a inside San Francisco Bay with those in adjacent shelf waters of the California Current System (CCS) that are strongly responsive to wind-driven upwelling. Monthly temperature fluctuations inside and outside the Bay were synchronous, but their correlations weakened with distance from the ocean. These results illustrate how variability of coastal water temperature (and associated properties such as nitrate and oxygen) propagates into estuaries through fast water exchanges that dissipate along the estuary. Unexpectedly, there was no correlation between monthly chlorophyll-a variability inside and outside the Bay. However, at the annual scale Bay chlorophyll-a was significantly correlated with the Spring Transition Index (STI) that sets biological production supporting fish recruitment in the CCS. Wind forcing of the CCS shifted in the late 1990s when the STI advanced 40 days. This shift was followed, with lags of 1-3 years, by 3- to 19-fold increased abundances of five ocean-produced demersal fish and crustaceans and 2.5-fold increase of summer chlorophyll-a in the Bay. These changes reflect a slow biological process of estuary-ocean connectivity operating through the immigration of fish and crustaceans that prey on bivalves, reduce their grazing pressure, and allow phytoplankton biomass to build. We identified clear signals of climate-mediated oceanic variability in this estuary and discovered that the response patterns vary with the process of connectivity and the timescale of ocean variability. This result has important implications for managing nutrient inputs to estuaries connected to upwelling systems, and for assessing their responses to changing

Estuary-ocean connectivity: Fast physics, slow biology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Raimonet, Mélanie; Cloern, James E.

2017-01-01

Estuaries are connected to both land and ocean so their physical, chemical, and biological dynamics are influenced by climate patterns over watersheds and ocean basins. We explored climate-driven oceanic variability as a source of estuarine variability by comparing monthly time series of temperature and chlorophyll-a inside San Francisco Bay with those in adjacent shelf waters of the California Current System (CCS) that are strongly responsive to wind-driven upwelling. Monthly temperature fluctuations inside and outside the Bay were synchronous, but their correlations weakened with distance from the ocean. These results illustrate how variability of coastal water temperature (and associated properties such as nitrate and oxygen) propagates into estuaries through fast water exchanges that dissipate along the estuary. Unexpectedly, there was no correlation between monthly chlorophyll-a variability inside and outside the Bay. However, at the annual scale Bay chlorophyll-a was significantly correlated with the Spring Transition Index (STI) that sets biological production supporting fish recruitment in the CCS. Wind forcing of the CCS shifted in the late 1990s when the STI advanced 40 days. This shift was followed, with lags of 1–3 years, by 3- to 19-fold increased abundances of five ocean-produced demersal fish and crustaceans and 2.5-fold increase of summer chlorophyll-a in the Bay. These changes reflect a slow biological process of estuary–ocean connectivity operating through the immigration of fish and crustaceans that prey on bivalves, reduce their grazing pressure, and allow phytoplankton biomass to build. We identified clear signals of climate-mediated oceanic variability in this estuary and discovered that the response patterns vary with the process of connectivity and the timescale of ocean variability. This result has important implications for managing nutrient inputs to estuaries connected to upwelling systems, and for assessing their responses to

Calibration of Ocean Forcing with satellite Flux Estimates (COFFEE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barron, Charlie; Jan, Dastugue; Jackie, May; Rowley, Clark; Smith, Scott; Spence, Peter; Gremes-Cordero, Silvia

