77 FR 74218 - Commercial Wind Leasing and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-13

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [Docket No. BOEM-2012-0090... North Carolina AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior. ACTION: Notice of Intent To..., offshore wind energy developers, and the public in the Department of the Interior's (DOI) ``Smart from the...

Energy from the Sea. Ocean Related Curriculum Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Claire

The ocean affects all of our lives. Therefore, awareness of and information about the interconnections between humans and oceans are prerequisites to making sound decisions for the future. Project ORCA (Ocean Related Curriculum Activities) has developed interdisciplinary curriculum materials designed to meet the needs of students and teachers…

Navigating a sea of values: Understanding public attitudes toward the ocean and ocean energy resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lilley, Jonathan Charles

In examining ocean values and beliefs, this study investigates the moral and ethical aspects of the relationships that exist between humans and the marine environment. In short, this dissertation explores what the American public thinks of the ocean. The study places a specific focus upon attitudes to ocean energy development. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, this research: elicits mental models that exist in society regarding the ocean; unearths what philosophies underpin people's attitudes toward the ocean and offshore energy development; assesses whether these views have any bearing on pro-environmental behavior; and gauges support for offshore drilling and offshore wind development. Despite the fact that the ocean is frequently ranked as a second-tier environmental issue, Americans are concerned about the state of the marine environment. Additionally, the data show that lack of knowledge, rather than apathy, prevents people from undertaking pro-environmental action. With regard to philosophical beliefs, Americans hold slightly more nonanthropocentric than anthropocentric views toward the environment. Neither anthropocentrism nor nonanthropocentrism has any real impact on pro-environmental behavior, although nonanthropocentric attitudes reduce support for offshore wind. This research also uncovers two gaps between scientific and public perceptions of offshore wind power with respect to: 1) overall environmental effects; and 2) the size of the resource. Providing better information to the public in the first area may lead to a shift toward offshore wind support among opponents with nonanthropocentric attitudes, and in both areas, is likely to increase offshore wind support.

Cloud-radiative effects on implied oceanic energy transport as simulated by atmospheric general circulation models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gleckler, P. J.; Randall, D. A.; Boer, G.; Colman, R.; Dix, M.; Galin, V.; Helfand, M.; Kiehl, J.; Kitoh, A.; Lau, W.

1995-01-01

This paper summarizes the ocean surface net energy flux simulated by fifteen atmospheric general circulation models constrained by realistically-varying sea surface temperatures and sea ice as part of the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project. In general, the simulated energy fluxes are within the very large observational uncertainties. However, the annual mean oceanic meridional heat transport that would be required to balance the simulated surface fluxes is shown to be critically sensitive to the radiative effects of clouds, to the extent that even the sign of the Southern Hemisphere ocean heat transport can be affected by the errors in simulated cloud-radiation interactions. It is suggested that improved treatment of cloud radiative effects should help in the development of coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models.

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) program. FY 1977 program summary

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

None

1978-01-01

An overview is given of the ongoing research, development, and demonstration efforts. Each of the DOE's Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion projects funded during fiscal year 1977 (October 1, 1976 through September 30, 1977) is described and each project's status as of December 31, 1977 is reflected. These projects are grouped as follows: program support, definition planning, engineering development, engineering test and evaluation, and advanced research and technology. (MHR)

Alternative energy technologies for the Caribbean islands

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

Pytlinski, J.T.

1992-01-01

All islands in the Caribbean except Puerto Rico can be classified as developing islands. Of these islands, all except Trinidad and Tobago are oil importers. Uncertainties concerning uninterrupted oil supply and increasing oil prices causes economic, social and political instability and jeopardizes further development of these islands. The paper discusses the energy situation of the Caribbean islands and presents alternative energy options. Several alternative energy projects financed by local, federal and international organizations are presented. Present and future uses of alternative energy technologies are described in different islands. Barrier which handicap developing and implementing alternative energy sources in the Caribbeanmore » are discussed. The potential and possible applications of alternative energy technologies such as: solar-thermal energy, photovoltaics, wind energy, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), ocean currents and tides energy, biomass, peat energy, municipal solid wastes, bioconversion, hydropower, geothermal energy, nuclear energy and energy conservation are discussed in detail as means to alleviate the energy situation in the Caribbean islands.« less

Environmental Risk Evaluation System – An Approach to Ranking Risk of Ocean Energy Development on Coastal and Estuarine Environments

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

Copping, Andrea E.; Hanna, Luke A.; Van Cleve, Frances B.

Deployment and operation of ocean energy devices does not represent the first foray into industrialization of the oceans; shipping, nearshore development, waste disposal, subsea mining, oil and gas extraction, and large-scale commercial fishing all coexist in various states of equilibrium with the marine environment. In most cases these industries were developed without a clear understanding of the likely outcomes of large-scale development. In virtually every country where the harvest of ocean energy is emerging, regulators and stakeholders require that the industry examine potential effects of devices, minimize the footprint of effects, and provide management measures that either avoid the impactsmore » or mitigate to further reduce the residual impacts. The ERES analysis is based on scenarios that are consistent with sequences of events that lead to adverse impacts, distinguishing between episodic, intermittent, and chronic risks. In the context of ocean energy development, an episodic scenario might involve the exceedingly rare but potentially devastating event of an oil spill from vessels caused by the presence of the device, while vulnerable receptors are present; understanding the risk of such a scenario involves determining the probability of the occurrence by examining factors such as the petroleum content of ocean energy devices, the vessel traffic volume and the proximity of shipping lanes to the ocean energy devices, the reliability of the control measures to avoid an episodic event, and the likely presence of seabirds, marine mammals, or fish that may be affected by oil. In contrast, chronic risk scenarios involve events or circumstances that are continuous, so that risk characterization involves assessing only the severity of the consequences. An example of a chronic risk scenario might be the toxicity to marine organisms due to low-level chemical releases from anti-biofouling paints and coatings that may be used on devices, and the effect that the level of toxicity may have on marine flora and fauna. Between these two extremes are intermittent events, such as encounters between fish and rotating tidal turbine blades that will occur only when fish are present and the tidal device is turning. A key feature of understanding risk is describing the uncertainty associated with the occurrence of an episodic, intermittent, or chronic event, as well as the uncertainty of the resulting consequences.« less

Coupled Modeling of Hydrodynamics and Sound in Coastal Ocean for Renewable Ocean Energy Development

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

Long, Wen; Jung, Ki Won; Yang, Zhaoqing

An underwater sound model was developed to simulate sound propagation from marine and hydrokinetic energy (MHK) devices or offshore wind (OSW) energy platforms. Finite difference methods were developed to solve the 3D Helmholtz equation for sound propagation in the coastal environment. A 3D sparse matrix solver with complex coefficients was formed for solving the resulting acoustic pressure field. The Complex Shifted Laplacian Preconditioner (CSLP) method was applied to solve the matrix system iteratively with MPI parallelization using a high performance cluster. The sound model was then coupled with the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) for simulating sound propagation generatedmore » by human activities, such as construction of OSW turbines or tidal stream turbine operations, in a range-dependent setting. As a proof of concept, initial validation of the solver is presented for two coastal wedge problems. This sound model can be useful for evaluating impacts on marine mammals due to deployment of MHK devices and OSW energy platforms.« less

Strategies for the Use of Tidal Stream Currents for Power Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orhan, Kadir; Mayerle, Roberto

2015-04-01

Indonesia is one of the priority countries in Southeast Asia for the development of ocean renewable energy facilities and The National Energy Council intends to increase the role of ocean energy significantly in the energy mix for 2010-2050. To this end, the joint German-Indonesian project "Ocean Renewable Energy ORE-12" aims at the identification of marine environments in the Indonesian Archipelago, which are suitable for the efficient generation of electric power by converter facilities. This study, within the ORE-12 project, is focused on the tidal stream currents on the straits between the Indian Ocean and Flores Sea to estimate the energy potentials and to develop strategies for producing renewable energy. FLOW module of Delft3D has been used to run hydrodynamic models for site assessment and design development. In site assessment phase, 2D models have been operated for a-month long periods and with a resolution of 500 m. Later on, in design development phase, detailed 3D models have been developed and operated for three-month long periods and with a resolution of 50 m. Bathymetric data for models have been obtained from the GEBCO_08 Grid and wind data from the Global Forecast System of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center. To set the boundary conditions of models, tidal forcing with 11 harmonic constituents was supplied from TPXO Indian Ocean Atlas (1/12° regional model) and data from HYCOM+NCODA Global 1/12° Analysis have been used to determine salinity and temperature on open boundaries. After the field survey is complete, water level time-series supplied from a tidal gauge located in the domain of interest (8° 20΄ 9.7" S, 122° 54΄ 51.9" E) have been used to verify the models and then energy potentials of the straits have been estimated. As a next step, correspondence between model outputs and measurements taken by the radar system of TerraSAR-X satellite (DLR) will be analysed. Also for the assessment of environmental impacts caused by tidal stream current power plants, studies are being conducted in a cooperation with CRM (Coastal Research & Management) company.

Solar Program Assessment: Environmental Factors - Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Energy Research and Development Administration, Washington, DC. Div. of Solar Energy.

This report presents the environmental problems which may arise with the further development of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, one of the eight Federally-funded solar technologies. To provide a background for this environmental analysis, the history and basic concepts of the technology are reviewed, as are its economic and resource requirements.…

A Wave Power Device with Pendulum Based on Ocean Monitoring Buoy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chai, Hui; Guan, Wanchun; Wan, Xiaozheng; Li, Xuanqun; Zhao, Qiang; Liu, Shixuan

2018-01-01

The ocean monitoring buoy usually exploits solar energy for power supply. In order to improve power supply capacity, this paper proposes a wave power device according to the structure and moving character of buoy. The wave power device composes of pendulum mechanism that converts wave energy into mechanical energy and energy storage mechanism where the mechanical energy is transferred quantitatively to generator. The hydrodynamic equation for the motion of buoy system with generator devise is established based on the potential flow theory, and then the characteristics of pendulum motion and energy conversion properties are analysed. The results of this research show that the proposed wave power devise is able to efficiently and periodically convert wave energy into power, and increasing the stiffness of energy storage spring is benefit for enhancing the power supply capacity of the buoy. This study provides a theory reference for the development of technology on wave power generator for ocean monitoring buoy.

The Great Chilean Tsunamis of 2010, 2014 and 2015 on the Coast and Offshore of Mexico: Comparative Features Based on Open-Ocean Energy Parameterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabinovich, A.; Zaytsev, O.; Thomson, R.

2016-12-01

The three recent great earthquakes offshore of Chile on 27 February 2010 (Maule, Mw 8.8), 1 April 2014 (Iquique, Mw 8.2) and 16 September 2015 (Illapel, Mw 8.3) generated major trans-oceanic tsunamis that spread throughout the entire Pacific Ocean and were measured by numerous coastal tide gauges and open-ocean DART stations. Statistical and spectral analyses of the tsunami waves from the three events recorded on the Pacific coast of Mexico enabled us to compare the events and to identify coastal "hot spots", regions with maximum tsunami risk. Based on joint spectral analyses of tsunamis and background noise, we have developed a method for reconstructing the "true" tsunami spectra in the deep ocean. The "reconstructed" open-ocean tsunami spectra are in excellent agreement with the actual tsunami spectra evaluated from direct analysis of the DART records offshore of Mexico. We have further used the spectral estimates to parameterize the energy of the three Chilean tsunamis based on the total open-ocean tsunami energy and frequency content of the individual events.

Federal Radionavigation Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-12-01

established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), take into account limitations of the navigational service available, and in some airspace the Air... Services (C&GS) of the National Ocean Service , National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOS/NOAA), are based on regional horizontal datums which...Electromagnetic Interference EMS Emergency Medical Service ERDA Energy Research & Development Administration (Now Department of Energy) F 3 Form, Fit, and

R and D of energy saving and new energy utilization in Japanese marine engineering

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

Isshiki, N.; Murayama, Y.; Tamaki, H.

1982-08-01

As well known, Japanese shipbuilding and marine engineering industry has been one of the biggest in the world, and a lot of efforts have been made on energy saving and new energy development for the last several years, resulting in production of quite economical and energy saving ships and marine engines using all kinds of possible engineering methods. Also much promising research utilizing oceanic energy is under way for the ships of post-oil future. In this paper, first, the remarkable developments of energy saving in conventional marine engines and ship hulls, especially in diesel ships, in Japan are shown. Then,more » some studies on future marine engine systems and utilization of oceanic energy represented by ''Shin Aitoku Maru'' and other research on future windmill ships are described.« less

Revised estimates of the ocean energy cycle and the key role of the western boundary in the APE to KE conversion due to high latitude cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tailleux, Remi

2014-05-01

The ocean energy cycle is a key aspect of the ocean circulation, and has been traditionally framed in terms of Lorenz (1955) theory of available potential energy. However, the latest available observational estimate of the ocean energy cycle is due to Oort and Peixoto (1994) and is now very dated. Moreover, the latter estimate relies on the so-called Lorenz quasi-geostrophic approximation, which is known to be very inaccurate. Oort and Peixoto also neglected the internal energy contribution to the total available potential energy, which is now understood to be far from negligible, and to account for up to 40 percent of the total APE. The purpose of this work is to revisit observational estimates of the ocean energy cycle by taking advantage of a newly developed APE framework, as well as of the many new available observational products for temperature, salinity and surface buoyancy fluxes. In contrast to previous frameworks, our APE framework (Tailleux, 2013) relies on a physically well defined local APE definition, which is valid for a binary Boussinesq or fully compressible fluid with an arbitrary nonlinear equation of state. As part of our approach, we also developed a new fast and accurate way to construct Lorenz reference state of minimum potential energy, based on using the joint probability distribution function for temperature and salinity. Results will be presented for a variety of observational products, as well as for the ECCO2 ocean state estimate. The role of the deep western boundary as the place where the APE created by high latitude is converted into kinetic energy (KE) as part of driving the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation will be emphasized. References: Tailleux, R., 2013: Available potential energy density for a multicomponent Boussinesq fluid with arbitrary nonlinear equation of state.J. Fluid Mech., 735,499-518. Sijp, W., J.M.Gregory, R. Tailleux, P. Spence, 2012: The key role of the western boundary in linking the AMOC strength to the North South pressure gradient. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 42, 628-643.

Supplementing Conservation Practices with Alternative Energy Sources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraetsch, Gayla A.

1981-01-01

Universities and colleges have two major roles: to reduce their own energy consumption and costs, and to develop and test new energy options. Alternative energy sources considered include solar energy, wind power, biomass, hydropower, ocean energy, geothermal heat, coal, and nuclear energy. (MLW)

OTEC to hydrogen fuel cells - A solar energy breakthrough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roney, J. R.

Recent advances in fuel cell technology and development are discussed, which will enhance the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)-hydrogen-fuel cell mode of energy utilization. Hydrogen obtained from the ocean solar thermal resources can either be liquified or converted to ammonia, thus providing a convenient mode of transport, similar to that of liquid petroleum. The hydrogen fuel cell can convert hydrogen to electric power at a wide range of scale, feeding either centralized or distributed systems. Although this system of hydrogen energy production and delivery has been examined with respect to the U.S.A., the international market, and especially developing countries, may represent the greatest opportunity for these future generating units.

National Offshore Wind Strategy: Facilitating the Development of the Offshore Wind Industry in the United States

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

Patrick Gilman; Maurer, Ben; Feinberg, Luke

2016-09-01

The U.S. Department of Energy, through its Wind Energy Technologies Office, and U.S. Department of the Interior, through its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, have jointly produced this updated national strategy to facilitate the responsible development of offshore wind energy in the United States.

Heat Exchanger Cleaning in Support of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) - Electronics Subsystems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

exchangers . The performance of heat exchangers will therefore decide the ultimate success or failure of OTEC . BACKGROUND Hardware development in support...8217AD-AG9 216 NAVAL COASTAL SYSTEMS CENTER PANAMA CITY FL F/S 13/10 HEAT EXCHANGER CLEANING IN SUPPORT OF OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONV"-ETC(U) DEC 80 D F...block minI ber) Heat Exchangers Chlorination Cleaning Electronics Thermal Energy Conversion 2%AISTRACT (Centhmes en; rewwe ide it neseer end iftefb Op

Scale-dependent Ocean Wave Turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glazman, R. E.

1995-01-01

Wave turbulence is a common feature of nonlinear wave motions observed when external forcing acts during a long period of time, resulting in developed spectral cascades of energy, momentum, and other conserved integrals. In the ocean, wave turbulence occurs on various scales from capillary ripples, and those of baroclinic inertia-gravity, to Rossby waves. Oceanic wave motions are discussed.

Michael Lawson | NREL

Science.gov Websites

NREL's Ocean Energy team, Dr. Michael Lawson focuses on the areas of wave and water current energy goal of developing an open source design and analysis tool for wave energy conversion (WEC) devices

75 FR 35121 - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-21

...--bio-energy, direct solar energy, geothermal energy, hydropower, ocean energy and wind energy--which... expert review of the Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation (SRREN) of..._procedures.htm ). In April 2008, the IPCC approved the development of a Special Report on Renewable Energy...

77 FR 5529 - Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-03

... Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean... use Form 0008 to issue commercial renewable energy leases on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). In the preamble to the April 29, 2009, Final Rule, ``Renewable Energy and Alternate Uses of Existing Facilities on...

Modelling Ocean Dissipation in Icy Satellites: A Comparison of Linear and Quadratic Friction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hay, H.; Matsuyama, I.

2015-12-01

Although subsurface oceans are confirmed in Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, and strongly suspected in Enceladus and Titan, the exact mechanism required to heat and maintain these liquid reservoirs over Solar System history remains a mystery. Radiogenic heating can supply enough energy for large satellites whereas tidal dissipation provides the best explanation for the presence of oceans in small icy satellites. The amount of thermal energy actually contributed to the interiors of these icy satellites through oceanic tidal dissipation is largely unquantified. Presented here is a numerical model that builds upon previous work for quantifying tidally dissipated energy in the subsurface oceans of the icy satellites. Recent semi-analytical models (Tyler, 2008 and Matsuyama, 2014) have solved the Laplace Tidal Equations to estimate the time averaged energy flux over an orbital period in icy satellite oceans, neglecting the presence of a solid icy shell. These models are only able to consider linear Rayleigh friction. The numerical model presented here is compared to one of these semi-analytical models, finding excellent agreement between velocity and displacement solutions for all three terms to the tidal potential. Time averaged energy flux is within 2-6% of the analytical values. Quadratic (bottom) friction is then incorporated into the model, replacing linear friction. This approach is commonly applied to terrestrial ocean dissipation studies where dissipation scales nonlinearly with velocity. A suite of simulations are also run for the quadratic friction case which are then compared to and analysed against recent scaling laws developed by Chen and Nimmo (2013).

Development of a floating photobioreactor with internal partitions for efficient utilization of ocean wave into improved mass transfer and algal culture mixing.