2016-04-01

Predicting the evolution of ocean temperature in regional ocean models depends on estimates of surface heat fluxes and upper-ocean processes over the forecast period. Within the COFFEE project (Calibration of Ocean Forcing with satellite Flux Estimates, real-time satellite observations are used to estimate shortwave, longwave, sensible, and latent air-sea heat flux corrections to a background estimate from the prior day's regional or global model forecast. These satellite-corrected fluxes are used to prepare a corrected ocean hindcast and to estimate flux error covariances to project the heat flux corrections for a 3-5 day forecast. In this way, satellite remote sensing is applied to not only inform the initial ocean state but also to mitigate errors in surface heat flux and model representations affecting the distribution of heat in the upper ocean. While traditional assimilation of sea surface temperature (SST) observations re-centers ocean models at the start of each forecast cycle, COFFEE endeavors to appropriately partition and reduce among various surface heat flux and ocean dynamics sources. A suite of experiments in the southern California Current demonstrates a range of COFFEE capabilities, showing the impact on forecast error relative to a baseline three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) assimilation using operational global or regional atmospheric forcing. Experiment cases combine different levels of flux calibration with assimilation alternatives. The cases use the original fluxes, apply full satellite corrections during the forecast period, or extend hindcast corrections into the forecast period. Assimilation is either baseline 3DVAR or standard strong-constraint 4DVAR, with work proceeding to add a 4DVAR expanded to include a weak constraint treatment of the surface flux errors. Covariance of flux errors is estimated from the recent time series of forecast and calibrated flux terms. While the California Current examples are shown, the approach is

Variability of adjacency effects in sky reflectance measurements.

PubMed

Groetsch, Philipp M M; Gege, Peter; Simis, Stefan G H; Eleveld, Marieke A; Peters, Steef W M

2017-09-01

Sky reflectance R sky (λ) is used to correct in situ reflectance measurements in the remote detection of water color. We analyzed the directional and spectral variability in R sky (λ) due to adjacency effects against an atmospheric radiance model. The analysis is based on one year of semi-continuous R sky (λ) observations that were recorded in two azimuth directions. Adjacency effects contributed to R sky (λ) dependence on season and viewing angle and predominantly in the near-infrared (NIR). For our test area, adjacency effects spectrally resembled a generic vegetation spectrum. The adjacency effect was weakly dependent on the magnitude of Rayleigh- and aerosol-scattered radiance. The reflectance differed between viewing directions 5.4±6.3% for adjacency effects and 21.0±19.8% for Rayleigh- and aerosol-scattered R sky (λ) in the NIR. Under which conditions in situ water reflectance observations require dedicated correction for adjacency effects is discussed. We provide an open source implementation of our method to aid identification of such conditions.

Inner-shelf ocean dynamics and seafloor morphologic changes during Hurricane Sandy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, John C.; Schwab, William C.; List, Jeffrey; Safak, Ilgar; Liste, Maria; Baldwin, Wayne E.

2017-01-01

Hurricane Sandy was one of the most destructive hurricanes in US history, making landfall on the New Jersey coast on Oct 30, 2012. Storm impacts included several barrier island breaches, massive coastal erosion, and flooding. While changes to the subaerial landscape are relatively easily observed, storm-induced changes to the adjacent shoreface and inner continental shelf are more difficult to evaluate. These regions provide a framework for the coastal zone, are important for navigation, aggregate resources, marine ecosystems, and coastal evolution. Here we provide unprecedented perspective regarding regional inner continental shelf sediment dynamics based on both observations and numerical modeling over time scales associated with these types of large storm events. Oceanographic conditions and seafloor morphologic changes are evaluated using both a coupled atmospheric-ocean-wave-sediment numerical modeling system and observation analysis from a series of geologic surveys and oceanographic instrument deployments focused on a region offshore of Fire Island, NY. The geologic investigations conducted in 2011 and 2014 revealed lateral movement of sedimentary structures of distances up to 450 m and in water depths up to 30 m, and vertical changes in sediment thickness greater than 1 m in some locations. The modeling investigations utilize a system with grid refinement designed to simulate oceanographic conditions with progressively increasing resolutions for the entire US East Coast (5-km grid), the New York Bight (700-m grid), and offshore of Fire Island, NY (100-m grid), allowing larger scale dynamics to drive smaller scale coastal changes. Model results in the New York Bight identify maximum storm surge of up to 3 m, surface currents on the order of 2 ms-1 along the New Jersey coast, waves up to 8 m in height, and bottom stresses exceeding 10 Pa. Flow down the Hudson Shelf Valley is shown to result in convergent sediment transport and deposition along its axis

Cohesive and mixed sediment in the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS v3.6) implemented in the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport Modeling System (COAWST r1234)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherwood, Christopher R.; Aretxabaleta, Alfredo L.; Harris, Courtney K.; Rinehimer, J. Paul; Verney, Romaric; Ferré, Bénédicte