PubMed

Kim, Z-Hun; Park, Hanwool; Hong, Seong-Joo; Lim, Sang-Min; Lee, Choul-Gyun

2016-05-01

Culturing microalgae in the ocean has potentials that may reduce the production cost and provide an option for an economic biofuel production from microalgae. The ocean holds great potentials for mass microalgal cultivation with its high specific heat, mixing energy from waves, and large cultivable area. Suitable photobioreactors (PBRs) that are capable of integrating marine energy into the culture systems need to be developed for the successful ocean cultivation. In this study, prototype floating PBRs were designed and constructed using transparent low-density polyethylene film for microalgal culture in the ocean. To improve the mixing efficiency, various types of internal partitions were introduced within PBRs. Three different types of internal partitions were evaluated for their effects on the mixing efficiency in terms of mass transfer (k(L)a) and mixing time in the PBRs. The partition type with the best mixing efficiency was selected, and the number of partitions was varied from one to three for investigation of its effect on mixing efficiency. When the number of partitions is increased, mass transfer increased in proportion to the number of partitions. However, mixing time was not directly related to the number of partitions. When a green microalga, Tetraselmis sp. was cultivated using PBRs with the selected partition under semi-continuous mode in the ocean, biomass and fatty acid productivities in the PBRs were increased by up to 50 % and 44% at high initial cell density, respectively, compared to non-partitioned ones. The results of internally partitioned PBRs demonstrated potentials for culturing microalgae by efficiently utilizing ocean wave energy into culture mixing in the ocean.

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

Fugate, Grover J.

In 2010, the University of Rhode Island (URI) secured $2,000,000 from the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) to support research studies for the identification of preferred sites for offshore renewable energy development in Rhode Island’s offshore waters. This research will provide the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) with sound technical information to assist in the siting of wind turbines in Rhode Island’s offshore waters. CRMC is the state agency with jurisdiction over development, preservation and restoration of Rhode Island’s coasts out to the three-mile limit, and is the state’s authority for federal consistency. With technical supportmore » from URI, CRMC is currently leading the implementation of the Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management Plan (Ocean SAMP) with the purpose of developing policies and standards to guide the development of offshore renewable energy. The justification behind renewable energy development in Rhode Island includes diversifying the energy sources supplying electricity consumed in the state, stabilizing long-term energy prices, enhancing environmental quality – including the reduction of air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions – reducing the state’s reliance on fossil fuels, and creating jobs in Rhode Island in the renewable energy sector.« less

78 FR 8575 - Ocean Energy Safety Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-06

... energy safety, including but not limited to, drilling and workplace safety, well intervention and containment, and oil spill response. The Committee will also facilitate collaborative research and development...

From Land to Sea; Embracing a Renewable Future.

PubMed

Whelan, Harry T; Annis, Heather; Guajardo, Phillip

The authors discuss the ever increasing role of biological renewable resources in energy, nutrition, and pharmaceuticals; specifically those potentially available deep within the oceans. They provide a list of products already gleaned from this vastly untapped marine environment; discuss the innovations in technology required to effectively explore and prospect the deeper reaches of the ocean; expose the impressive contribution to the economy; and expound the paramount importance of protecting the oceans to ensure the future. Already many new proteins, enzymes, and pharmaceuticals are being developed from the fauna and flora of the forests and relatively shallow economic zones of the ocean. With much of the ocean still an unexplored frontier, the authors hope to promote increased interest in research and development in this arena.

75 FR 81637 - Commercial Lease for the Cape Wind Energy Project

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-28

... Commercial Lease for the Cape Wind Energy Project AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and... Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (``OCS'') for the Cape Wind Energy Project... requirements of 30 CFR 285.231. The Lease is for the Cape Wind Energy Project (``Project'') which grants Cape...

Numerical simulation of the world ocean circulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takano, K.; Mintz, Y.; Han, Y. J.

1973-01-01

A multi-level model, based on the primitive equations, is developed for simulating the temperature and velocity fields produced in the world ocean by differential heating and surface wind stress. The model ocean has constant depth, free slip at the lower boundary, and neglects momentum advection; so that there is no energy exchange between the barotropic and baroclinic components of the motion, although the former influences the latter through temperature advection. The ocean model was designed to be coupled to the UCLA atmospheric general circulation model, for the study of the dynamics of climate and climate changes. But here, the model is tested by prescribing the observed seasonally varying surface wind stress and the incident solar radiation, the surface air temperature and humidity, cloudiness and the surface wind speed, which, together with the predicted ocean surface temperature, determine the surface flux of radiant energy, sensible heat and latent heat.

Characterization of U.S. Wave Energy Converter (WEC) Test Sites: A Catalogue of Met-Ocean Data, 2nd Edition

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

Ann R. Dallman; Neary, Vincent S.

This report presents met-ocean data and wave energy characteristics at eight U.S. wave energy converter (WEC) test and potential deployment sites. Its purpose is to enable the comparison of wave resource characteristics among sites as well as the selection of test sites that are most suitable for a developer's device and that best meet their testing needs and objectives. It also provides essential inputs for the design of WEC test devices and planning WEC tests, including the planning of deployment, and operations and maintenance. For each site, this report catalogues wave statistics recommended in the International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Specimore » cation (IEC 62600-101 TS) on Wave Energy Characterization, as well as the frequency of occurrence of weather windows and extreme sea states, and statistics on wind and ocean currents. It also provides useful information on test site infrastructure and services.« less

Water Power Technologies Office 2017 Marine Energy Accomplishments

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

Water Power Technologies Office

The U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office's marine and hydrokinetic portfolio has numerous projects that support industry advancement in wave, tidal, and ocean and river current technologies. In order to strengthen state-of-the-art technologies in these fields and bring them closer to commercialization, the Water Power Technologies Office funds industry, academia, and the national laboratories. A U.S. chapter on marine and hydrokinetic energy research and development was included in the Ocean Energy Systems' Technology Programme—an intergovernmental collaboration between countries, which operates under a framework established by the International Energy Agency. This brochure is an overview of the U.S. accomplishmentsmore » and updates from that report.« less

Mapping Global Ocean Surface Albedo from Satellite Observations: Models, Algorithms, and Datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Fan, X.; Yan, H.; Li, A.; Wang, M.; Qu, Y.

2018-04-01

Ocean surface albedo (OSA) is one of the important parameters in surface radiation budget (SRB). It is usually considered as a controlling factor of the heat exchange among the atmosphere and ocean. The temporal and spatial dynamics of OSA determine the energy absorption of upper level ocean water, and have influences on the oceanic currents, atmospheric circulations, and transportation of material and energy of hydrosphere. Therefore, various parameterizations and models have been developed for describing the dynamics of OSA. However, it has been demonstrated that the currently available OSA datasets cannot full fill the requirement of global climate change studies. In this study, we present a literature review on mapping global OSA from satellite observations. The models (parameterizations, the coupled ocean-atmosphere radiative transfer (COART), and the three component ocean water albedo (TCOWA)), algorithms (the estimation method based on reanalysis data, and the direct-estimation algorithm), and datasets (the cloud, albedo and radiation (CLARA) surface albedo product, dataset derived by the TCOWA model, and the global land surface satellite (GLASS) phase-2 surface broadband albedo product) of OSA have been discussed, separately.

Wave energy: a Pacific perspective.

PubMed

Paasch, Robert; Ruehl, Kelley; Hovland, Justin; Meicke, Stephen

2012-01-28

This paper illustrates the status of wave energy development in Pacific rim countries by characterizing the available resource and introducing the region's current and potential future leaders in wave energy converter development. It also describes the existing licensing and permitting process as well as potential environmental concerns. Capabilities of Pacific Ocean testing facilities are described in addition to the region's vision of the future of wave energy.

Marine and Hydrokinetic Data | Geospatial Data Science | NREL

Science.gov Websites

. wave energy resource using a 51-month Wavewatch III hindcast database developed by the National Database The U.S. Department of Energy's Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Database provides information database includes wave, tidal, current, and ocean thermal energy and contains information about energy

If Fossil and Fissile Fuels Falter, We've Got. . .

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klaus, Robert L.

1977-01-01

Alternative energy sources and the new systems and techniques required for their development are described: fuel cells, magnetohydrodynamics, thermionics, geothermal, wind, tides, waste consersion, biomass, and ocean thermal energy conversion. (MF)

NEOTEC: Negative-CO2-Emissions Marine Energy With Direct Mitigation of Global Warming, Sea-Level Rise and Ocean Acidification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rau, G. H.; Baird, J.; Noland, G.

2016-12-01

The vertical thermal energy potential in the ocean is a massive renewable energy resource that is growing due to anthropogenic warming of the surface and near-surface ocean. The conversion of this thermal energy to useful forms via Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) has been demonstrated over the past century, albeit at small scales. Because OTEC removes heat from the surface ocean, this could help directly counter ongoing, deleterious ocean/atmosphere warming. The only other climate intervention that could do this is solar radiation "geoengineering". Conventional OTEC requires energy intensive, vertical movement of seawater resulting in ocean and atmospheric chemistry alteration, but this can be avoided via more energy efficient, vertical closed-cycle heating and cooling of working fluid like CO2 or NH3. An energy carrier such as H2 is required to transport energy optimally extracted far offshore, and methods of electrochemically generating H2 while also consuming CO2 and converting it to ocean alkalinity have been demonstrated. The addition of such alkalinity to the ocean would provide vast, stable, carbon storage, while also helping chemically counter the effects of ocean acidification. The process might currently be profitable given the >$100/tonne CO2 credit offered by California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard for transportation fuels like H2. Negative-Emissions OTEC, NEOTEC, thus can potentially provide constant, cost effective, high capacity, negative-emissions energy while: a) reducing surface ocean heat load, b) reducing thermal ocean expansion and sea-level rise, c) utilizing a very large, natural marine carbon storage reservoir, and d) helping mitigate ocean acidification. The technology also avoids the biophysical and land use limitations posed by negative emissions methods that rely on terrestrial biology, such as afforestation and BECCS. NEOTEC and other marine-based, renewable energy and CO2 removal approaches could therefore greatly increase the likelihood of satisfying growing global energy demand while helping to stabilize or reduce atmospheric CO2 and its impacts. Policies supporting the search and evaluation of renewable energy and negative emissions options beyond biotic- and land-based methods are needed.

30 CFR 250.101 - Authority and applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... mineral resources of the OCS to: (1) Make resources available to meet the Nation's energy needs; (2) Balance orderly energy resource development with protection of the human, marine, and coastal environments... 250.101 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT...

Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands: an ocean testbed for ocean energy converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, Javier; Hernández-Brito, Joaquín.; Llinás, Octavio

2010-05-01

The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) is a Governmental Consortium aimed to build and operate an off-shore infrastructure to facilitate the deep sea research and speed up the technology associated. This Consortium is overseen by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Canarian Agency for Research and Innovation. The infrastructure consists of an oceanic platform located in an area with depths between 50-100 meters, close to the continental slope and four kilometers off the coast of Gran Canaria, in the archipelago of the Canary Islands. The process of construction will start during the first months of 2010 and is expected to be finished in mid-year 2011. PLOCAN serves five strategic lines: an integral observatory able to explore from the deep ocean to the atmosphere, an ocean technology testbed, a base for underwater vehicles, an innovation platform and a highly specialized training centre. Ocean energy is a suitable source to contribute the limited mix-energy conformed in the archipelago of the Canary Islands with a total population around 2 million people unequally distributed in seven islands. Islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife support the 80% of the total population with 800.000 people each. PLOCAN will contribute to develop the ocean energy sector establishing a marine testbed allowing prototypes testing at sea under a meticulous monitoring network provided by the integral observatory, generating valuable information to developers. Reducing costs throughout an integral project management is an essential objective to be reach, providing services such as transportation, customs and administrative permits. Ocean surface for testing activities is around 8 km2 with a depth going from 50 to 100 meters, 4km off the coast. Selected areas for testing have off-shore wind power conditions around 500-600 W/m2 and wave power conditions around 6 kW/m in the East coast and 10 kW/m in the North coast. Marine currents in the Canary Islands are not particularly powerful with values around 40-50 cm/s. However a detailed assessment, based on field measurements, will be conducted in the near future with the aim to identify specific areas close to the coast with stronger currents which make suitable the deployment of marine current turbines. Although the base Platform is not still available, PLOCAN has already started the activity as an ocean testbed providing services to a wave energy converter patented by the Spanish company PIPO Systems. A scaled 1:5 prototype will be deployed during January 2010 and monitored for several months. Current facilities available include some ODAS buoys (temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen, turbidity, wind, etc.), wave rider buoy, current meter profilers (ADCP and electromagnetic), system for data management, remote operated vehicles (ROV), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), and an oceanographic vessel. Future facilities include high frequency radar for wave and current measurements and submarine electro-optical cables to connect the Platform with the energy converters and with the shore station.

The Ocean Food and Energy Farm Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilcox, Howard A.

1976-01-01

This three-phase, 15-year project is designed to explore and develop the ability to raise the grant California kelp and other marine organisms for food, fuels, fertilizers and plastics in the temperate and tropical oceans. The needed technology is established, but the economic feasibility is yet to be determined. (BT)

A lanthanide-based chemosensor for bioavailable Fe3+ using a fluorescent siderophore: an assay displacement approach.

PubMed

Orcutt, Karen M; Jones, W Scott; McDonald, Andrea; Schrock, David; Wallace, Karl J

2010-01-01

The measurement of trace analytes in aqueous systems has become increasingly important for understanding ocean primary productivity. In oceanography, iron (Fe) is a key element in regulating ocean productivity, microplankton assemblages and has been identified as a causative element in the development of some harmful algal blooms. The chemosenor developed in this study is based on an indicator displacement approach that utilizes time-resolved fluorescence and fluorescence resonance energy transfer as the sensing mechanism to achieve detection of Fe3+ ions as low as 5 nM. This novel approach holds promise for the development of photoactive chemosensors for ocean deployment.

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 the ocean mesoscale eddy field by up to 10-15%.

Slowing Ocean Acidification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bravo, A.

2016-12-01

Currently our ocean's pH is 8.1, a decrease from 8.2 in the past 200 years since the beginning of the industrial revolution. The ocean absorbs about a third of the carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, which is helpful to us, since reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere shows global warming. However, what is the impact of all that CO2 on the ocean? I evaluated the effect of acidic water on bivalves, and found that the shells were broken down with exposure to increased acidity. I am concerned that continued ocean acidification will impact organisms that are unable to adapt to the changing ocean chemistry. While the US currently invests in alternative forms of energy including solar and wind, approximately 66% of our energy comes from sources that are releasing CO2 into the atmosphere. I want to explore the potential of wave energy as another form of renewable energy. When wind blows over the surface of the ocean, it creates a wave. Could this wave energy be a consistent clean energy source? Could a strategy to slow and reverse ocean acidification be found in the ocean?

Multigenerational exposure to ocean acidification during food limitation reveals consequences for copepod scope for growth and vital rates.

PubMed

Pedersen, Sindre A; Håkedal, Ole Jacob; Salaberria, Iurgi; Tagliati, Alice; Gustavson, Liv Marie; Jenssen, Bjørn Munro; Olsen, Anders J; Altin, Dag

2014-10-21

The copepod Calanus finmarchicus is a key component of northern Atlantic food webs, linking energy-transfer from phytoplankton to higher trophic levels. We examined the effect of different ocean acidification (OA) scenarios (i.e., ambient, 1080, 2080, and 3080 μatm CO2) over two subsequent generations under limited food availability. Determination of metabolic and feeding rates, and estimations of the scope for growth, suggests that negative effects observed on vital rates (ontogenetic development, somatic growth, fecundity) may be a consequence of energy budget constraints due to higher maintenance costs under high pCO2-environments. A significant delay in development rate among the parental generation animals exposed to 2080 μatm CO2, but not in the following F1 generation under the same conditions, suggests that C. finmarchicus may have adaptive potential to withstand the direct long-term effects of even the more pessimistic future OA scenarios but underlines the importance of transgenerational experiments. The results also indicate that in a more acidic ocean, increased energy expenditure through rising respiration could lower the energy transfer to higher trophic levels and thus hamper the productivity of the northern Atlantic ecosystem.

Excitation of the Earth's Chandler wobble by a turbulent oceanic double-gyre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naghibi, S. E.; Jalali, M. A.; Karabasov, S. A.; Alam, M.-R.

2017-04-01

We develop a layer-averaged, multiple-scale spectral ocean model and show how an oceanic double-gyre can communicate with the Earth's Chandler wobble. The overall transfers of energy and angular momentum from the double-gyre to the Chandler wobble are used to calibrate the turbulence parameters of the layer-averaged model. Our model is tested against a multilayer quasi-geostrophic ocean model in turbulent regime, and base states used in parameter identification are obtained from mesoscale eddy resolving numerical simulations. The Chandler wobble excitation function obtained from the model predicts a small role of North Atlantic ocean region on the wobble dynamics as compared to all oceans, in agreement with the existing observations.

Evolutionary and geologic consequences of organic carbon fixing in the primitive anoxic ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berry, W. B. N.; Wilde, P.

1983-03-01

Steps leading to development of the modern photic-based marine food web are postulated as the result of modifications of the environment, enhanced by the activity of Archean sulfur chemoautotrophs. Such organisms (Anoxium) evolved in an anoxic ocean prior to 3.9 × 109 yr ago at Archean analogs of modern oceanic hydrothermal vents. At this time geothermal energy was more readily available to organisms than photic energy, given atmospheric conditions at the surface similar to Venus, where intensity is low and only middle and red visible wavelengths penetrate the cloudy CO2-rich atmosphere. Competition for the reduced sulfur developed due to oxidation and loss of sulfur to sediments. Consequently, evolutionary advantage shifted to Anoxium isolates that could use alternate energy sources such as light to supplement the diminished supplies of reduced sulfur. Initially, photo-sulfur organisms evolved similar to modern purple bacteria that absorb in the red visible spectra. Subsequent carbon fixing and oxidation improved both the quantity and range of light reaching the ocean surface. This permitted absorption in the blue visible range so that water splitting was now feasible, releasing free oxygen and accelerating oxidation. Eventually, reducing environments became restricted, completing the shift in the principal marine carbon-fixing activity from anoxic chemoautotrophic to aerobic photosynthetic organisms.

Offshore Energy Mapping for Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean: MARINA PLATFORM project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kallos, G.; Galanis, G.; Spyrou, C.; Kalogeri, C.; Adam, A.; Athanasiadis, P.