2018-05-01

We describe and demonstrate algorithms for treating cohesive and mixed sediment that have been added to the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS version 3.6), as implemented in the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport Modeling System (COAWST Subversion repository revision 1234). These include the following: floc dynamics (aggregation and disaggregation in the water column); changes in floc characteristics in the seabed; erosion and deposition of cohesive and mixed (combination of cohesive and non-cohesive) sediment; and biodiffusive mixing of bed sediment. These routines supplement existing non-cohesive sediment modules, thereby increasing our ability to model fine-grained and mixed-sediment environments. Additionally, we describe changes to the sediment bed layering scheme that improve the fidelity of the modeled stratigraphic record. Finally, we provide examples of these modules implemented in idealized test cases and a realistic application.

Fully automatic lesion segmentation in breast MRI using mean-shift and graph-cuts on a region adjacency graph.

PubMed

McClymont, Darryl; Mehnert, Andrew; Trakic, Adnan; Kennedy, Dominic; Crozier, Stuart

2014-04-01

To present and evaluate a fully automatic method for segmentation (i.e., detection and delineation) of suspicious tissue in breast MRI. The method, based on mean-shift clustering and graph-cuts on a region adjacency graph, was developed and its parameters tuned using multimodal (T1, T2, DCE-MRI) clinical breast MRI data from 35 subjects (training data). It was then tested using two data sets. Test set 1 comprises data for 85 subjects (93 lesions) acquired using the same protocol and scanner system used to acquire the training data. Test set 2 comprises data for eight subjects (nine lesions) acquired using a similar protocol but a different vendor's scanner system. Each lesion was manually delineated in three-dimensions by an experienced breast radiographer to establish segmentation ground truth. The regions of interest identified by the method were compared with the ground truth and the detection and delineation accuracies quantitatively evaluated. One hundred percent of the lesions were detected with a mean of 4.5 ± 1.2 false positives per subject. This false-positive rate is nearly 50% better than previously reported for a fully automatic breast lesion detection system. The median Dice coefficient for Test set 1 was 0.76 (interquartile range, 0.17), and 0.75 (interquartile range, 0.16) for Test set 2. The results demonstrate the efficacy and accuracy of the proposed method as well as its potential for direct application across different MRI systems. It is (to the authors' knowledge) the first fully automatic method for breast lesion detection and delineation in breast MRI.

Tidal Wetlands and Coastal Ocean Carbon Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopkinson, C.; Wang, S. R.; Forbrich, I.; Giblin, A. E.; Cai, W. J.

2017-12-01

Recent overviews of coastal ocean C dynamics have tidal wetlands in a prominent position: a local sink for atmospheric CO2, a local store of OC, and a source of DIC and OC for the adjacent estuary and nearshore ocean. Over the past decade there have been great strides made in quantifying and understanding these flows and linkages. GPP and R of the wetlands are not nearly as imbalanced as thought 30 yrs ago. Heterotrophy of adjacent estuarine waters is not solely due to the respiration of OC exported from the marsh, rather we see the marsh directly respiring into the water during tidal inundation and accumulated marsh DIC draining into tidal creeks. Organic carbon burial on the marsh is still a relatively minor flux, but it is large relative to marsh NEE. Using literature and unpublished data on marsh DIC export, we used examples from Sapelo Island GA USA and Plum Island MA USA to constrain estimates of NEP and potential OC export. P. There remain large uncertainties in quantifying C dynamics of coupled wetland - estuary systems. Gas exchange from the water to atmosphere is one of the largest uncertainties. Work at Sapelo suggests that upwards of 40% of all daily exchange occurs from water flooding the marsh, which is but a few hours a day. This estimate is based on the intercept value for gas exchange vs wind velocity. Another major uncertainty comes from converting between O2 based estimates of metabolism to C. At Sapelo we find PQ and RQ values diverging greatly from Redfield. Finally, C dynamics of the coastal ocean, especially the role of tidal wetlands is likely to change substantially in the future. Studies at Plum Island show a reversal of the 4000 yr process of marsh progradation with marshes eroding away at their edges because of inadequate sediment supply and rising sea level. The fate of eroded OC is questionable. Landward transgression with SLR is the only likely counter to continued wetland loss - but that's a complex social issue requiring new

Decadal Variability of Temperature and Salinity in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishonov, A. V.; Seidov, D.; Reagan, J. R.; Boyer, T.; Parsons, A. R.

2017-12-01

There are only a few regions in the World Ocean where the density of observations collected over the past 60 years is sufficient for reliable data mapping with spatial resolutions finer than one-degree. The Northwest Atlantic basin is one such regions where a spatial resolution of gridded temperature and salinity fields, comparable to those generated by eddy-resolving numerical models of ocean circulation, has recently becomes available. Using the new high-resolution Northwest Atlantic Regional Climatology, built on quarter-degree and one-tenth-degree resolution fields, we analyzed decadal variability and trends of temperature and salinity over 60 years in the Northwest Atlantic, and two 30-year ocean climates of 1955-1984 and 1985-2012 to evaluate the oceanic climate shift in this region. The 30-year climate shift is demonstrated using an innovative 3-D visualization of temperature and salinity. Spatial and temporal variability of heat accumulation found in previous research of the entire North Atlantic Ocean persists in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Salinity changes between two 30-year climates were also computed and are discussed.

Matrix Intensification Alters Avian Functional Group Composition in Adjacent Rainforest Fragments

PubMed Central

Deikumah, Justus P.; McAlpine, Clive A.; Maron, Martine

2013-01-01

Conversion of farmland land-use matrices to surface mining is an increasing threat to the habitat quality of forest remnants and their constituent biota, with consequences for ecosystem functionality. We evaluated the effects of matrix type on bird community composition and the abundance and evenness within avian functional groups in south-west Ghana. We hypothesized that surface mining near remnants may result in a shift in functional composition of avifaunal communities, potentially disrupting ecological processes within tropical forest ecosystems. Matrix intensification and proximity to the remnant edge strongly influenced the abundance of members of several functional guilds. Obligate frugivores, strict terrestrial insectivores, lower and upper strata birds, and insect gleaners were most negatively affected by adjacent mining matrices, suggesting certain ecosystem processes such as seed dispersal may be disrupted by landscape change in this region. Evenness of these functional guilds was also lower in remnants adjacent to surface mining, regardless of the distance from remnant edge, with the exception of strict terrestrial insectivores. These shifts suggest matrix intensification can influence avian functional group composition and related ecosystem-level processes in adjacent forest remnants. The management of matrix habitat quality near and within mine concessions is important for improving efforts to preserveavian biodiversity in landscapes undergoing intensification such as through increased surface mining. PMID:24058634

Matrix intensification alters avian functional group composition in adjacent rainforest fragments.

PubMed

Deikumah, Justus P; McAlpine, Clive A; Maron, Martine

2013-01-01

Conversion of farmland land-use matrices to surface mining is an increasing threat to the habitat quality of forest remnants and their constituent biota, with consequences for ecosystem functionality. We evaluated the effects of matrix type on bird community composition and the abundance and evenness within avian functional groups in south-west Ghana. We hypothesized that surface mining near remnants may result in a shift in functional composition of avifaunal communities, potentially disrupting ecological processes within tropical forest ecosystems. Matrix intensification and proximity to the remnant edge strongly influenced the abundance of members of several functional guilds. Obligate frugivores, strict terrestrial insectivores, lower and upper strata birds, and insect gleaners were most negatively affected by adjacent mining matrices, suggesting certain ecosystem processes such as seed dispersal may be disrupted by landscape change in this region. Evenness of these functional guilds was also lower in remnants adjacent to surface mining, regardless of the distance from remnant edge, with the exception of strict terrestrial insectivores. These shifts suggest matrix intensification can influence avian functional group composition and related ecosystem-level processes in adjacent forest remnants. The management of matrix habitat quality near and within mine concessions is important for improving efforts to preserveavian biodiversity in landscapes undergoing intensification such as through increased surface mining.