2012-04-01

Deep offshore ocean energy mapping requires detailed modeling of the wind, wave, tidal and ocean circulation estimations. It requires also detailed mapping of the associated extremes. An important issue in such work is the co-generation of energy (generation of wind, wave, tides, currents) in order to design platforms on an efficient way. For example wind and wave fields exhibit significant phase differences and therefore the produced energy from both sources together requires special analysis. The other two sources namely tides and currents have different temporal scales from the previous two. Another important issue is related to the estimation of the environmental frequencies in order to avoid structural problems. These are issues studied at the framework of the FP7 project MARINA PLATFORM. The main objective of the project is to develop deep water structures that can exploit the energy from wind, wave, tidal and ocean current energy sources. In particular, a primary goal will be the establishment of a set of equitable and transparent criteria for the evaluation of multi-purpose platforms for marine renewable energy. Using these criteria, a novel system set of design and optimisation tools will be produced addressing new platform design, component engineering, risk assessment, spatial planning, platform-related grid connection concepts, all focussed on system integration and reducing costs. The University of Athens group is in charge for estimation and mapping of wind, wave, tidal and ocean current resources, estimate available energy potential, map extreme event characteristics and provide any additional environmental parameter required.

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

Observations and High-Resolution Numerical Simulations of a Non-Developing Tropical Disturbance in the Western North Pacific

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

potential energy CFSR Climate Forecast System Reanalysis COAMPS Coupled Ocean / Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System DA data assimilation DART Data...developing (TCS025) tropical disturbance using the adjoint and tangent linear models for the Coupled Ocean – Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS...for Medium-range Weather Forecasts ELDORA ELectra DOppler RAdar EOL Earth Observing Laboratory GPS global positioning system GTS Global

Mitigating Climate Change with Ocean Pipes: Influencing Land Temperature and Hydrology and Termination Overshoot Risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwiatkowski, L.; Caldeira, K.; Ricke, K.

2014-12-01

With increasing risk of dangerous climate change geoengineering solutions to Earth's climate problems have attracted much attention. One proposed geoengineering approach considers the use of ocean pipes as a means to increase ocean carbon uptake and the storage of thermal energy in the deep ocean. We use a latest generation Earth System Model (ESM) to perform simulations of idealised extreme implementations of ocean pipes. In our simulations, downward transport of thermal energy by ocean pipes strongly cools the near surface atmosphere - by up to 11°C on a global mean. The ocean pipes cause net thermal energy to be transported from the terrestrial environment to the deep ocean while increasing the global net transport of water to land. By cooling the ocean surface more than the land, ocean pipes tend to promote a monsoonal-type circulation, resulting in increased water vapour transport to land. Throughout their implementation, ocean pipes prevent energy from escaping to space, increasing the amount of energy stored in Earth's climate system despite reductions in surface temperature. As a consequence, our results indicate that an abrupt termination of ocean pipes could cause dramatic increases in surface temperatures beyond that which would have been obtained had ocean pipes not been implemented.

Experimental Research of a New Wave Energy Conversion Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Zhongyue; Shang, Jianzhong; Luo, Zirong; Sun, Chongfei; Chen, Gewei

2018-01-01

With the increasing tension of contemporary social energy, the development and utilization of renewable energy has become an important development direction. As an important part of renewable energy, wave energy has the characteristics of green environmental protection and abundant reserves, attracting more investment and research. For small marine equipment energy supply problem, this paper puts forward a micro wave energy conversion device as the basic of heaving motion of waves in the ocean. This paper designed a new type of power output device can solve the micro wave energy conversion problem.

Simultaneous generation and scattering of internal tides by ocean floor topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathur, Manikandan

2015-11-01

Internal waves play a significant role in the global energy budget of the ocean, with internal tides potentially contributing to the conversion of a large amount of mechanical energy into heat in the deep ocean. Several studies in the past decade have investigated internal tide generation and internal tide scattering by ocean floor topography, but by treating them as two separate, independent processes. In this talk, we use the recently developed Green function model (Mathur et al., J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 119, 2165-2182, 2014), sans the WKB approximation, to quantify the extent to which internal tide generation (scattering) that results from barotropic (baroclinic) forcing on small- and large-scale topography in uniform and nonuniform stratifications is modified by the presence of a background baroclinic (barotropic) tide. Results on idealized topography, stratification and forcing will first be presented, followed by a discussion on the relevance of our studies in the real ocean scenario. The author thanks the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India for financial support under the Monsoon Mission Grant MM/2014/IND-002.

Ocean zoning for conservation, fisheries and marine renewable energy: assessing trade-offs and co-location opportunities.

PubMed

Yates, Katherine L; Schoeman, David S; Klein, Carissa J

2015-04-01

Oceans, particularly coastal areas, are getting busier and within this increasingly human-dominated seascape, marine biodiversity continues to decline. Attempts to maintain and restore marine biodiversity are becoming more spatial, principally through the designation of marine protected areas (MPAs). MPAs compete for space with other uses, and the emergence of new industries, such as marine renewable energy generation, will increase competition for space. Decision makers require guidance on how to zone the ocean to conserve biodiversity, mitigate conflict and accommodate multiple uses. Here we used empirical data and freely available planning software to identified priority areas for multiple ocean zones, which incorporate goals for biodiversity conservation, two types of renewable energy, and three types of fishing. We developed an approached to evaluate trade-offs between industries and we investigated the impacts of co-locating some fishing activities within renewable energy sites. We observed non-linear trade-offs between industries. We also found that different subsectors within those industries experienced very different trade-off curves. Incorporating co-location resulted in significant reductions in cost to the fishing industry, including fisheries that were not co-located. Co-location also altered the optimal location of renewable energy zones with planning solutions. Our findings have broad implications for ocean zoning and marine spatial planning. In particular, they highlight the need to include industry subsectors when assessing trade-offs and they stress the importance of considering co-location opportunities from the outset. Our research reinforces the need for multi-industry ocean-zoning and demonstrates how it can be undertaken within the framework of strategic conservation planning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Securing Blue Wealth: The Need for a Special Sustainable Development Goal for the Ocean and Coasts and for Future Ocean Spatial Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rickels, W.; Visbeck, M.; Kronfeld-Goharani, U.; Neumann, B.; Schmidt, J.; van Doorn, E.; Matz-Lück, N.; Ott, K.; Quaas, M.

2013-12-01

The ocean regulates the global climate, provides humans with natural resources such as food, materials, important substances, and energy, and is essential for international trade and recreational and cultural activities. Together with human development and economic growth, free access to, and availability of, ocean resources and services have exerted strong pressure on marine systems, ranging from overfishing, increasing resource extraction, and alteration of coastal zones to various types of thoughtless pollution. International cooperation and effective governance are required to protect the marine environment and promote the sustainable use of marine resources in such a way that due account can be taken of the environmental values of current generations and the needs of future generations. For this purpose, developing and agreeing on to devote one of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) specifically to the Ocean and Coasts could prove to be an essential element. The new SDGs will build upon the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and replace them by 2015. Ensuring environmental sustainability in a general sense is one of the eight MDGs, but the ocean is not explicitly addressed. Furthermore, the creation of a comprehensive underlying set of ocean sustainability targets and effective indicators would help in assessing the current status of marine systems, diagnosing ongoing trends, and providing information for inclusive, forward-looking, and sustainable ocean governance. To achieve this, we propose to establish a global Future Ocean Spatial Planning (FOSP) process.

Harmonious OCEAN?: Chinese Aircraft Carriers and Australia’s U.S. Alliance

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-10

St ra te gy R es ea rc h Pr oj ec t HARMONIOUS OCEAN?: CHINESE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AND AUSTRALIA’S U.S. ALLIANCE BY COLONEL JOHN FREWEN...friendly countries designed to transport oil and other energy sources via roads and pipelines from the Indian Ocean into China.28 Carriers will be...attempts to build confidence and develop Chinese and American bilateral agreements have met with little success. None have delivered enduring or

Feasibility of Tidal and Ocean Current Energy in False Pass, Aleutian Islands, Alaska final report

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

Wright, Bruce Albert

The Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association was awarded a U.S. Department of Energy Tribal Energy Program grant (DE-EE0005624) for the Feasibility of Tidal and Ocean Current Energy in False Pass, Aleutian Islands, Alaska (Project). The goal of the Project was to perform a feasibility study to determine if a tidal energy project would be a viable means to generate electricity and heat to meet long-term fossil fuel use reduction goals, specifically to produce at least 30% of the electrical and heating needs of the tribally-owned buildings in False Pass. The Project Team included the Aleut Region organizations comprised of the Aleutianmore » Pribilof Island Association (APIA), and Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association (APICDA); the University of Alaska Anchorage, ORPC Alaska a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC), City of False Pass, Benthic GeoScience, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The following Project objectives were completed: collected existing bathymetric, tidal, and ocean current data to develop a basic model of current circulation at False Pass, measured current velocities at two sites for a full lunar cycle to establish the viability of the current resource, collected data on transmission infrastructure, electrical loads, and electrical generation at False Pass, performed economic analysis based on current costs of energy and amount of energy anticipated from and costs associated with the tidal energy project conceptual design and scoped environmental issues. Utilizing circulation modeling, the Project Team identified two target sites with strong potential for robust tidal energy resources in Isanotski Strait and another nearer the City of False Pass. In addition, the Project Team completed a survey of the electrical infrastructure, which identified likely sites of interconnection and clarified required transmission distances from the tidal energy resources. Based on resource and electrical data, the Project Team developed a conceptual tidal energy project design utilizing ORPC’s TidGen® Power System. While the Project Team has not committed to ORPC technology for future development of a False Pass project, this conceptual design was critical to informing the Project’s economic analysis. The results showed that power from a tidal energy project could be provided to the City of False at a rate at or below the cost of diesel generated electricity and sold to commercial customers at rates competitive with current market rates, providing a stable, flat priced, environmentally sound alternative to the diesel generation currently utilized for energy in the community. The Project Team concluded that with additional grants and private investment a tidal energy project at False Pass is well-positioned to be the first tidal energy project to be developed in Alaska, and the first tidal energy project to be interconnected to an isolated micro grid in the world. A viable project will be a model for similar projects in coastal Alaska.« less

Energy: The U.S. at the Crossroads

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Science and Technology, 1976

1976-01-01

This discussion details recent developments in the technology of renewable sources of energy, such as: solar ocean-thermal, tides, wind, geothermal and hydrogen. Options available to the United States in the transition from non-renewable to renewable sources of energy are identified and prophecies for the future are offered. (BT)

The viscous lee wave problem and its implications for ocean modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakespeare, Callum J.; Hogg, Andrew McC.

2017-05-01

Ocean circulation models employ 'turbulent' viscosity and diffusivity to represent unresolved sub-gridscale processes such as breaking internal waves. Computational power has now advanced sufficiently to permit regional ocean circulation models to be run at sufficiently high (100 m-1 km) horizontal resolution to resolve a significant part of the internal wave spectrum. Here we develop theory for boundary generated internal waves in such models, and in particular, where the waves dissipate their energy. We focus specifically on the steady lee wave problem where stationary waves are generated by a large-scale flow acting across ocean bottom topography. We generalise the energy flux expressions of [Bell, T., 1975. Topographically generated internal waves in the open ocean. J. Geophys. Res. 80, 320-327] to include the effect of arbitrary viscosity and diffusivity. Applying these results for realistic parameter choices we show that in the present generation of models with O(1) m2s-1 horizontal viscosity/diffusivity boundary-generated waves will inevitably dissipate the majority of their energy within a few hundred metres of the boundary. This dissipation is a direct consequence of the artificially high viscosity/diffusivity, which is not always physically justified in numerical models. Hence, caution is necessary in comparing model results to ocean observations. Our theory further predicts that O(10-2) m2s-1 horizontal and O(10-4) m2s-1 vertical viscosity/diffusivity is required to achieve a qualitatively inviscid representation of internal wave dynamics in ocean models.

NSF presentation. [summary on energy conversion research program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morse, F. H.

1973-01-01

Wind energy conversion research is considered in the framework of the national energy problem. Research and development efforts for the practical application of solar energy -- including wind energy -- as alternative energy supplies are assessed in: (1) Heating and cooling of buildings; (2) photovoltaic energy conversion; (3) solar thermal energy conversion; (4) wind energy conversion; (5) ocean thermal energy conversion; (6) photosynthetic production of organic matter; and (7) conversion of organic matter into fuels.

Studying fish near ocean energy devices using underwater video

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

Matzner, Shari; Hull, Ryan E.; Harker-Klimes, Genevra EL

The effects of energy devices on fish populations are not well-understood, and studying the interactions of fish with tidal and instream turbines is challenging. To address this problem, we have evaluated algorithms to automatically detect fish in underwater video and propose a semi-automated method for ocean and river energy device ecological monitoring. The key contributions of this work are the demonstration of a background subtraction algorithm (ViBE) that detected 87% of human-identified fish events and is suitable for use in a real-time system to reduce data volume, and the demonstration of a statistical model to classify detections as fish ormore » not fish that achieved a correct classification rate of 85% overall and 92% for detections larger than 5 pixels. Specific recommendations for underwater video acquisition to better facilitate automated processing are given. The recommendations will help energy developers put effective monitoring systems in place, and could lead to a standard approach that simplifies the monitoring effort and advances the scientific understanding of the ecological impacts of ocean and river energy devices.« less

Wave Energy Research, Testing and Demonstration Center

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

Batten, Belinda

2014-09-30

The purpose of this project was to build upon the research, development and testing experience of the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) to establish a non-grid connected open-ocean testing facility for wave energy converters (WECs) off the coast of Newport, Oregon. The test facility would serve as the first facility of its kind in the continental US with a fully energetic wave resource where WEC technologies could be proven for west coast US markets. The test facility would provide the opportunity for self-contained WEC testing or WEC testing connected via an umbilical cable to a mobile ocean testmore » berth (MOTB). The MOTB would act as a “grid surrogate” measuring energy produced by the WEC and the environmental conditions under which the energy was produced. In order to realize this vision, the ocean site would need to be identified through outreach to community stakeholders, and then regulatory and permitting processes would be undertaken. Part of those processes would require environmental baseline studies and site analysis, including benthic, acoustic and wave resource characterization. The MOTB and its myriad systems would need to be designed and constructed.The first WEC test at the facility with the MOTB was completed within this project with the WET-NZ device in summer 2012. In summer 2013, the MOTB was deployed with load cells on its mooring lines to characterize forces on mooring systems in a variety of sea states. Throughout both testing seasons, studies were done to analyze environmental effects during testing operations. Test protocols and best management practices for open ocean operations were developed. As a result of this project, the non-grid connected fully energetic WEC test facility is operational, and the MOTB system developed provides a portable concept for WEC testing. The permitting process used provides a model for other wave energy projects, especially those in the Pacific Northwest that have similar environmental considerations. While the non-grid connected testing facility provides an option for WEC developers to prove their technology in a fully-energetic wave environment, the absence of grid connection is somewhat of a limitation. To prove that their technology is commercially viable, developers seek a multi-year grid connected testing option. To address this need, NNMREC is developing a companion grid connected test facility in Newport, Oregon, where small arrays of WECs can be tested as well.« less

Catching the right wave: evaluating wave energy resources and potential compatibility with existing marine and coastal uses.

PubMed

Kim, Choong-Ki; Toft, Jodie E; Papenfus, Michael; Verutes, Gregory; Guerry, Anne D; Ruckelshaus, Marry H; Arkema, Katie K; Guannel, Gregory; Wood, Spencer A; Bernhardt, Joanna R; Tallis, Heather; Plummer, Mark L; Halpern, Benjamin S; Pinsky, Malin L; Beck, Michael W; Chan, Francis; Chan, Kai M A; Levin, Phil S; Polasky, Stephen

2012-01-01

Many hope that ocean waves will be a source for clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy, yet wave energy conversion facilities may affect marine ecosystems through a variety of mechanisms, including competition with other human uses. We developed a decision-support tool to assist siting wave energy facilities, which allows the user to balance the need for profitability of the facilities with the need to minimize conflicts with other ocean uses. Our wave energy model quantifies harvestable wave energy and evaluates the net present value (NPV) of a wave energy facility based on a capital investment analysis. The model has a flexible framework and can be easily applied to wave energy projects at local, regional, and global scales. We applied the model and compatibility analysis on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada to provide information for ongoing marine spatial planning, including potential wave energy projects. In particular, we conducted a spatial overlap analysis with a variety of existing uses and ecological characteristics, and a quantitative compatibility analysis with commercial fisheries data. We found that wave power and harvestable wave energy gradually increase offshore as wave conditions intensify. However, areas with high economic potential for wave energy facilities were closer to cable landing points because of the cost of bringing energy ashore and thus in nearshore areas that support a number of different human uses. We show that the maximum combined economic benefit from wave energy and other uses is likely to be realized if wave energy facilities are sited in areas that maximize wave energy NPV and minimize conflict with existing ocean uses. Our tools will help decision-makers explore alternative locations for wave energy facilities by mapping expected wave energy NPV and helping to identify sites that provide maximal returns yet avoid spatial competition with existing ocean uses.

Catching the Right Wave: Evaluating Wave Energy Resources and Potential Compatibility with Existing Marine and Coastal Uses

PubMed Central

Kim, Choong-Ki; Toft, Jodie E.; Papenfus, Michael; Verutes, Gregory; Guerry, Anne D.; Ruckelshaus, Marry H.; Arkema, Katie K.; Guannel, Gregory; Wood, Spencer A.; Bernhardt, Joanna R.; Tallis, Heather; Plummer, Mark L.; Halpern, Benjamin S.; Pinsky, Malin L.; Beck, Michael W.; Chan, Francis; Chan, Kai M. A.; Levin, Phil S.; Polasky, Stephen

2012-01-01

Many hope that ocean waves will be a source for clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy, yet wave energy conversion facilities may affect marine ecosystems through a variety of mechanisms, including competition with other human uses. We developed a decision-support tool to assist siting wave energy facilities, which allows the user to balance the need for profitability of the facilities with the need to minimize conflicts with other ocean uses. Our wave energy model quantifies harvestable wave energy and evaluates the net present value (NPV) of a wave energy facility based on a capital investment analysis. The model has a flexible framework and can be easily applied to wave energy projects at local, regional, and global scales. We applied the model and compatibility analysis on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada to provide information for ongoing marine spatial planning, including potential wave energy projects. In particular, we conducted a spatial overlap analysis with a variety of existing uses and ecological characteristics, and a quantitative compatibility analysis with commercial fisheries data. We found that wave power and harvestable wave energy gradually increase offshore as wave conditions intensify. However, areas with high economic potential for wave energy facilities were closer to cable landing points because of the cost of bringing energy ashore and thus in nearshore areas that support a number of different human uses. We show that the maximum combined economic benefit from wave energy and other uses is likely to be realized if wave energy facilities are sited in areas that maximize wave energy NPV and minimize conflict with existing ocean uses. Our tools will help decision-makers explore alternative locations for wave energy facilities by mapping expected wave energy NPV and helping to identify sites that provide maximal returns yet avoid spatial competition with existing ocean uses. PMID:23144824

Shallow Water Propagation

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-30

representations for ocean environmental and geoacoustic variability using data and parametric models . Determine acoustic fields with PE, normal mode, and...comparisons with mooring and other available data. • An adiabatic-mode transport theory is used to develop a scattering model for acoustic energy...276-2825 email: siegmw@rpi.edu Kara G. McMahon Rensselaer doctoral student Award Numbers: N000140410016 N000140910638 (Ocean Acoustics

Ocean Wave Simulation Based on Wind Field

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Ocean wave simulation has a wide range of applications in movies, video games and training systems. Wind force is the main energy resource for generating ocean waves, which are the result of the interaction between wind and the ocean surface. While numerous methods to handle simulating oceans and other fluid phenomena have undergone rapid development during the past years in the field of computer graphic, few of them consider to construct ocean surface height field from the perspective of wind force driving ocean waves. We introduce wind force to the construction of the ocean surface height field through applying wind field data and wind-driven wave particles. Continual and realistic ocean waves result from the overlap of wind-driven wave particles, and a strategy was proposed to control these discrete wave particles and simulate an endless ocean surface. The results showed that the new method is capable of obtaining a realistic ocean scene under the influence of wind fields at real time rates. PMID:26808718

Ocean Wave Simulation Based on Wind Field.

PubMed

Li, Zhongyi; Wang, Hao

2016-01-01

Ocean wave simulation has a wide range of applications in movies, video games and training systems. Wind force is the main energy resource for generating ocean waves, which are the result of the interaction between wind and the ocean surface. While numerous methods to handle simulating oceans and other fluid phenomena have undergone rapid development during the past years in the field of computer graphic, few of them consider to construct ocean surface height field from the perspective of wind force driving ocean waves. We introduce wind force to the construction of the ocean surface height field through applying wind field data and wind-driven wave particles. Continual and realistic ocean waves result from the overlap of wind-driven wave particles, and a strategy was proposed to control these discrete wave particles and simulate an endless ocean surface. The results showed that the new method is capable of obtaining a realistic ocean scene under the influence of wind fields at real time rates.

DE-EE0000319 Final Technical Report [National Open-ocean Energy Laboratory

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

Skemp, Susan

Under the authorization provided by Section 634 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-140), in 2009 FAU was awarded U.S. Congressionally Directed Program (CDP) funding through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to investigate and develop technologies to harness the energy of the Florida Current as a source of clean, renewable, base-load power for Florida and the U.S. A second CDP award in 2010 provided additional funding in order to enhance and extend FAU’s activities. These two CDPs in 2009 and 2010 were combined into a single DOE grant, DE-EE0000319, and are the subject of thismore » report. Subsequently, in July 2010 funding was made available under a separate contract, DE-EE0004200. Under that funding, DOE’s Wind and Water Power Program designated FAU’s state of Florida marine renewable energy (MRE) center as the Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center (SNMREC). This report discusses SNMREC activities funded by the DE-EE0000319 grant, but will make reference, as appropriate, to activities that require further investigation under the follow-on grant. The concept of extracting energy from the motions of the oceans has a long history. However, implementation on large scales of the technologies to effect renewable energy recovery from waves, tides, and open-ocean currents is relatively recent. DOE’s establishment of SNMREC recognizes a significant potential for ocean current energy recovery associated with the (relatively) high-speed Florida Current, the reach of the Gulf Stream System flowing through the Straits of Florida, between the Florida Peninsula and the Bahamas Archipelago. The proximity of the very large electrical load center of southeast Florida’s metropolitan area to the resource itself makes this potential all the more attractive. As attractive as this potential energy source is, it is not without its challenges. Although the technology is conceptually simple, its design and implementation in a commercially-viable fashion presents a variety of challenges. Beyond the technology itself (and, especially, the effects on the technology of the harsh oceanic environment), it is important to consider the possible environmental impacts of commercial-scale implementation of oceanic energy extraction. Further, because such implementation represents a completely new undertaking, the human resources required do not exist, so education and training programs are critical to eventual success. This project, establishing a national open-ocean energy laboratory, was designed to address each of these three challenges in a flexible framework allowing for adaptive management as the project proceeded. In particular: the technology challenge, including resource assessment, evolved during the project to recognize and address the need for a national testing facility in the ocean for small-scale prototype MRE systems developed by industry; the environmental challenge became formalized and expanded during the permitting process for such a testing facility; and the human resources/societal challenges, both in terms of the need for education and training and in terms of public acceptance of MRE, stimulated a robust outreach program far beyond that originally envisioned at SNMREC. While all of these activities at SNMREC are ongoing, a number of significant milestones (in addition to the contributions listed in the appendices) were achieved under the auspices of this award. These include: Planning and site selection for the first-phase test facility, offshore of Dania Beach, FL, including some equipment for the facility, submission of an Interim Policy Lease Application to the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and completion of an Environmental Assessment by BOEM and a positive Consistency Determination by the State of Florida; Measurements using acoustic profilers of the current structure and variability in the vicinity of the site under a variety of weather conditions, seasons and time durations; Design and implementation of instrumentation for the first phase of the offshore testing facility, the wet- and top-side data acquisition systems, and shore-based analysis systems; Implementation of a laboratory-scale dynamometer system to test generators of up to 25 kW capacity using real-world (simulated) forcing; Completion of 24 months of (airborne) marine vertebrate surveys and associated analysis of sea turtle offshore activity, marine mammal vocalization research, and ocean current turbine hydrodynamic noise characterization; Development of a secondary-school (nominally grade 10) curriculum about hydrokinetic MRE, “Energy from the Oceans: The New Renewable”, and training of over 200 high-school teachers in its use and in how to educate their colleagues in application of the material in the classroom; Presentations to over 50 interested civic groups in the region on various aspects of MRE in SE Florida A series of public lectures to over 600 residents of south Florida to provide broader education on MRE. Development of an interactive kiosk for installation in local science museums. These, and other accomplishments detailed in this report contribute to a comprehensive ongoing program at the SNMREC to support the affordable, responsible, and achievable commercialization of MRE. Many of the tasks of this award are continued or will be verified with follow-on funding DE-EE0004200, and its goal: the installation of the world’s first offshore ocean current turbine testing and validation capability.« less

Modern Estimates of Global Water Cycle Fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodell, M.; Beaudoing, H. K.; L'Ecuyer, T. S.; Olson, W. S.

2014-12-01

The goal of the first phase of the NASA Energy and Water Cycle Study (NEWS) Water and Energy Cycle Climatology project was to develop "state of the global water cycle" and "state of the global energy cycle" assessments based on data from modern ground and space based observing systems and data integrating models. Here we describe results of the water cycle assessment, including mean annual and monthly fluxes over continents and ocean basins during the first decade of the millennium. To the extent possible, the water flux estimates are based on (1) satellite measurements and (2) data-integrating models. A careful accounting of uncertainty in each flux was applied within a routine that enforced multiple water and energy budget constraints simultaneously in a variational framework, in order to produce objectively-determined, optimized estimates. Simultaneous closure of the water and energy budgets caused the ocean evaporation and precipitation terms to increase by about 10% and 5% relative to the original estimates, mainly because the energy budget required turbulent heat fluxes to be substantially larger in order to balance net radiation. In the majority of cases, the observed annual, surface and atmospheric water budgets over the continents and oceans close with much less than 10% residual. Observed residuals and optimized uncertainty estimates are considerably larger for monthly surface and atmospheric water budget closure, often nearing or exceeding 20% in North America, Eurasia, Australia and neighboring islands, and the Arctic and South Atlantic Oceans. The residuals in South America and Africa tend to be smaller, possibly because cold land processes are a non-issue. Fluxes are poorly observed over the Arctic Ocean, certain seas, Antarctica, and the Australasian and Indonesian Islands, leading to reliance on atmospheric analysis estimates. Other details of the study and future directions will be discussed.

Ocean science. Enhanced: internal tides and ocean mixing.

PubMed

Garrett, Chris

2003-09-26

Recent satellite and in situ observations have shown that at ocean ridges and other seafloor topographic features, a substantial amount of energy is transferred from the main ocean tides into "internal tides." In his Perspective, Garrett explains how these internal waves with tidal periods propagate through the density-stratified deep ocean and eventually break down into turbulence. The resulting mixing affects ocean stratification and ocean circulation. It thus influences climate as well as biological production. The energy for the internal tides is derived from the rotational energy of the Earth-Moon system changes of the length of the day and the distance to the Moon.

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

Martel, Laura; Smith, Paul; Rizea, Steven

The Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Life Cycle Cost Assessment (OLCCA) is a study performed by members of the Lockheed Martin (LM) OTEC Team under funding from the Department of Energy (DOE), Award No. DE-EE0002663, dated 01/01/2010. OLCCA objectives are to estimate procurement, operations and maintenance, and overhaul costs for two types of OTEC plants: -Plants moored to the sea floor where the electricity produced by the OTEC plant is directly connected to the grid ashore via a marine power cable (Grid Connected OTEC plants) -Open-ocean grazing OTEC plant-ships producing an energy carrier that is transported to designated ports (Energymore » Carrier OTEC plants) Costs are developed using the concept of levelized cost of energy established by DOE for use in comparing electricity costs from various generating systems. One area of system costs that had not been developed in detail prior to this analysis was the operations and sustainment (O&S) cost for both types of OTEC plants. Procurement costs, generally referred to as capital expense and O&S costs (operations and maintenance (O&M) costs plus overhaul and replacement costs), are assessed over the 30 year operational life of the plants and an annual annuity calculated to achieve a levelized cost (constant across entire plant life). Dividing this levelized cost by the average annual energy production results in a levelized cost of electricity, or LCOE, for the OTEC plants. Technical and production efficiency enhancements that could result in a lower value of the OTEC LCOE were also explored. The thermal OTEC resource for Oahu, Hawaii and projected build out plan were developed. The estimate of the OTEC resource and LCOE values for the planned OTEC systems enable this information to be displayed as energy supplied versus levelized cost of the supplied energy; this curve is referred to as an Energy Supply Curve. The Oahu Energy Supply Curve represents initial OTEC deployment starting in 2018 and demonstrates the predicted economies of scale as technology and efficiency improvements are realized and larger more economical plants deployed. Utilizing global high resolution OTEC resource assessment from the Ocean Thermal Extractable Energy Visualization (OTEEV) project (an independent DOE project), Global Energy Supply Curves were generated for Grid Connected and Energy Carrier OTEC plants deployed in 2045 when the predicted technology and efficiencies improvements are fully realized. The Global Energy Supply Curves present the LCOE versus capacity in ascending order with the richest, lowest cost resource locations being harvested first. These curves demonstrate the vast ocean thermal resource and potential OTEC capacity that can be harvested with little change in LCOE.« less

Investigating the Environmental Effects of Ocean Energy Generation (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Copping, A. E.; Anderson, R.; Schultz, I.; Woodruff, D.; Carlson, T.; Ward, J.; van Cleve, F.; Eere Mhk Environmental Effects

2010-12-01

The production of electricity from the moving waters of the ocean has the potential to be a viable addition to the portfolio of renewable energy sources worldwide. The marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) industry seeks to deploy and operate devices that harvest energy from the tides, waves, ocean currents and run of the river. Challenges facing the emerging industry include technology development, rigors of offshore deployments, and financing; however, the barrier most commonly cited by industry, regulators, and stakeholders is the uncertainty surrounding potential environmental effects of devices placed in the water and the permitting processes associated with those impacts. There is a need to evaluate the extensive list of potential interactions that may cause harm to marine organisms and ecosystems, to set priorities for regulatory triggers, and to direct future research. Project developers need information to understand how to minimize environmental effects; regulators need to know what monitoring targets are needed near ocean energy farms; and stakeholders need to know what mitigation strategies are effective in addressing unavoidable impacts. Scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are developing an Environmental Risk Evaluation System (ERES) to assess environmental effects associated with MHK technologies and projects through a systematic analytical process, with specific input from key stakeholder groups. The ERES development process provides the scientific structure to support risk characterization, comparison of tradeoffs, and risk-informed decision-making by project and technology developers, regulatory agencies, and other interested stakeholders. The PNNL team will determine the range and severity of environmental effects of MHK development, leading to the development of mitigation strategies where residual risk remains. Input to ERES draws from a wide range of marine and freshwater studies to understand which marine receptors may suffer damage from specific portions of MHK devices, mooring systems, or electrical cabling. However little is known about the effects of certain MHK stressors such as electromagnetic fields (EMF) from underwater cables and machines, as well as acoustic outputs from rotating turbines. Laboratory investigations into the effects of EMF and acoustics on test organisms will be discussed, and preliminary results presented.

77 FR 1674 - Ocean Renewable Power Company Maine, LLC; Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-11

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 12711-005] Ocean Renewable... Bay Tidal Energy Project In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the..., 52 FR 47897), the Office of Energy Projects has reviewed Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC's...

Assessment of Energy Production Potential from Ocean Currents along the United States Coastline

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

Haas, Kevin

Increasing energy consumption and depleting reserves of fossil fuels have resulted in growing interest in alternative renewable energy from the ocean. Ocean currents are an alternative source of clean energy due to their inherent reliability, persistence and sustainability. General ocean circulations exist in the form of large rotating ocean gyres, and feature extremely rapid current flow in the western boundaries due to the Coriolis Effect. The Gulf Stream system is formed by the western boundary current of the North Atlantic Ocean that flows along the east coastline of the United States, and therefore is of particular interest as a potentialmore » energy resource for the United States. This project created a national database of ocean current energy resources to help advance awareness and market penetration in ocean current energy resource assessment. The database, consisting of joint velocity magnitude and direction probability histograms, was created from data created by seven years of numerical model simulations. The accuracy of the database was evaluated by ORNL?s independent validation effort documented in a separate report. Estimates of the total theoretical power resource contained in the ocean currents were calculated utilizing two separate approaches. Firstly, the theoretical energy balance in the Gulf Stream system was examined using the two-dimensional ocean circulation equations based on the assumptions of the Stommel model for subtropical gyres with the quasi-geostrophic balance between pressure gradient, Coriolis force, wind stress and friction driving the circulation. Parameters including water depth, natural dissipation rate and wind stress are calibrated in the model so that the model can reproduce reasonable flow properties including volume flux and energy flux. To represent flow dissipation due to turbines additional turbine drag coefficient is formulated and included in the model. Secondly, to determine the reasonableness of the total power estimates from the Stommel model and to help determine the size and capacity of arrays necessary to extract the maximum theoretical power, further estimates of the available power based on the distribution of the kinetic power density in the undisturbed flow was completed. This used estimates of the device spacing and scaling to sum up the total power that the devices would produce. The analysis has shown that considering extraction over a region comprised of the Florida Current portion of the Gulf Stream system, the average power dissipated ranges between 4-6 GW with a mean around 5.1 GW. This corresponds to an average of approximately 45 TWh/yr. However, if the extraction area comprises the entire portion of the Gulf Stream within 200 miles of the US coastline from Florida to North Carolina, the average power dissipated becomes 18.6 GW or 163 TWh/yr. A web based GIS interface, http://www.oceancurrentpower.gatech.edu/, was developed for dissemination of the data. The website includes GIS layers of monthly and yearly mean ocean current velocity and power density for ocean currents along the entire coastline of the United States, as well as joint and marginal probability histograms for current velocities at a horizontal resolution of 4-7 km with 10-25 bins over depth. Various tools are provided for viewing, identifying, filtering and downloading the data.« less

Significant Dissipation of Tidal Energy in the Deep Ocean Inferred from Satellite Altimeter Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Egbert, G. D.; Ray, R. D.

2000-01-01

How and where the ocean tides dissipate their energy are longstanding questions that have consequences ranging from the history of the Moon to the mixing of the oceans. Historically, the principal sink of tidal energy has been thought to be bottom friction in shallow seas. There has long been suggestive however, that tidal dissipation also occurs in the open ocean through the scattering by ocean-bottom topography of surface tides into internal waves, but estimates of the magnitude of this possible sink have varied widely. Here we use satellite altimeter data from Topex/Poseidon to map empirically the tidal energy dissipation. We show that approximately 10(exp 12) watts-that is, 1 TW, representing 25-30% of the total dissipation-occurs in the deep ocean, generally near areas of rough topography. Of the estimated 2 TW of mixing energy required to maintain the large-scale thermohaline circulation of the ocean, one-half could therefore be provided by the tides, with the other half coming from action on the surface of the ocean.

Proceedings of the Hydrokinetic and Wave Energy Technologies Technical and Environmental Issues Workshop

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

None

2006-03-01

Renewable energy technologies offer the promise of non-polluting alternatives to fossil and nuclear-fueled power plants to meet growing demand for electrical energy. Two emerging categories of renewable energy technologies, hydrokinetic and wave energy conversion devices, offer ways to tap the energy of moving water without impoundment (dams) or diversion required by many conventional hydroelectric facilities. These technologies include devices designed for deployment in natural streams, tidal estuaries, ocean currents, and constructed waterways, as well as devices designed to capture the energy of ocean waves. On October 26-28, 2005, 54 representatives from government, non-governmental organizations, and private business met to (1)more » identify the varieties of hydrokinetic energy and wave technology devices, their stages of development, and the projected cost to bring each to market; (2) identify where these technologies can best operate; (3) identify the potential environmental issues associated with these technologies and possible mitigation measures; (4) develop a list of research needs and/or practical solutions to address unresolved environmental issues. These workshop proceedings include detailed summaries of the 24 presentations made and the discussions that followed.« less

Boosted nutritional quality of food by CO2 enrichment fails to offset energy demand of herbivores under ocean warming, causing energy depletion and mortality.

PubMed

Leung, Jonathan Y S; Nagelkerken, Ivan; Russell, Bayden D; Ferreira, Camilo M; Connell, Sean D

2018-05-20

The CO 2 -boosted trophic transfer from primary producers to herbivores has been increasingly discovered at natural CO 2 vents and in laboratory experiments. Despite the emerging knowledge of this boosting effect, we do not know the extent to which it may be enhanced or dampened by ocean warming. We investigated whether ocean acidification and warming enhance the nutritional quality (C:N ratio) and energy content of turf algae, which is speculated to drive higher feeding rate, greater energy budget and eventually faster growth of herbivores. This proposal was tested by observing the physiological (feeding rate, respiration rate and energy budget) and demographic responses (growth and survival) of a common grazing gastropod (Phasianella australis) to ocean acidification and warming in a 6-month mesocosm experiment. Whilst we observed the boosting effect of ocean acidification and warming in isolation on the energy budget of herbivores by either increasing feeding rate on the more nutritious algae or increasing energy gain per feeding effort, their growth and survival were reduced by the sublethal thermal stress under ocean warming, especially when both climate change stressors were combined. This reduced growth and survival occurred as a consequence of depleted energy reserves, suggesting that the boosting effect via trophic transfer might not sufficiently compensate for the increased energy demand imposed by ocean warming. In circumstances where ocean acidification and warming create an energy demand on herbivores that outweighs the energy enhancement of their food (i.e. primary producers), the performance of herbivores to control their blooming resources likely deteriorates and thus runaway primary production ensues. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impact of wind energy turbine piles on ocean dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grashorn, Sebastian; Stanev, Emil V.