Multidecadal simulation of coastal fog with a regional climate model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, Travis A.; Sloan, Lisa C.; Chuang, Patrick Y.; Faloona, Ian C.; Johnstone, James A.

2013-06-01

In order to model stratocumulus clouds and coastal fog, we have coupled the University of Washington boundary layer model to the regional climate model, RegCM (RegCM-UW). By comparing fog occurrences observed at various coastal airports in the western United States, we show that RegCM-UW has success at modeling the spatial and temporal (diurnal, seasonal, and interannual) climatology of northern California coastal fog. The quality of the modeled fog estimate depends on whether coast-adjacent ocean or land grid cells are used; for the model runs shown here, the oceanic grid cells seem to be most appropriate. The interannual variability of oceanic northern California summertime fog, from a multi-decadal simulation, has a high and statistically significant correlation with the observed interannual variability ( r = 0.72), which indicates that RegCM-UW is capable of investigating the response of fog to long-term climatological forcing. While RegCM-UW has a number of aspects that would benefit from further investigation and development, RegCM-UW is a new tool for investigating the climatology of coastal fog and the physical processes that govern it. We expect that with appropriate physical parameterizations and moderate horizontal resolution, other climate models should be capable of simulating coastal fog. The source code for RegCM-UW is publicly available, under the GNU license, through the International Centre for Theoretical Physics.

Southeast Regional Implementation Manual for Requirements and Procedures for Evaluation of the Ocean Disposal of Dredged Material in Southeastern U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coast Waters

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This Regional Implementation Manual was prepared by EPA Region 4 to provide guidance for applicants proposing open-water disposal of dredged material in southeastern U.S. coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

Spatiotemporal evolution of Calophaca (Fabaceae) reveals multiple dispersals in the Central Asian mountains and adjacent regions

Treesearch

Ming-Li Zhang; Zhi-Bin Wen; Peter W. Fritsch; Stewart C. Sanderson

2015-01-01

The Central Asian flora plays a significant role in Eurasia and the Northern Hemisphere. Calophaca, a member of this flora, includes eight currently recognized species, and is centered in Central Asia, with some taxa extending into adjacent areas. A phylogenetic analysis of the genus utilizing nuclear ribosomal ITS and plastid trnS-trnG and rbcL sequences was carried...

Impacts of the Mesoscale Ocean-Atmosphere Coupling on the Peru-Chile Ocean Dynamics: The Current-Induced Wind Stress Modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oerder, V.; Colas, F.; Echevin, V.; Masson, S.; Lemarié, F.

2018-02-01

The ocean dynamical responses to the surface current-wind stress interaction at the oceanic mesoscale are investigated in the South-East Pacific using a high-resolution regional ocean-atmosphere coupled model. Two simulations are compared: one includes the surface current in the wind stress computation while the other does not. In the coastal region, absolute wind velocities are different between the two simulations but the wind stress remains very similar. As a consequence, the mean regional oceanic circulation is almost unchanged. On the contrary, the mesoscale activity is strongly reduced when taking into account the effect of the surface current on the wind stress. This is caused by a weakening of the eddy kinetic energy generation near the coast by the wind work and to intensified offshore eddy damping. We show that, above coherent eddies, the current-stress interaction generates eddy damping through Ekman pumping and eddy kinetic energy dissipation through wind work. This alters significantly the coherent eddy vertical structures compared with the control simulation, weakening the temperature and vorticity anomalies and increasing strongly the vertical velocity anomalies associated to eddies.

Linking Observations of Dynamic Topography from Oceanic and Continental Realms around Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czarnota, K.; Hoggard, M. J.; White, N.; Winterbourne, J.