2016-04-01

The small- and meso-scale ocean response to wind parks has not been investigated in the southern North Sea until now with the help of high-resolution numerical modelling. Obstacles such as e.g. wind turbine piles may influence the ocean current system and produce turbulent kinetic energy which could affect sediment dynamics in the surrounding area. Two setups of the unstructured-grid model SCHISM (Semi-implicit Cross-scale Hydroscience Integrated System Model) have been developed for an idealized channel including a surface piercing cylindrical obstacle representing the pile and a more realistic test case including four exemplary piles. Experiments using a constant flow around the obstacles and a rotating M2 tidal wave are carried out. The resulting current and turbulence patterns are investigated to estimate the influence of the obstacles on the surrounding ocean dynamics. We demonstrate that using an unstructured ocean model provides the opportunity to embed a high-resolution representation of a wind park turbine pile system into a coarser North Sea setup, which is needed in order to perform a seamless investigation of the resulting geophysical processes.

Improving model biases in an ESM with an isopycnic ocean component by accounting for wind work on oceanic near-inertial motions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Wet, P. D.; Bentsen, M.; Bethke, I.

2016-02-01

It is well-known that, when comparing climatological parameters such as ocean temperature and salinity to the output of an Earth System Model (ESM), the model exhibits biases. In ESMs with an isopycnic ocean component, such as NorESM, insufficient vertical mixing is thought to be one of the causes of such differences between observational and model data. However, enhancing the vertical mixing of the model's ocean component not only requires increasing the energy input, but also sound physical reasoning for doing so. Various authors have shown that the action of atmospheric winds on the ocean's surface is a major source of energy input into the upper ocean. However, due to model and computational constraints, oceanic processes linked to surface winds are incompletely accounted for. Consequently, despite significantly contributing to the energy required to maintain ocean stratification, most ESMs do not directly make provision for this energy. In this study we investigate the implementation of a routine in which the energy from work done on oceanic near-inertial motions is calculated in an offline slab model. The slab model, which has been well-documented in the literature, runs parallel to but independently from the ESM's ocean component. It receives wind fields with a frequency higher than that of the coupling frequency, allowing it to capture the fluctuations in the winds on shorter time scales. The additional energy calculated thus is then passed to the ocean component, avoiding the need for increased coupling between the components of the ESM. Results show localised reduction in, amongst others, the salinity and temperature biases of NorESM, confirming model sensitivity to wind-forcing and points to the need for better representation of surface processes in ESMs.

An Optimal Control Method for Maximizing the Efficiency of Direct Drive Ocean Wave Energy Extraction System

PubMed Central

Chen, Zhongxian; Yu, Haitao; Wen, Cheng

2014-01-01

The goal of direct drive ocean wave energy extraction system is to convert ocean wave energy into electricity. The problem explored in this paper is the design and optimal control for the direct drive ocean wave energy extraction system. An optimal control method based on internal model proportion integration differentiation (IM-PID) is proposed in this paper though most of ocean wave energy extraction systems are optimized by the structure, weight, and material. With this control method, the heavy speed of outer heavy buoy of the energy extraction system is in resonance with incident wave, and the system efficiency is largely improved. Validity of the proposed optimal control method is verified in both regular and irregular ocean waves, and it is shown that IM-PID control method is optimal in that it maximizes the energy conversion efficiency. In addition, the anti-interference ability of IM-PID control method has been assessed, and the results show that the IM-PID control method has good robustness, high precision, and strong anti-interference ability. PMID:25152913

An optimal control method for maximizing the efficiency of direct drive ocean wave energy extraction system.

PubMed

Chen, Zhongxian; Yu, Haitao; Wen, Cheng

2014-01-01

The goal of direct drive ocean wave energy extraction system is to convert ocean wave energy into electricity. The problem explored in this paper is the design and optimal control for the direct drive ocean wave energy extraction system. An optimal control method based on internal model proportion integration differentiation (IM-PID) is proposed in this paper though most of ocean wave energy extraction systems are optimized by the structure, weight, and material. With this control method, the heavy speed of outer heavy buoy of the energy extraction system is in resonance with incident wave, and the system efficiency is largely improved. Validity of the proposed optimal control method is verified in both regular and irregular ocean waves, and it is shown that IM-PID control method is optimal in that it maximizes the energy conversion efficiency. In addition, the anti-interference ability of IM-PID control method has been assessed, and the results show that the IM-PID control method has good robustness, high precision, and strong anti-interference ability.

30 CFR 556.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL... of Ocean Energy Management. (c) OCS means the Outer Continental Shelf, as that term is defined in 43... on the Secretary's behalf. (e) BOEM means Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. (f) Coastal zone means...

30 CFR 556.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL... of Ocean Energy Management. (c) OCS means the Outer Continental Shelf, as that term is defined in 43... on the Secretary's behalf. (e) BOEM means Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. (f) Coastal zone means...

30 CFR 556.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL... of Ocean Energy Management. (c) OCS means the Outer Continental Shelf, as that term is defined in 43... on the Secretary's behalf. (e) BOEM means Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. (f) Coastal zone means...

Facets of Arctic energy accumulation based on observations and reanalyses 2000-2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, Michael; Haimberger, Leopold; Pietschnig, Marianne; Storto, Andrea

2016-10-01

Various observation- and reanalysis-based estimates of sea ice mass and ocean heat content trends imply that the energy imbalance of the Arctic climate system was similar [1.0 (0.9,1.2) Wm-2] to the global ocean average during the 2000-2015 period. Most of this extra heat warmed the ocean, and a comparatively small fraction went into sea ice melt. Poleward energy transports and radiation contributed to this energy increase at varying strengths. On a seasonal scale, stronger radiative energy input during summer associated with the ice-albedo feedback enhances seasonal oceanic heat uptake and sea ice melt. In return, lower sea ice extent and higher sea surface temperatures lead to enhanced heat release from the ocean during fall. This weakens meridional temperature gradients, consequently reducing atmospheric energy transports into the polar cap. The seasonal cycle of the Arctic energy budget is thus amplified, whereas the Arctic's long-term energy imbalance is close to the global mean.

Facets of Arctic energy accumulation based on observations and reanalyses 2000-2015.

PubMed

Mayer, Michael; Haimberger, Leopold; Pietschnig, Marianne; Storto, Andrea

2016-10-16

Various observation- and reanalysis-based estimates of sea ice mass and ocean heat content trends imply that the energy imbalance of the Arctic climate system was similar [1.0 (0.9,1.2) Wm -2 ] to the global ocean average during the 2000-2015 period. Most of this extra heat warmed the ocean, and a comparatively small fraction went into sea ice melt. Poleward energy transports and radiation contributed to this energy increase at varying strengths. On a seasonal scale, stronger radiative energy input during summer associated with the ice-albedo feedback enhances seasonal oceanic heat uptake and sea ice melt. In return, lower sea ice extent and higher sea surface temperatures lead to enhanced heat release from the ocean during fall. This weakens meridional temperature gradients, consequently reducing atmospheric energy transports into the polar cap. The seasonal cycle of the Arctic energy budget is thus amplified, whereas the Arctic's long-term energy imbalance is close to the global mean.

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.

Internal wave energy flux from density perturbations in nonlinear stratifications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Frank M.; Allshouse, Michael R.; Swinney, Harry L.; Morrison, P. J.

2017-11-01

Tidal flow over the topography at the bottom of the ocean, whose density varies with depth, generates internal gravity waves that have a significant impact on the energy budget of the ocean. Thus, understanding the energy flux (J = p v) is important, but it is difficult to measure simultaneously the pressure and velocity perturbation fields, p and v . In a previous work, a Green's-function-based method was developed to calculate the instantaneous p, v , and thus J , given a density perturbation field for a constant buoyancy frequency N. Here we extend the previous analytic Green's function work to include nonuniform N profiles, namely the tanh-shaped and linear cases, because background density stratifications that occur in the ocean and some experiments are nonlinear. In addition, we present a finite-difference method for the general case where N has an arbitrary profile. Each method is validated against numerical simulations. The methods we present can be applied to measured density perturbation data by using our MATLAB graphical user interface EnergyFlux. PJM was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Contract DE-FG05-80ET-53088. HLS and MRA were supported by ONR Grant No. N000141110701.

75 FR 54372 - BOEMRE Information Collection Activity: 1010-0081, Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-07

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement [Docket... AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE), Interior. ACTION: Notice... Department of the Interior; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement; Attention: Cheryl...

77 FR 28620 - Notice of Determination of No Competitive Interest

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-15

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [Docket No. BOEM-2012-0043] Notice of Determination of No Competitive Interest AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of... Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) determination of no competitive interest (DNCI) for the area...

76 FR 53481 - Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska OCS Region, Chukchi Sea Planning Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-26

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement Outer... Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and...

77 FR 5791 - Ocean Renewable Power Company Maine, LLC; Notice of Staff Participation in Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-06

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 12711-005] Ocean Renewable Power Company Maine, LLC; Notice of Staff Participation in Meeting On February 15, 2012, Office of Energy Projects staff will participate in a meeting with representatives from Ocean Renewable Power...

Estimating radiative feedbacks from stochastic fluctuations in surface temperature and energy imbalance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Proistosescu, C.; Donohoe, A.; Armour, K.; Roe, G.; Stuecker, M. F.; Bitz, C. M.

2017-12-01

Joint observations of global surface temperature and energy imbalance provide for a unique opportunity to empirically constrain radiative feedbacks. However, the satellite record of Earth's radiative imbalance is relatively short and dominated by stochastic fluctuations. Estimates of radiative feedbacks obtained by regressing energy imbalance against surface temperature depend strongly on sampling choices and on assumptions about whether the stochastic fluctuations are primarily forced by atmospheric or oceanic variability (e.g. Murphy and Forster 2010, Dessler 2011, Spencer and Braswell 2011, Forster 2016). We develop a framework around a stochastic energy balance model that allows us to parse the different contributions of atmospheric and oceanic forcing based on their differing impacts on the covariance structure - or lagged regression - of temperature and radiative imbalance. We validate the framework in a hierarchy of general circulation models: the impact of atmospheric forcing is examined in unforced control simulations of fixed sea-surface temperature and slab ocean model versions; the impact of oceanic forcing is examined in coupled simulations with prescribed ENSO variability. With the impact of atmospheric and oceanic forcing constrained, we are able to predict the relationship between temperature and radiative imbalance in a fully coupled control simulation, finding that both forcing sources are needed to explain the structure of the lagged-regression. We further model the dependence of feedback estimates on sampling interval by considering the effects of a finite equilibration time for the atmosphere, and issues of smoothing and aliasing. Finally, we develop a method to fit the stochastic model to the short timeseries of temperature and radiative imbalance by performing a Bayesian inference based on a modified version of the spectral Whittle likelihood. We are thus able to place realistic joint uncertainty estimates on both stochastic forcing and radiative feedbacks derived from observational records. We find that these records are, as of yet, too short to be useful in constraining radiative feedbacks, and we provide estimates of how the uncertainty narrows as a function of record length.

TARA OCEANS: A Global Analysis of Oceanic Plankton Ecosystems (2013 DOE JGI Genomics of Energy and Environment 8th Annual User Meeting)

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

Karsenti, Eric

2013-03-01

Eric Karsenti of EMBL delivers the closing keynote on "TARA OCEANS: A Global Analysis of Oceanic Plankton Ecosystems" at the 8th Annual Genomics of Energy & Environment Meeting on March 28, 2013 in Walnut Creek, California.

TARA OCEANS: A Global Analysis of Oceanic Plankton Ecosystems (2013 DOE JGI Genomics of Energy and Environment 8th Annual User Meeting)

ScienceCinema

Karsenti, Eric [European Molecular Biology Lab. (EMBL), Heidelberg (Germany)

2018-05-23

Eric Karsenti of EMBL delivers the closing keynote on "TARA OCEANS: A Global Analysis of Oceanic Plankton Ecosystems" at the 8th Annual Genomics of Energy & Environment Meeting on March 28, 2013 in Walnut Creek, California.

30 CFR 285.640 - What is a General Activities Plan (GAP)?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

....640 Section 285.640 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY ALTERNATE USES OF EXISTING FACILITIES ON THE OUTER... for your project, including any project easements for the assessment and development of your limited...

Distributions of phytoplankton carbohydrate, protein and lipid in the world oceans from satellite ocean colour.

PubMed

Roy, Shovonlal

2018-06-01

Energy value of phytoplankton regulates the growth of higher trophic species, affecting the tropic balance and sustainability of marine food webs. Therefore, developing our capability to estimate and monitor, on a global scale, the concentrations of macromolecules that determine phytoplankton energy value, would be invaluable. Reported here are the first estimates of carbohydrate, protein, lipid, and overall energy value of phytoplankton in the world oceans, using ocean-colour data from satellites. The estimates are based on a novel bio-optical method that utilises satellite-derived bio-optical fingerprints of living phytoplankton combined with allometric relationships between phytoplankton cells and cellular macromolecular contents. The annually averaged phytoplankton energy value, per cubic metre of sub-surface ocean, varied from less than 0.1 kJ in subtropical gyres, to 0.5-1.0 kJ in parts of the equatorial, northern and southern latitudes, and rising to >10 kJ in certain coastal and optically complex waters. The annually averaged global stocks of carbohydrate, protein and lipid were 0.044, 0.17 and 0.108 gigatonnes, respectively, with monthly stocks highest in September and lowest in June, over 1997-2013. The fractional contributions of phytoplankton size classes e.g., picoplankton, nanoplankton and microplankton to surface concentrations and global stocks of macromolecules varied considerably across marine biomes classified as Longhurst provinces. Among these provinces, the highest annually averaged surface concentrations of carbohydrate, protein, and lipid were in North-East Atlantic Coastal Shelves, whereas, the lowest concentration of carbohydrate or lipid were in North Atlantic Tropical Gyral, and that of protein was in North Pacific Subtropical Gyre West. The regional accuracy of the estimates and their sensitivity to satellite inputs are quantified from the bio-optical model, which show promise for possible operational monitoring of phytoplankton energy value from satellite ocean colour. Adequate in situ measurements of macromolecules and improved retrievals of inherent optical properties from high-resolution satellite images, would be required to validate these estimates at local sites, and to further improve their accuracy in the world oceans.

Depositional History of the Western Amundsen Basin, Arctic Ocean, and Implications for Neogene Climate and Oceanographic Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopper, J. R.; Castro, C. F.; Knutz, P. C.; Funck, T.

2017-12-01

Seismic reflection data collected in the western Amundsen Basin as part of the Law of the Sea program for the Kingdom of Denmark show a uniform and continuous cover of sediments over oceanic basement. An interpretation of seismic facies units shows that the depositional history of the basin reflects changing tectonic, climatic, and oceanographic conditions throughout the Cenozoic. In this contribution, the Miocene to present history is summarized. Two distinct changes in the depositional environment are proposed, first in response to the development of a deep water connection between the Arctic and North Atlantic, and the second in response to the onset of perennial sea ice cover in the Arctic. In the early to mid-Miocene, a buildup of contourite deposits indicates a distinct change in sedimentation that is particularly well developed near the flank of the Lomonosov Ridge. It is suggested that this is a response to the opening of the Fram Strait and the establishment of geostrophic bottom currents that flowed from the Laptev Sea towards Greenland. These deposits are overlain by a seismic facies unit characterized by buried channels and erosional features. These include prominent basinward levee systems that suggest a channel morphology maintained by overbank deposition of muddy sediments carried by suspension currents periodically spilling over the channel pathway. These deposits indicate a change to a much higher energy environment that is proposed to be a response to brine formation associated with the onset of perennial sea ice cover in the Arctic Ocean. This interpretation implies that the development of extensive sea ice cover results in a significant change in the energy environment of the ocean that is reflected in the depositional and erosional patterns observed. The lack of similar high energy erosional features and the presence of contourite deposits throughout most of the Miocene may indicate the Arctic Ocean was relatively ice-free until the very latest Miocene.

77 FR 44671 - Notice of Availability of the Proposed Notice of Sale for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-30

... Planning Area (WPA) in the Gulf of Mexico; Correction AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior. ACTION: Notice; correction. SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management published a notice... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Notice of Availability of the...

Effects of Drake Passage on the Ocean's Thermal and Mechanical Energy Budget in a Coupled AOGCM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von der Heydt, A. S.; Viebahn, J. P.

2016-12-01

During the Cenozoic Earth's climate has undergone a major long-term transition from `greenhouse' to `icehouse' conditions with extensive ice sheets in the polar regions of both hemispheres. The gradual cooling may be seen as response to the overall slowly decreasing atmospheric CO2-concentration due to weathering processes in the Earth System, however, continental geometry has changed considerably over this period and the long-term gradual trend was interrupted, by several rapid transitions and periods where temperature and greenhouse gas concentrations seem to be decoupled. The Eocene-Oligocene boundary ( 34 Ma, E/O) and mid-Miocene climatic transition ( 13 Ma, MCT) reflect major phases of Antarctic ice sheet build-up and global climate cooling, while Northern Hemisphere ice sheets developed much later ( 2.7Ma). Thresholds in atmospheric CO2-concentration together with feedback mechanisms related to land ice formation are among the favoured mechanisms of these climatic transitions, while the long-proposed ocean circulation changes caused by opening of tectonic gateways seem to play a less direct role. The opening of the Southern Ocean gateways, however, has eventually led to the development of today's strongest ocean current, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, playing a major role in the transport properties of the global ocean circulation. The overall state of the global ocean circulation, therefore, must precondition the climate system to dramatic events such as major ice sheet formation. Closing Drake Passage in ocean-only and coupled climate models under otherwise present-day boundary conditions has become a classic experiment, indicating that there exists a considerable uncertainty in the climate response of those models to a closed Drake Passage. Here we quantify the climate response to a closed Drake Passage in a state-of-the-art coupled climate model (CESM). We show that the ocean gateway mechanism is robust in the sense that the equatorward expansion of the Southern Ocean sub-polar gyres inevitably leads to widespread warming around Antarctica. Moreover, we provide a framework to characterise the ocean temperature response to a closed Drake Passage in terms of both the mechanical and thermal energy budget of the ocean.

Increasing Climate Literacy in Introductory Oceanography Classes Using Ocean Observation Data from Project Dynamo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hams, J. E.

2015-12-01

This session will present educational activities developed for an introductory Oceanography lecture and laboratory class by NOAA Teacher-at-Sea Jacquelyn Hams following participation in Leg 3 of Project DYNAMO (Dynamics of the Madden-Julian Oscillation) in November-December 2011. The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is an important tropical weather phenomenon with origins in the Indian Ocean that impacts many other global climate patterns such as the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Northern Hemisphere monsoons, tropical storm development, and pineapple express events. The educational activities presented include a series of lessons based on the observational data collected during Project DYNAMO which include atmospheric conditions, wind speeds and direction, surface energy flux, and upper ocean turbulence and mixing. The lessons can be incorporated into any introductory Oceanography class discussion on ocean properties such as conductivity, temperature, and density, ocean circulation, and layers of the atmosphere. A variety of hands-on lessons will be presented ranging from short activities used to complement a lecture to complete laboratory exercises.