2012-04-01

In the last decade, there has been growing interest in predicting the spatial and temporal evolution of dynamic topography (i.e. the surface manifestation of mantle convection). By directly measuring Neogene and Quaternary dynamic topography around Australia's passive margins we assess the veracity of these predictions and the interplay between mantle convection and plate motion. We mapped the present dynamic topography by carefully measuring residual topography of oceanic lithosphere adjacent to passive margins. This map provides a reference with respect to which the relative record of vertical motions, preserved within the stratigraphic architecture of the margins, can be interpreted. We carefully constrained the temporal record of vertical motions along Australia's Northwest Shelf by backstripping Neogene carbonate clinoform rollover trajectories in order to minimise paleobathymetric errors. Elsewhere, we compile temporal constraints from published literature. Three principal insights emerge from our analysis. First, the present-day drawn-down residual topography of Australia, cannot be approximated by a regional tilt down towards the northeast, as previously hypothesised. The south-western and south-eastern corners of Australia are at negligible to slightly positive residual topography which slopes down towards Australia's northern margin and the Great Australian Bight. Secondly, the record of passive margin subsidence suggests drawdown across northern Australia commenced synchronously at 8±2 Ma. The amplitude of this synchronous drawdown corresponds to the amplitude of oceanic residual topography, indicating northern Australia was at an unperturbed dynamic elevation until drawdown commenced. The synchronicity of this subsidence suggests that the Australian plate has not been affected by a southward propagating wave of drawdown, despite Australia's rapid northward motion towards the subduction realm in south-east Asia. In contrast, it appears the mantle

The NRL relocatable ocean/acoustic ensemble forecast system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowley, C.; Martin, P.; Cummings, J.; Jacobs, G.; Coelho, E.; Bishop, C.; Hong, X.; Peggion, G.; Fabre, J.

2009-04-01

A globally relocatable regional ocean nowcast/forecast system has been developed to support rapid implementation of new regional forecast domains. The system is in operational use at the Naval Oceanographic Office for a growing number of regional and coastal implementations. The new system is the basis for an ocean acoustic ensemble forecast and adaptive sampling capability. We present an overview of the forecast system and the ocean ensemble and adaptive sampling methods. The forecast system consists of core ocean data analysis and forecast modules, software for domain configuration, surface and boundary condition forcing processing, and job control, and global databases for ocean climatology, bathymetry, tides, and river locations and transports. The analysis component is the Navy Coupled Ocean Data Assimilation (NCODA) system, a 3D multivariate optimum interpolation system that produces simultaneous analyses of temperature, salinity, geopotential, and vector velocity using remotely-sensed SST, SSH, and sea ice concentration, plus in situ observations of temperature, salinity, and currents from ships, buoys, XBTs, CTDs, profiling floats, and autonomous gliders. The forecast component is the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM). The system supports one-way nesting and multiple assimilation methods. The ensemble system uses the ensemble transform technique with error variance estimates from the NCODA analysis to represent initial condition error. Perturbed surface forcing or an atmospheric ensemble is used to represent errors in surface forcing. The ensemble transform Kalman filter is used to assess the impact of adaptive observations on future analysis and forecast uncertainty for both ocean and acoustic properties.

Satellite and Ocean Model Analysis of Thermal Conditions Affecting Coral Reefs in the Western Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez Delgado, Z.; Ummenhofer, C.; Swales, D. J.

2016-02-01

Corals are thought to be one of the smallest yet most productive ecosystems in the world. They have great economic and ecological value, but are increasingly affected by anthropogenic, biological and physical threats, such as a rise in sea surface temperature (SST) and ocean acidification due to an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere, among other factors. Here, specific events are investigated that likely exerted significant stress on corals, focusing particularly on unusual climatic conditions in the Western Indian Ocean during the 2001 to 2007 period as reflected by anomalies in degree heating weeks, hotspots and SST. Anomalous conditions in subsurface temperatures and mixed layer depth across the Indian Ocean region are also examined. We do this by using monthly, year-to-date, and annual composites of twice-weekly 50-km satellite coral bleaching monitoring products from the NOAA Coral Reef Watch and complementing it with output from a high-resolution global ocean model hindcast (1948-2007) forced with observed atmospheric forcing. Two years stand out in our analysis for the satellite data and model output: 2003 and 2005 exhibit strong warming in the Western Indian Ocean and cooling in the East. To establish the physical mechanisms giving rise to the unusual conditions and hotspot origins in 2003 and 2005 we also evaluate regional circulation changes in the Western Indian Ocean.