Moving toward Collective Impact in Climate Change Literacy: The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ledley, Tamara Shapiro; Gold, Anne U.; Niepold, Frank; McCaffrey, Mark

2014-01-01

In recent years, various climate change education efforts have been launched, including federally (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, etc.) and privately funded projects. In addition, climate literacy and energy literacy frameworks have been developed and…

Ocean floor mounting of wave energy converters

DOEpatents

Siegel, Stefan G

2015-01-20

A system for mounting a set of wave energy converters in the ocean includes a pole attached to a floor of an ocean and a slider mounted on the pole in a manner that permits the slider to move vertically along the pole and rotate about the pole. The wave energy converters can then be mounted on the slider to allow adjustment of the depth and orientation of the wave energy converters.

A Boundary Delineation System for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandegraft, Douglas L.

2018-05-01

Federal government mapping of the offshore areas of the United States in support of the development of oil and gas resources began in 1954. The first mapping system utilized a network of rectangular blocks defined by State Plane coordinates which was later revised to utilize the Universal Transverse Mercator grid. Creation of offshore boundaries directed by the Submerged Lands Act and Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act were mathematically determined using early computer programs that performed the required computations, but required many steps. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has revised these antiquated methods using GIS technology which provide the required accuracy and produce the mapping products needed for leasing of energy resources, including renewable energy projects, on the outer continental shelf. (Note: this is an updated version of a paper of the same title written and published in 2015).

Tidal Energy Available for Deep Ocean Mixing: Bounds from Altimetry Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Egbert, Gary D.; Ray, Richard D.

1999-01-01

Maintenance of the large-scale thermohaline circulation has long presented a problem to oceanographers. Observed mixing rates in the pelagic ocean are an order of magnitude too small to balance the rate at which dense bottom water is created at high latitudes. Recent observational and theoretical work suggests that much of this mixing may occur in hot spots near areas of rough topography (e.g., mid-ocean ridges and island arcs). Barotropic tidal currents provide a very plausible source of energy to maintain these mixing processes. Topex/Poseidon (T/P) satellite altimetry data have made precise mapping of open ocean tidal elevations possible for the first time. We can thus obtain empirical, spatially localized, estimates of barotropic tidal dissipation. These provide an upper bound on the amount of tidal energy that is dissipated in the deep ocean, and hence is available for deep mixing. We will present and compare maps of open ocean tidal energy flux divergence, and estimates of tidal energy flux into shallow seas, derived from T/P altimetry data using both formal data assimilation methods and empirical approaches. With the data assimilation methods we can place formal error bars on the fluxes. Our results show that 20-25% of tidal energy dissipation occurs outside of the shallow seas, the traditional sink for tidal energy. This suggests that up to 1 TW of energy may be available from the tides (lunar and solar) for mixing the deep ocean. The dissipation indeed appears to be concentrated over areas of rough topography.

Tidal Energy Available for Deep Ocean Mixing: Bounds From Altimetry Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Egbert, Gary D.; Ray, Richard D.

1999-01-01

Maintenance of the large-scale thermohaline circulation has long presented a problem to oceanographers. Observed mixing rates in the pelagic ocean are an order of magnitude too small to balance the rate at which dense bottom water is created at high latitudes. Recent observational and theoretical work suggests that much of this mixing may occur in hot spots near areas of rough topography (e.g., mid-ocean ridges and island arcs). Barotropic tidal currents provide a very plausible source of energy to maintain these mixing processes. Topex/Poseidon satellite altimetry data have made precise mapping of open ocean tidal elevations possible for the first time. We can thus obtain empirical, spatially localized, estimates of barotropic tidal dissipation. These provide an upper bound on the amount of tidal energy that is dissipated in the deep ocean, and hence is available for deep mixing. We will present and compare maps of open ocean tidal energy flux divergence, and estimates of tidal energy flux into shallow seas, derived from T/P altimetry data using both formal data assimilation methods and empirical approaches. With the data assimilation methods we can place formal error bars on the fluxes. Our results show that 20-25% of tidal energy dissipation occurs outside of the shallow seas, the traditional sink for tidal energy. This suggests that up to 1 TW of energy may be available from the tides (lunar and solar) for mixing the deep ocean. The dissipation indeed appears to be concentrated over areas of rough topography.

Tidal Energy Available for Deep Ocean Mixing: Bounds from Altimetry Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Richard D.; Egbert, Gary D.

1999-01-01

Maintenance of the large-scale thermohaline circulation has long presented an interesting problem. Observed mixing rates in the pelagic ocean are an order of magnitude too small to balance the rate at which dense bottom water is created at high latitudes. Recent observational and theoretical work suggests that much of this mixing may occur in hot spots near areas of rough topography (e.g., mid-ocean ridges and island arcs). Barotropic tidal currents provide a very plausible source of energy to maintain these mixing processes. Topex/Poseidon satellite altimetry data have made precise mapping of open ocean tidal elevations possible for the first time. We can thus obtain empirical, spatially localized, estimates of barotropic tidal dissipation. These provide an upper bound on the amount of tidal energy that is dissipated in the deep ocean, and hence is available for deep mixing. We will present and compare maps of open ocean tidal energy flux divergence, and estimates of tidal energy flux into shallow seas, derived from T/P altimetry data using both formal data assimilation methods and empirical approaches. With the data assimilation methods we can place formal error bars on the fluxes. Our results show that 20-25% of tidal energy dissipation occurs outside of the shallow seas, the traditional sink for tidal energy. This suggests that up to 1 TW of energy may be available from the tides (lunar and solar) for mixing the deep ocean. The dissipation indeed appears to be concentrated over areas of rough topography.

Evaluation of satellite and reanalysis‐based global net surface energy flux and uncertainty estimates

PubMed Central

Allan, Richard P.; Mayer, Michael; Hyder, Patrick; Loeb, Norman G.; Roberts, Chris D.; Valdivieso, Maria; Edwards, John M.; Vidale, Pier‐Luigi

2017-01-01

Abstract The net surface energy flux is central to the climate system yet observational limitations lead to substantial uncertainty. A combination of satellite‐derived radiative fluxes at the top of atmosphere adjusted using the latest estimation of the net heat uptake of the Earth system, and the atmospheric energy tendencies and transports from the ERA‐Interim reanalysis are used to estimate surface energy flux globally. To consider snowmelt and improve regional realism, land surface fluxes are adjusted through a simple energy balance approach at each grid point. This energy adjustment is redistributed over the oceans to ensure energy conservation and maintain realistic global ocean heat uptake, using a weighting function to avoid meridional discontinuities. Calculated surface energy fluxes are evaluated through comparison to ocean reanalyses. Derived turbulent energy flux variability is compared with the Objectively Analyzed air‐sea Fluxes (OAFLUX) product, and inferred meridional energy transports in the global ocean and the Atlantic are also evaluated using observations. Uncertainties in surface fluxes are investigated using a variety of approaches including comparison with a range of atmospheric reanalysis products. Decadal changes in the global mean and the interhemispheric energy imbalances are quantified, and present day cross‐equator heat transports are reevaluated at 0.22 ± 0.15 PW (petawatts) southward by the atmosphere and 0.32 ± 0.16 PW northward by the ocean considering the observed ocean heat sinks. PMID:28804697

Impact of Parameterized Lee Wave Drag on the Energy Budget of an Eddying Global Ocean Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-26

Teixeira, J., Peng, M., Hogan, T.F., Pauley, R., 2002. Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS): Forcing for ocean models...Impact of parameterized lee wave drag on the energy budget of an eddying global ocean model David S. Trossman a,⇑, Brian K. Arbic a, Stephen T...input and output terms in the total mechanical energy budget of a hybrid coordinate high-resolution global ocean general circulation model forced by winds

The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Education Materials Collection: Bringing Ocean Exploration Alive for Teachers and Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haynes, S.

2012-12-01

The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, America's first Federal ship dedicated to ocean exploration, is envisioned as the ship upon which learners of all ages embark together on scientific voyages of exploration to poorly-known or unexplored areas of the global ocean. Through a combination of lessons, web pages, a ship tracker and dynamic imagery and video, learners participate as ocean explorers in breakthrough discoveries leading to increased scientific understanding and enhanced literacy about our ocean world. The Okeanos Explorer Education Materials Collection was developed to encourage educators and students to become personally involved with the ship's voyages and discoveries. This collection is presented in two volumes: Volume 1: Why Do We Explore? (modern reasons for ocean exploration - specifically, climate change, energy, human health and ocean health) and Volume 2: How Do We Explore? (21st Century strategies and tools for ocean exploration, including telepresence, sonar mapping, water column exploration and remotely operated vehicles). These volumes have been developed into full-day professional development opportunities provided at NOAA OER Alliance Partner sites nationwide and include lessons for grades 5-12 designed to support the evolving science education needs currently articulated in the K-12 Framework for Science Education. Together, the lessons, web pages, ship tracker and videos provide a dynamic education package for teachers to share modern ocean exploration in the classroom and inspire the next generation of explorers. This presentation will share these two Volumes, highlights from current explorations of the Okeanos Explorer and how they are used in ocean explorer lessons, and methods for accessing ocean explorer resources and following along with expeditions.;

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 heat uptake of approximately 0.9 ± 0.8 W m-2 (expressed relative to Earth's surface area) between 1995 and 2002, which reduces to about 0.2 ± 0.6 W m-2 between 2004 and 2006, in qualitative agreement with recent analysis of Earth's energy imbalance. There is a marked reduction in the ensemble spread of OHC trends below 300 m as the Argo profiling float observations become available in the early 2000s. In general, we suggest that ORAs should be treated with caution when employed to understand past ocean warming trends—especially when considering the deeper ocean where there is little in the way of observational constraints. The current work emphasizes the need to better observe the deep ocean, both for providing observational constraints for future ocean state estimation efforts and also to develop improved models and data assimilation methods.

Energy transports by ocean and atmosphere based on an entropy extremum principle. I - Zonal averaged transports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sohn, Byung-Ju; Smith, Eric A.

1993-01-01

The maximum entropy production principle suggested by Paltridge (1975) is applied to separating the satellite-determined required total transports into atmospheric and oceanic components. Instead of using the excessively restrictive equal energy dissipation hypothesis as a deterministic tool for separating transports between the atmosphere and ocean fluids, the satellite-inferred required 2D energy transports are imposed on Paltridge's energy balance model, which is then solved as a variational problem using the equal energy dissipation hypothesis only to provide an initial guess field. It is suggested that Southern Ocean transports are weaker than previously reported. It is argued that a maximum entropy production principle can serve as a governing rule on macroscale global climate, and, in conjunction with conventional satellite measurements of the net radiation balance, provides a means to decompose atmosphere and ocean transports from the total transport field.

Ice ages and the thermal equilibrium of the earth, II

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adam, D.P.

1975-01-01

The energy required to sustain midlatitude continental glaciations comes from solar radiation absorbed by the oceans. It is made available through changes in relative amounts of energy lost from the sea surface as net outgoing infrared radiation, sensible heat loss, and latent heat loss. Ice sheets form in response to the initial occurrence of a large perennial snowfield in the subarctic. When such a snowfield forms, it undergoes a drastic reduction in absorbed solar energy because of its high albedo. When the absorbed solar energy cannot supply local infrared radiation losses, the snowfield cools, thus increasing the energy gradient between itself and external, warmer areas that can act as energy sources. Cooling of the snowfield progresses until the energy gradients between the snowfield and external heat sources are sufficient to bring in enough (latent plus sensible) energy to balance the energy budget over the snowfield. Much of the energy is imported as latent heat. The snow that falls and nourishes the ice sheet is a by-product of the process used to satisfy the energy balance requirements of the snowfield. The oceans are the primary energy source for the ice sheet because only the ocean can supply large amounts of latent heat. At first, some of the energy extracted by the ice sheet from the ocean is stored heat, so the ocean cools. As it cools, less energy is lost as net outgoing infrared radiation, and the energy thus saved is then available to augment evaporation. The ratio between sensible and latent heat lost by the ocean is the Bowen ratio; it depends in part on the sea surface temperature. As the sea surface temperature falls during a glaciation, the Bowen ratio increases, until most of the available energy leaves the oceans as sensible, rather than latent heat. The ice sheet starves, and an interglacial period begins. The oscillations between stadial and interstadial intervals within a glaciation are caused by the effects of varying amounts of glacial meltwater entering the oceans as a surface layer that acts to reduce the amount of energy available for glacial nourishment. This causes the ice sheet to melt back, which continues the supply of meltwater until the ice sheet diminishes to a size consistent with the reduced rate of nourishment. The meltwater supply then decreases, the rate of nourishment increases, and a new stadial begins. ?? 1975.

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

Pinto, F. T.; Iglesias, G.; Santos, P. R.

Marine renewable energy (MRE) is generates from waves, currents, tides, and thermal resources in the ocean. MRE has been identified as a potential commercial-scale source of renewable energy. This special topic presents a compilation of works selected from the 3rd IAHR Europe Congress, held in Porto, Portugal, in 2014. It covers different subjects relevant to MRE, including resource assessment, marine energy sector policies, energy source comparisons based on levelized cost, proof-of-concept and new-technology development for wave and tidal energy exploitation, and assessment of possible inference between wave energy converters (WEC).

An ocean bottom seismic observatory with near real-time telemetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berger, J.; Laske, G.; Babcock, J.; Orcutt, J.

2016-02-01

We describe a new technology that can provide near real-time telemetry of sensor data from the ocean bottom without a moored buoy or a cable to shore. The breakthrough technology that makes this system possible is an autonomous surface vehicle called a Wave Glider developed by Liquid Robotics, Inc. of Sunnyvale, CA, which harvests wave and solar energy for motive and electrical power. We present results from several deployments of a prototype system that demonstrate the feasibility of this concept. We also demonstrated that a wave glider could tow a suitably designed ocean bottom package with acceptable loss of speed. With further development such a system could be deployed autonomously and provide real-time telemetry of data from seafloor sensors.

The Development of a Finite Volume Method for Modeling Sound in Coastal Ocean Environment

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

Long, Wen; Yang, Zhaoqing; Copping, Andrea E.

: As the rapid growth of marine renewable energy and off-shore wind energy, there have been concerns that the noises generated from construction and operation of the devices may interfere marine animals’ communication. In this research, a underwater sound model is developed to simulate sound prorogation generated by marine-hydrokinetic energy (MHK) devices or offshore wind (OSW) energy platforms. Finite volume and finite difference methods are developed to solve the 3D Helmholtz equation of sound propagation in the coastal environment. For finite volume method, the grid system consists of triangular grids in horizontal plane and sigma-layers in vertical dimension. A 3Dmore » sparse matrix solver with complex coefficients is formed for solving the resulting acoustic pressure field. The Complex Shifted Laplacian Preconditioner (CSLP) method is applied to efficiently solve the matrix system iteratively with MPI parallelization using a high performance cluster. The sound model is then coupled with the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) for simulating sound propagation generated by human activities in a range-dependent setting, such as offshore wind energy platform constructions and tidal stream turbines. As a proof of concept, initial validation of the finite difference solver is presented for two coastal wedge problems. Validation of finite volume method will be reported separately.« less

Energy-optimal path planning in the coastal ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subramani, Deepak N.; Haley, Patrick J.; Lermusiaux, Pierre F. J.

2017-05-01

We integrate data-driven ocean modeling with the stochastic Dynamically Orthogonal (DO) level-set optimization methodology to compute and study energy-optimal paths, speeds, and headings for ocean vehicles in the Middle-Atlantic Bight (MAB) region. We hindcast the energy-optimal paths from among exact time-optimal paths for the period 28 August 2006 to 9 September 2006. To do so, we first obtain a data-assimilative multiscale reanalysis, combining ocean observations with implicit two-way nested multiresolution primitive-equation simulations of the tidal-to-mesoscale dynamics in the region. Second, we solve the reduced-order stochastic DO level-set partial differential equations (PDEs) to compute the joint probability of minimum arrival time, vehicle-speed time series, and total energy utilized. Third, for each arrival time, we select the vehicle-speed time series that minimize the total energy utilization from the marginal probability of vehicle-speed and total energy. The corresponding energy-optimal path and headings are obtained through the exact particle-backtracking equation. Theoretically, the present methodology is PDE-based and provides fundamental energy-optimal predictions without heuristics. Computationally, it is 3-4 orders of magnitude faster than direct Monte Carlo methods. For the missions considered, we analyze the effects of the regional tidal currents, strong wind events, coastal jets, shelfbreak front, and other local circulations on the energy-optimal paths. Results showcase the opportunities for vehicles that intelligently utilize the ocean environment to minimize energy usage, rigorously integrating ocean forecasting with optimal control of autonomous vehicles.

Development and validation of a regional coupled forecasting system for S2S forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, R.; Subramanian, A. C.; Hoteit, I.; Miller, A. J.; Ralph, M.; Cornuelle, B. D.

2017-12-01

Accurate and efficient forecasting of oceanic and atmospheric circulation is essential for a wide variety of high-impact societal needs, including: weather extremes; environmental protection and coastal management; management of fisheries, marine conservation; water resources; and renewable energy. Effective forecasting relies on high model fidelity and accurate initialization of the models with observed state of the ocean-atmosphere-land coupled system. A regional coupled ocean-atmosphere model with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the MITGCM ocean model coupled using the ESMF (Earth System Modeling Framework) coupling framework is developed to resolve mesoscale air-sea feedbacks. The regional coupled model allows oceanic mixed layer heat and momentum to interact with the atmospheric boundary layer dynamics at the mesoscale and submesoscale spatiotemporal regimes, thus leading to feedbacks which are otherwise not resolved in coarse resolution global coupled forecasting systems or regional uncoupled forecasting systems. The model is tested in two scenarios in the mesoscale eddy rich Red Sea and Western Indian Ocean region as well as mesoscale eddies and fronts of the California Current System. Recent studies show evidence for air-sea interactions involving the oceanic mesoscale in these two regions which can enhance predictability on sub seasonal timescale. We will present results from this newly developed regional coupled ocean-atmosphere model for forecasts over the Red Sea region as well as the California Current region. The forecasts will be validated against insitu observations in the region as well as reanalysis fields.

Harnessing methane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

The total methane resource in hydrates—ice-like substances found in deep ocean sediments and Arctic permafrost—exceeds the energy content of all other fossil fuel resources,such as coal, oil, and conventional gas, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).The Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act, signed into law by U.S. President Bill Clinton on May 3, establishes a new federal commitment to developing methane hydrates, which has been touted as a potentially clean energy source that could make the U.S. less dependent on foreign sources of energy. The bill authorizes $47.5 million over five years for the Department of Energy to establish a federal methane hydrate research and development program.

Energy Harvesting from Surface River/Ocean Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Wenzheng

The renewable energy is an important subject especially today as the world is facing the results of the pollution and depletion of the conventional energy resources. Around 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water where the energy of the waves/tides could be used as alternative source of energy that is sustainable and environmental friendly. Most of the research efforts are focused on the development of the large-scale technologies that can operate in the open Ocean. The potential of the low-frequency and small-amplitude wave condition in shallow rivers and lakes where most of the world wave energy exists has not been explored yet. The objective of the current study is to design and develop new concepts for wave energy extraction, which depend on oscillatory wave motion and have the ability to convert the small and medium waves. The proposed devices are self-generating without any external sources, which makes them lightweight and naturally floating on the surface of the water. Feasibility studies of both designs were performed using numerical modeling and field experiments. The final prototypes achieved power output of 5.0+/-0.6mW and 0.25+/-0.01mW, respectively. Array systems implementing both concepts were also introduced to improve the performance of the devices.

Twenty Years of Progress on Global Ocean Tide: The Impact of Satellite Altimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egbert, Gary D.; Ray, Richard D.

2013-09-01

At the dawn of the era of high-precision altimetry, before the launch of TOPEX/Poseidon, ocean tides were properly viewed as a source of noise-tidal variations in ocean height would represent a very substantial fraction of what the altimeter measures, and would have to be accurately predicted and subtracted if altimetry were to achieve its potential for ocean and climate studies. But to the extent that the altimetry could be severely contaminated by tides, it also represented an unprecedented global-scale tidal data set. These new data, together with research stimulated by the need for accurate tidal corrections, led to a renaissance in tidal studies in the oceanographic community. In this paper we review contributions of altimetry to tidal science over the past 20 years, emphasizing recent progress. Mapping of tides has now been extended from the early focus on major constituents in the open ocean to include minor constituents, (e.g., long-period tides; non-linear tides in shelf waters, and in the open ocean), and into shallow and coastal waters. Global and spatially local estimates of tidal energy balance have been refined, and the role of internal tide conversion in dissipating barotropic tidal energy is now well established through modeling, altimetry, and in situ observations. However, energy budgets for internal tides, and the role of tidal dissipation in vertical ocean mixing remain controversial topics. Altimetry may contribute to resolving some of these important questions through improved mapping of low-mode internal tides. This area has advanced significantly in recent years, with several global maps now available, and progress on constraining temporally incoherent components. For the future, new applications of altimetry (e.g., in the coastal ocean, where barotropic tidal models remain inadequate), and new mission concepts (studies of the sub-mesoscale with SWOT, which will require correction for internal tides) may bring us full circle, again pushing further development of tidal models as corrections.

Twenty Years of Progress on Global Ocean Tides: The Impact of Satellite Altimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Egbert, Gary; Ray, Richard

2012-01-01

At the dawn of the era of high-precision altimetry, before the launch of TOPEX/Poseidon, ocean tides were properly viewed as a source of noise--tidal variations in ocean height would represent a very substantial fraction of what the altimeter measures, and would have to be accurately predicted and subtracted if altimetry were to achieve its potential for ocean and climate studies. But to the extent that the altimetry could be severely contaminated by tides, it also represented an unprecedented global-scale tidal data set. These new data, together with research stimulated by the need for accurate tidal corrections, led to a renaissance in tidal studies in the oceanographic community. In this paper we review contributions of altimetry to tidal science over the past 20 years, emphasizing recent progress. Mapping of tides has now been extended from the early focus on major constituents in the open ocean to include minor constituents, (e.g., long-period tides; non-linear tides in shelf waters, and in the open ocean), and into shallow and coastal waters. Global and spatially local estimates of tidal energy balance have been refined, and the role of internal tide conversion in dissipating barotropic tidal energy is now well established through modeling, altimetry, and in situ observations. However, energy budgets for internal tides, and the role of tidal dissipation in vertical ocean mixing remain controversial topics. Altimetry may contribute to resolving some of these important questions through improved mapping of low-mode internal tides. This area has advanced significantly in recent years, with several global maps now available, and progress on constraining temporally incoherent components. For the future, new applications of altimetry (e.g., in the coastal ocean, where barotropic tidal models remain inadequate), and new mission concepts (studies of the submesoscale with SWOT, which will require correction for internal tides) may bring us full circle, again pushing further development of tidal models as corrections.

The Feds and the Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coyle, Daniel

1979-01-01

Lists and annotates recurrent federal publications that contain basic statistical data on pollution levels and controls, natural resources and wildlife conservation, water resources supply and development, weather and ocean conditions, federal aid programs, and the environmental impact of energy development. It also lists continuing bibliographies…

The development of marine renewable energy in China: prospects, challenges and recommendations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ji; Wang, Haifeng; Liu, Yuxin; Chen, Libo; Tang, Jiuting

2018-02-01

In this paper, resources distribution and technology status of tidal energy, wave energy, tidal current energy, ocean thermal energy and salinity gradient energy in China is reviewed, and assessment and advices are given for each category. By analysis, we believe that marine renewable energy is a necessary addition to existent renewable energy to meet the energy demand of the areas and islands where traditional forms of energy are not applicable and it is of great importance in adjusting energy structure of China. This paper describes the potential of marine renewable energy in China, and explores the possible role in future energy systems. As the paper discusses, building on these initiatives, and “realizing” the accelerated development of marine energy, presents a number of challenges. This paper describes a scenario for the accelerated development of marine renewable energy in China from now to 2030. Finally, this paper provides recommendations for future development of marine renewable energy in China.

Metabolic Energy Demand Is Not Increased during Initial Shell Formation of Bivalves Exposed to Aragonite Undersaturation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, F.; Frieder, C.; Applebaum, S.; Manahan, D. T.

2016-02-01

The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, is a major commercial species in global aquaculture. Ocean acidification is having a negative effect on larval production of this species, so the mechanisms of this impact are of considerable interest. Formation of new shell in C. gigas during the first 2-days post-fertilization results in a rapid six-fold increase in total mass. This period of early development has high sensitivity to changes in carbonate chemistry, in particular aragonite saturation state (Ω). An elevated energy cost for calcification at low Ω is often invoked as a mechanism. In this study, we characterized the developmental progression of first shell formation, total metabolic expenditure, and underlying biochemical processes of energy allocation during early development of C. gigas, under control (Ω >> 1) and undersaturated conditions (Ω < 1). While undersaturated conditions delayed the onset of calcification and resulted in decreased shell mass, there was no change in total metabolic energy demand. Furthermore, partitioning of total metabolic energy showed no major re-allocation of ATP to protein synthesis or ion pump activity (Na+, K+-ATPase) between the two treatments. We conclude that early development to the shelled-veliger larval stage does not require more energy at undersaturation. This finding helps constrain potential mechanisms of larval sensitivity to ocean acidification and narrows the focus for possible mitigation strategies for oyster aquaculture production.

Wave Power Demonstration Project at Reedsport, Oregon

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

Mekhiche, Mike; Downie, Bruce

2013-10-21

Ocean wave power can be a significant source of large‐scale, renewable energy for the US electrical grid. The Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) conservatively estimated that 20% of all US electricity could be generated by wave energy. Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (OPT), with funding from private sources and the US Navy, developed the PowerBuoy to generate renewable energy from the readily available power in ocean waves. OPT's PowerBuoy converts the energy in ocean waves to electricity using the rise and fall of waves to move the buoy up and down (mechanical stroking) which drives an electric generator. This electricity ismore » then conditioned and transmitted ashore as high‐voltage power via underwater cable. OPT's wave power generation system includes sophisticated techniques to automatically tune the system for efficient conversion of random wave energy into low cost green electricity, for disconnecting the system in large waves for hardware safety and protection, and for automatically restoring operation when wave conditions normalize. As the first utility scale wave power project in the US, the Wave Power Demonstration Project at Reedsport, OR, will consist of 10 PowerBuoys located 2.5 miles off the coast. This U.S. Department of Energy Grant funding along with funding from PNGC Power, an Oregon‐based electric power cooperative, was utilized for the design completion, fabrication, assembly and factory testing of the first PowerBuoy for the Reedsport project. At this time, the design and fabrication of this first PowerBuoy and factory testing of the power take‐off subsystem are complete; additionally the power take‐off subsystem has been successfully integrated into the spar.« less

Measuring ocean waves from space; Proceedings of the Symposium, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD, Apr. 15-17, 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beal, Robert C. (Editor)

1987-01-01

Papers are presented on ocean-wave prediction; the quasi-universal form of the spectra of wind-generated gravity waves at different stages of their development; the limitations of the spectral measurements and observations of the group structure of surface waves; the effect of swell on the growth of wind wave; operational wave forecasting; ocean-wave models, and seakeeping using directional wave spectra. Consideration is given to microwave measurements of the ocean-wave directional spectra; SIR research; estimating wave energy spectra from SAR imagery, with the radar ocean-wave spectrometer, and SIR-B; the wave-measurement capabilities of the surface contour radar and the airborne oceanographic lidar; and SIR-B ocean-wave enhancement with fast-Fourier transform techniques. Topics discussed include wave-current interaction; the design and applicability of Spectrasat; the need for a global wave monitoring system; the age and source of ocean swell observed in Hurricane Josephine; and the use of satellite technology for insulin treatment.

Unlocking Electric Power in the Oceans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurwood, David L.

1985-01-01

Cruising or stationary ocean thermal plants could convert the vast heat energy of the ocean into electricity for islands and underdeveloped countries. This approach to energy conservation is described with suggestions for design and outputs of plants. A model project operating in Hawaii is noted. (DH)

Is the Future Really in Algae?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trent, Jonathan

2011-01-01

Having just emerged from the warmest decade on record and watching as the oceans acidify, global resources peak, the world's population continues to climb, and nearly half of all known species face extinction by the end of the century. We stand on the threshold of one of the most important transition in human history-the transition from hunting-and-gathering our energy to cultivating sustainable, carbon-neutral, environmentally-friendly energy supplies. Can we "cultivate" enerm without competing with agriculture for land, freshwater, or fertilizer? Can we develop an "ecology of technology" that optimizes our use of limited resources? Is human activity compatible with improved conditions in the world's oceans? Will our ingenuity prevail in time to make a difference for our children and the children of all species? With support from NASA ARMD and the California Energy Commission, a group of dedicated scientists and engineers are working on a project called OMEGA (Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae), to provide practical answers to these critical questions and to leave a legacy of hope for the oceans and for the future.

Computational modeling of pitching cylinder-type ocean wave energy converters using 3D MPI-parallel simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freniere, Cole; Pathak, Ashish; Raessi, Mehdi

2016-11-01

Ocean Wave Energy Converters (WECs) are devices that convert energy from ocean waves into electricity. To aid in the design of WECs, an advanced computational framework has been developed which has advantages over conventional methods. The computational framework simulates the performance of WECs in a virtual wave tank by solving the full Navier-Stokes equations in 3D, capturing the fluid-structure interaction, nonlinear and viscous effects. In this work, we present simulations of the performance of pitching cylinder-type WECs and compare against experimental data. WECs are simulated at both model and full scales. The results are used to determine the role of the Keulegan-Carpenter (KC) number. The KC number is representative of viscous drag behavior on a bluff body in an oscillating flow, and is considered an important indicator of the dynamics of a WEC. Studying the effects of the KC number is important for determining the validity of the Froude scaling and the inviscid potential flow theory, which are heavily relied on in the conventional approaches to modeling WECs. Support from the National Science Foundation is gratefully acknowledged.

The interaction between sea ice and salinity-dominated ocean circulation: implications for halocline stability and rapid changes of sea-ice cover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, M. F.; Nilsson, J.; Nisancioglu, K. H.

2016-02-01

In this study, we develop a simple conceptual model to examine how interactions between sea ice and oceanic heat and freshwater transports affect the stability of an upper-ocean halocline in a semi-enclosed basin. The model represents a sea-ice covered and salinity stratified ocean, and consists of a sea-ice component and a two-layer ocean; a cold, fresh surface layer above a warmer, more saline layer. The sea-ice thickness depends on the atmospheric energy fluxes as well as the ocean heat flux. We introduce a thickness-dependent sea-ice export. Whether sea ice stabilizes or destabilizes against a freshwater perturbation is shown to depend on the representation of the vertical mixing. In a system where the vertical diffusivity is constant, the sea ice acts as a positive feedback on a freshwater perturbation. If the vertical diffusivity is derived from a constant mixing energy constraint, the sea ice acts as a negative feedback. However, both representations lead to a circulation that breaks down when the freshwater input at the surface is small. As a consequence, we get rapid changes in sea ice. In addition to low freshwater forcing, increasing deep-ocean temperatures promote instability and the disappearance of sea ice. Generally, the unstable state is reached before the vertical density difference disappears, and small changes in temperature and freshwater inputs can provoke abrupt changes in sea ice.

Renewable energy and characteristics of the Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Léger, Valérie

2016-04-01

During studying sustainable development, my sixth-form pupils have to devise and carry out experiments to show connection between some characteristics of the Earth and renewable energy. Thus, helping by a list of equipment, they can show, using simples' experiments, causal link. For example, they show that the layout in latitude of solar energy received on the ground, creates ocean and atmospheric currents. These currents are useful to product renewable energy. These researches allow me to show them new jobs link with renewable energy and sustainable development on the Earth. They can have more information thanks to other teachers working on the professional training centre including my secondary school.

Ocean Thermal Energy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkovsky, Boris

1987-01-01

Describes Ocean Thermal Energy Conservation (OTEC) as a method for exploiting the temperature difference between warm surface waters of the sea and its cold depths. Argues for full-scale demonstrations of the technique for producing energy for coastal regions. (TW)

Twisted Savonius turbine based marine current energy conversion system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, Md. Imtiaj

The Ocean Network Seafloor Instrumentation (ONSFI) Project is a multidisciplinary research and development project that aims to design, fabricate and validate a proof-of-concept seafloor array of wireless marine sensors for use in monitoring seabed processes. The sensor pods, known as Seaformatics, will be powered by ocean bottom currents and will be able to communicate with each other and to the Internet through surface master units to facilitate observation of the ocean floor from the shore. This thesis explores the use of the twisted Savonius turbine as a means of converting the kinetic energy of the free flowing water into electrical energy for the pods. This will eliminate the need for battery replacement. A physical model of the turbine was constructed and tested in the Water Flume at the Marine Institute of Memorial University and in the Wind Tunnel in the Engineering Building at Memorial University. A mathematical model of the turbine was constructed in SolidWorks. This was tested in the Computational Fluid Dynamics or CFD software FLOW-3D. Experimental results were compared with CFD results and the agreement was reasonable. A twisted Savonius turbine emulator was developed to test a dc-dc boost converter. A low cost microcontroller based MPPT algorithm was developed to obtain maximum power from the turbine. Overall the thesis shows that the twisted Savonius turbine can provide the power needed by the sensor pods. It also shows that CFD is a viable way to study the performance of the Savonius type of turbine.

Chemical consequences of compaction within the freezing front of a crystallizing magma ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hier-Majumder, S.; Hirschmann, M. M.

2013-12-01

The thermal and compositional evolution of planetary magma oceans have profound influences on the early development and differentiation of terrestrial planets. During crystallization, rejection of elements incompatible in precipitating solids leads to petrologic and geochemical planetary differentiation, including potentially development of a compositionally stratified early mantle and evolution of thick overlying atmospheres. In cases of extremely efficient segregation of melt and crystals, solidified early mantles can be nearly devoid of key incompatible species including heat-producing (U, Th, K) and volatile (H,C,N,& noble gas) elements. A key structural component of a crystallizing magma ocean is the partially molten freezing front. The dynamics of this region influences the distribution of incompatible elements between the earliest mantle and the initial surficial reservoirs. It also can be the locus of heating owing to the dissipation of large amounts of tidal energy potentially available from the early Moon. The dynamics are influenced by the solidification rate, which is coupled to the liberation of volatiles owing to the modulating greenhouse effects in the overlying thick atmosphere. Compaction and melt retention in the freezing front of a magma ocean has received little previous attention. While the front advances during the course of crystallization, coupled conservation of mass, momentum, and energy within the front controls distribution and retention of melt within this layer. Due to compaction within this layer, melt distribution is far from uniform, and the fraction of melt trapped within this front depends on the rate of freezing of the magma ocean. During phases of rapid freezing, high amount of trapped melt within the freezing front retains a larger quantity of dissolved volatiles and the reverse is true during slow periods of crystallization. Similar effects are known from inferred trapped liquid fractions in layered mafic intrusions. Here we develop a simple 1-D model of melt retention in the freezing front of a crystallizing magma ocean, and apply it to the thermal and chemical evolution of the early Earth.

Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Technologies: Potential Navigational Impacts and Mitigation Measures

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

Cool, Richard, M.; Hudon, Thomas, J.; Basco, David, R.

2009-12-10

On April 15, 2008, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Advanced Water Power Projects which included a Topic Area for Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Market Acceleration Projects. Within this Topic Area, DOE identified potential navigational impacts of marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy technologies and measures to prevent adverse impacts on navigation as a sub-topic area. DOE defines marine and hydrokinetic technologies as those capable of utilizing one or more of the following resource categories for energy generation: ocean waves; tides or ocean currents; free flowing water in rivers or streams; and energy generation frommore » the differentials in ocean temperature. PCCI was awarded Cooperative Agreement DE-FC36-08GO18177 from the DOE to identify the potential navigational impacts and mitigation measures for marine hydrokinetic technologies, as summarized herein. The contract also required cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and two recipients of awards (Pacific Energy Ventures and reVision) in a sub-topic area to develop a protocol to identify streamlined, best-siting practices. Over the period of this contract, PCCI and our sub-consultants, David Basco, Ph.D., and Neil Rondorf of Science Applications International Corporation, met with USCG headquarters personnel, with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers headquarters and regional personnel, with U.S. Navy regional personnel and other ocean users in order to develop an understanding of existing practices for the identification of navigational impacts that might occur during construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning. At these same meetings, “standard” and potential mitigation measures were discussed so that guidance could be prepared for project developers. Concurrently, PCCI reviewed navigation guidance published by the USCG and international community. This report summarizes the results of this effort, provides guidance in the form of a checklist for assessing the navigational impacts of potential marine and hydrokinetic projects, and provides guidance for improving the existing navigational guidance promulgated by the USCG in Navigation Vessel Inspection Circular 02 07. At the request of the USCG, our checklist and mitigation guidance was written in a generic nature so that it could be equally applied to offshore wind projects. PCCI teleconferenced on a monthly basis with DOE, Pacific Energy Ventures and reVision in order to share information and review work products. Although the focus of our effort was on marine and hydrokinetic technologies, as defined above, this effort drew upon earlier work by the USCG on offshore wind renewable energy installations. The guidance provided herein can be applied equally to marine and hydrokinetic technologies and to offshore wind, which are collectively referred to by the USCG as Renewable Energy Installations.« less

76 FR 64431 - Reorganization of Title 30: Bureaus of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and Ocean Energy...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-18

...This rule contains regulations that will be under the authority of two newly formed Bureaus, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), both within the Department of the Interior. On May 19, 2010, the Secretary of the Interior announced the separation of the responsibilities performed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) (formerly the Minerals Management Service) into three new separate organizations: Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Those regulations that will apply to the authority of BSEE organization will remain in 30 CFR chapter II, but be retitled ``Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.'' This rule removes from chapter II those regulations that will apply to the authority of BOEM and recodifies them into a new 30 CFR chapter V entitled ``Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.''

Methodology for the comparative assessment of the Satellite Power System (SPS) and alternative technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolsko, T.; Buehring, W.; Cirillo, R.; Gasper, J.; Habegger, L.; Hub, K.; Newsom, D.; Samsa, M.; Stenehjem, E.; Whitfield, R.

1980-01-01

The energy systems concerned are the satellite power system, several coal technologies, geothermal energy, fission, fusion, terrestrial solar systems, and ocean thermal energy conversion. Guidelines are suggested for the characterization of these systems, side-by-side analysis, alternative futures analysis, and integration and aggregation of data. A description of the methods for assessing the technical, economic, environmental, societal, and institutional issues surrounding the development of the selected energy technologies is presented.

IECEC '83; Proceedings of the Eighteenth Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Orlando, FL, August 21-26, 1983. Volume 1 - Thermal energy systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Among the topics discussed are the nuclear fuel cycle, advanced nuclear reactor designs, developments in central status power reactors, space nuclear reactors, magnetohydrodynamic devices, thermionic devices, thermoelectric devices, geothermal systems, solar thermal energy conversion systems, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) developments, and advanced energy conversion concepts. Among the specific questions covered under these topic headings are a design concept for an advanced light water breeder reactor, energy conversion in MW-sized space power systems, directionally solidified cermet electrodes for thermionic energy converters, boron-based high temperature thermoelectric materials, geothermal energy commercialization, solar Stirling cycle power conversion, and OTEC production of methanol. For individual items see A84-30027 to A84-30055

An introduction to three-dimensional climate modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Washington, W. M.; Parkinson, C. L.

1986-01-01

The development and use of three-dimensional computer models of the earth's climate are discussed. The processes and interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, and sea ice are examined. The basic theory of climate simulation which includes the fundamental equations, models, and numerical techniques for simulating the atmosphere, oceans, and sea ice is described. Simulated wind, temperature, precipitation, ocean current, and sea ice distribution data are presented and compared to observational data. The responses of the climate to various environmental changes, such as variations in solar output or increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, are modeled. Future developments in climate modeling are considered. Information is also provided on the derivation of the energy equation, the finite difference barotropic forecast model, the spectral transform technique, and the finite difference shallow water waved equation model.

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion power system development. Phase I: preliminary design. Final report. [ODSP-3 code; OTEC Steady-State Analysis Program

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

Not Available

1978-12-04

The following appendices are included; Dynamic Simulation Program (ODSP-3); sample results of dynamic simulation; trip report - NH/sub 3/ safety precautions/accident records; trip report - US Coast Guard Headquarters; OTEC power system development, preliminary design test program report; medium turbine generator inspection point program; net energy analysis; bus bar cost of electricity; OTEC technical specifications; and engineer drawings. (WHK)

The Future Potential of Wave Power in the US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Previsic, M.; Epler, J.; Hand, M.; Heimiller, D.; Short, W.; Eurek, K.

2012-12-01

The theoretical ocean wave energy resource potential exceeds 50% of the annual domestic energy demand of the US, is located in close proximity of coastal population centers, and, although variable in nature, may be more consistent and predictable than some other renewable generation technologies. As renewable electricity generation technologies, ocean wave energy offers a low air pollutant option for diversifying the US electricity generation portfolio. Furthermore, the output characteristics of these technologies may complement other renewable technologies. This study addresses: (1) The energy extraction potential from the US wave energy resource, (2) The present cost of wave technology in /kW, (3) The estimated cost of energy in /kWh, and (4) Cost levels at which the technology should see significant deployment. RE Vision Consulting in collaboration with NREL engaged in various analyses to establish present-day and future cost profiles for MHK technologies, compiled existing resource assessments and wave energy supply curves, and developed cost and deployment scenarios using the ReEDS analysis model to estimate the present-day technology cost reductions necessary to facilitate significant technology deployment in the US.

The global distribution and dynamics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter.

PubMed

Nelson, Norman B; Siegel, David A

2013-01-01

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is a ubiquitous component of the open ocean dissolved matter pool, and is important owing to its influence on the optical properties of the water column, its role in photochemistry and photobiology, and its utility as a tracer of deep ocean biogeochemical processes and circulation. In this review, we discuss the global distribution and dynamics of CDOM in the ocean, concentrating on developments in the past 10 years and restricting our discussion to open ocean and deep ocean (below the main thermocline) environments. CDOM has been demonstrated to exert primary control on ocean color by its absorption of light energy, which matches or exceeds that of phytoplankton pigments in most cases. This has important implications for assessing the ocean biosphere via ocean color-based remote sensing and the evaluation of ocean photochemical and photobiological processes. The general distribution of CDOM in the global ocean is controlled by a balance between production (primarily microbial remineralization of organic matter) and photolysis, with vertical ventilation circulation playing an important role in transporting CDOM to and from intermediate water masses. Significant decadal-scale fluctuations in the abundance of global surface ocean CDOM have been observed using remote sensing, indicating a potentially important role for CDOM in ocean-climate connections through its impact on photochemistry and photobiology.

Recent trends in energy flows through the Arctic climate system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, Michael; Haimberger, Leo

2016-04-01

While Arctic climate change can be diagnosed in many parameters, a comprehensive assessment of long-term changes and low frequency variability in the coupled Arctic energy budget still remains challenging due to the complex physical processes involved and the lack of observations. Here we draw on strongly improved observational capabilities of the past 15 years and employ observed radiative fluxes from CERES along with state-of-the-art atmospheric as well as coupled ocean-ice reanalyses to explore recent changes in energy flows through the Arctic climate system. Various estimates of ice volume and ocean heat content trends imply that the energy imbalance of the Arctic climate system was >1 Wm-2 during the 2000-2015 period, where most of the extra heat warmed the ocean and a comparatively small fraction was used to melt sea ice. The energy imbalance was partly fed by enhanced oceanic heat transports into the Arctic, especially in the mid 2000s. Seasonal trends of net radiation show a very clear signal of the ice-albedo feedback. Stronger radiative energy input during summer means increased seasonal oceanic heat uptake and accelerated sea ice melt. In return, lower minimum sea ice extent and higher SSTs lead to enhanced heat release from the ocean during fall season. These results are consistent with modeling studies finding an enhancement of the annual cycle of surface energy exchanges in a warming Arctic. Moreover, stronger heat fluxes from the ocean to the atmosphere in fall tend to warm the arctic boundary layer and reduce meridional temperature gradients, thereby reducing atmospheric energy transports into the polar cap. Although the observed results are a robust finding, extended high-quality datasets are needed to reliably separate trends from low frequency variability.

Some new conceptions in the approach to harnessing tidal energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorlov, A. M.

A method of converting ocean tide energy into compressed air energy for subsequent conversion to electrical and other forms of industrial energy is presented. The tidal energy is converted to compressed air energy by means of specialized chambers which are put on the ocean bed. Ocean water from the dammed region passes through the chamber where it works as a natural piston compressing air in the upper part of the closure. The compressed air can be expanded through high speed compact gas turbines or any type of reciprocating engine. The flexible reinforced plastic barrier should be substantially cheaper than a conventional rigid dam and can be designed so that by means of special floats it becomes a self-supported and self-regulated weightless structural system which can dam a large shallow space of ocean without having to be connected to special bays.

The influence of spatially and temporally high-resolution wind forcing on the power input to near-inertial waves in the ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rimac, A.; Eden, C.; von Storch, J.

2012-12-01

Coexistence of stable stratification, the meridional overturning circulation and meso-scale eddies and their influence on the ocean's circulation still raise complex questions concerning the ocean energetics. Oceanic general circulation is mainly forced by the wind field and deep water tides. Its essential energetics are the conversion of kinetic energy of the winds and tides into oceanic potential and kinetic energy. Energy needed for the circulation is bound to internal wave fields. Direct internal wave generation by the wind at the sea surface is one of the sources of this energy. Previous studies using mixed-layer type of models and low frequency wind forcings (six-hourly and daily) left room for improvement. Using mixed-layer models it is not possible to assess the distribution of near-inertial energy into the deep ocean. Also, coarse temporal resolution of wind forcing strongly underestimates the near-inertial wave energy. To overcome this difficulty we use a high resolution ocean model with high frequency wind forcings. We establish the following model setup: We use the Max Planck Institute Ocean Model (MPIOM) on a tripolar grid with 45km horizontal resolution and 40 vertical levels. We run the model with wind forcings that vary in horizontal (250km versus 40km) and temporal resolution (six versus one-hourly). In our study we answer the following questions: How big is the wind kinetic energy input to the near-inertial waves? Is the kinetic energy of the near-inertial waves enhanced when high-frequency wind forcings are used? If so, by how much and why, due to higher level of temporal wind variability or due to better spatial representation of the near-inertial waves? How big is the total power of near-inertial waves generated by the wind at the surface of the ocean? We run the model for one year. Our model results show that the near-inertial waves are excited both using wind forcings of high and low horizontal and temporal resolution. Near-inertial energy is almost two times higher when we force the model with high frequency wind forcings. The influence on the energy mostly depends on the time difference between two forcing fields while the spatial difference has little influence.

30 CFR 285.504 - How are my payments affected if I develop my lease in phases?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... lease in phases? 285.504 Section 285.504 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY ALTERNATE USES OF EXISTING... § 285.503(b). (c) Rent for a project easement in addition to lease rent, as provided in § 285.507. You...

A Coupled Model of Langmuir Circulations and Ramp-like Structures in the Upper Ocean Turbulent Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soloviev, A.; Dean, C.; Lukas, R.; Donelan, M. A.; Terray, E. A.

2016-12-01

Surface-wave breaking is a powerful mechanism producing significant energy flux to small scale turbulence. Most of the turbulent energy produced by breaking waves dissipates within one significant wave height, while the turbulent diffusion layer extends to approximately ten significant wave heights. Notably, the near-surface shear may practically vanish within the wave-stirred layer due to small-scale turbulent mixing. The surface ocean temperature-salinity structure, circulation, and mass exchanges (including greenhouse gases and pollutants) substantially depend on turbulent mixing and non-local transport in the near-surface layer of the ocean. Spatially coherent organized motions have been recognized as an important part of non-local transport. Langmuir circulation (LC) and ramp-like structures are believed to vertically transfer an appreciable portion of the momentum, heat, gases, pollutants (e.g., oil), and other substances in the upper layer of the ocean. Free surface significantly complicates the analysis of turbulent exchanges at the air-sea interface and the coherent structures are not yet completely understood. In particular, there is growing observational evidence that in the case of developing seas when the wind direction may not coincide with the direction of the energy containing waves, the Langmuir lines are oriented in the wind rather than the wave direction. In addition, the vortex force due to Stokes drift in traditional models is altered in the breaking-wave-stirred layer. Another complication is that the ramp-like structures in the upper ocean turbulent boundary layer have axes perpendicular to the axes of LC. The ramp-like structures are not considered in the traditional model. We have developed a new model, which treats the LC and ramp-like structures in the near-surface layer of the ocean as a coupled system. Using computational fluid dynamics tools (LES), we have been able to reproduce both LC and ramp-like structures coexisting in space though intermittent in time. In the model, helicity isosurfaces appear to be tilted and, in general, coordinated with the tilted velocity isosurfaces produced by ramp-like structures. This is an indication of coupling between the LC and ramp-like structures. Remarkably, the new model is able to explain observations of LC under developing seas.

Energy for biologic sulfate reduction in a hydrothermally formed ocean on Europa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zolotov, Mikhail Y.; Shock, Everett L.

2003-04-01

Formation of a sulfate-bearing ocean on Jupiter's satellite Europa by quenched hydrothermal fluids provides a source of metabolic energy for low-temperature sulfate-reducing organisms that use dissolved H2 as an electron donor. Inhibition of thermodynamically favorable sulfate reduction in cooled hydrothermal fluids creates the potential for biologic reduction. Both high temperature and reduced conditions of ocean-forming hydrothermal solutions favor sulfate reduction in quenched fluids. The maximum amount of energy available to support autotrophic sulfate reduction is on the order of a few kilojoules per kilogram of water and is limited by the low abundances of either H2 or sulfate in ocean-forming fluids. Although this irreplaceable energy source might have supported early life on Europa, maintenance of biologic sulfate reduction throughout the ocean's history would require a supply of organic compounds from endogenic sources or from the satellite's surface.

Upper Atmosphere Heating From Ocean-Generated Acoustic Wave Energy

DOE PAGES

Bowman, D. C.; Lees, J. M.

2018-04-27

We present that colliding sea surface waves generate the ocean microbarom, an acoustic signal that may transmit significant energy to the upper atmosphere. Previous estimates of acoustic energy flux from the ocean microbarom and mountain-wind interactions are on the order of 0.01 to 1 mW/m 2, heating the thermosphere by tens of Kelvins per day. We captured upgoing ocean microbarom waves with a balloon-borne infrasound microphone; the maximum acoustic energy flux was approximately 0.05 mW/m 2. This is about half the average value reported in previous ground-based microbarom observations spanning 8 years. The acoustic flux from the microbarom episode describedmore » here may have heated the thermosphere by several Kelvins per day while the source persisted. Lastly, we suggest that ocean wave models could be used to parameterize acoustically generated heating of the upper atmosphere based on sea state.« less

Upper Atmosphere Heating From Ocean-Generated Acoustic Wave Energy

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

Bowman, D. C.; Lees, J. M.

We present that colliding sea surface waves generate the ocean microbarom, an acoustic signal that may transmit significant energy to the upper atmosphere. Previous estimates of acoustic energy flux from the ocean microbarom and mountain-wind interactions are on the order of 0.01 to 1 mW/m 2, heating the thermosphere by tens of Kelvins per day. We captured upgoing ocean microbarom waves with a balloon-borne infrasound microphone; the maximum acoustic energy flux was approximately 0.05 mW/m 2. This is about half the average value reported in previous ground-based microbarom observations spanning 8 years. The acoustic flux from the microbarom episode describedmore » here may have heated the thermosphere by several Kelvins per day while the source persisted. Lastly, we suggest that ocean wave models could be used to parameterize acoustically generated heating of the upper atmosphere based on sea state.« less

The influence of spatially and temporally high-resolution wind forcing on the power input to near-inertial waves in the ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rimac, Antonija; von Storch, Jin-Song; Eden, Carsten

2013-04-01

The estimated power required to sustain global general circulation in the ocean is about 2 TW. This power is supplied with wind stress and tides. Energy spectrum shows pronounced maxima at near-inertial frequency. Near-inertial waves excited by high-frequency winds represent an important source for deep ocean mixing since they can propagate into the deep ocean and dissipate far away from the generation sites. The energy input by winds to near-inertial waves has been studied mostly using slab ocean models and wind stress forcing with coarse temporal resolution (e.g. 6-hourly). Slab ocean models lack the ability to reproduce fundamental aspects of kinetic energy balance and systematically overestimate the wind work. Also, slab ocean models do not account the energy used for the mixed layer deepening or the energy radiating downward into the deep ocean. Coarse temporal resolution of the wind forcing strongly underestimates the near-inertial energy. To overcome this difficulty we use an eddy permitting ocean model with high-frequency wind forcing. We establish the following model setup: We use the Max Planck Institute Ocean Model (MPIOM) on a tripolar grid with 45 km horizontal resolution and 40 vertical levels. We run the model with wind forcings that vary in horizontal and temporal resolution. We use high-resolution (1-hourly with 35 km horizontal resolution) and low-resolution winds (6-hourly with 250 km horizontal resolution). We address the following questions: Is the kinetic energy of near-inertial waves enhanced when high-resolution wind forcings are used? If so, is this due to higher level of overall wind variability or higher spatial or temporal resolution of wind forcing? How large is the power of near-inertial waves generated by winds? Our results show that near-inertial waves are enhanced and the near-inertial kinetic energy is two times higher (in the storm track regions 3.5 times higher) when high-resolution winds are used. Filtering high-resolution winds in space and time, the near-inertial kinetic energy reduces. The reduction is faster when a temporal filter is used suggesting that the high-frequency wind forcing is more efficient in generating near-inertial wave energy than the small-scale wind forcing. Using low-resolution wind forcing the wind generated power to near-inertial waves is 0.55 TW. When we use high-resolution wind forcing the result is 1.6 TW meaning that the result increases by 300%.

75 FR 76750 - BOEMRE Information Collection Activity: 1010-0183, Information Requirements for Exploration Plans...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-09

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement [Docket... for Exploration Plans, Development and Production Plans, and Development Operations Coordination Documents on the OCS NTL, Renewal of a Collection; Submitted for Office of Management and Budget (OMB...

The Development of Duct for a Horizontal Axis Turbine Using CFD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghani, Mohamad Pauzi Abdul; Yaacob, Omar; Aziz, Azliza Abdul

2010-06-01

Malaysia is heavily dependent on the fossil fuels to satisfy its energy demand. Nowadays, renewable energy which has attracted great interest is marine current energy, which extracted by a device called a device called marine current turbine. This energy resource has agreat potential to be exploited on a large scale because of its predictability and intensity. This paper will focus on developing a Horizontal Axis Marine Current Turbine (HAMCT) rotor to extract marine current energy suitable for Malaysian sea conditions. This work incorporates the characteristic of Malaysia's ocean of shallow water and low speed current in developing the turbines. The HAMCT rotor will be developed and simulated using CAD and CFD software for various combination of inlet and oulet duct design. The computer simulation results of the HAMCT being developed will be presented.

Near-inertial waves and deep ocean mixing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrira, V. I.; Townsend, W. A.

2013-07-01

For the existing pattern of global oceanic circulation to exist, there should be sufficiently strong turbulent mixing in the abyssal ocean, the mechanisms of which are not well understood as yet. The review discusses a plausible mechanism of deep ocean mixing caused by near-inertial waves in the abyssal ocean. It is well known how winds in the atmosphere generate near-inertial waves in the upper ocean, which then propagate downwards losing their energy in the process; only a fraction of the energy at the surface reaches the abyssal ocean. An open question is whether and, if yes, how these weakened inertial motions could cause mixing in the deep. We review the progress in the mathematical description of a mechanism that results in an intense breaking of near-inertial waves near the bottom of the ocean and thus enhances the mixing. We give an overview of the present state of understanding of the problem covering both the published and the unpublished results; we also outline the key open questions. For typical ocean stratification, the account of the horizontal component of the Earth's rotation leads to the existence of near-bottom wide waveguides for near-inertial waves. Due to the β-effect these waveguides are narrowing in the poleward direction. Near-inertial waves propagating poleward get trapped in the waveguides; we describe how in the process these waves are focusing more and more in the vertical direction, while simultaneously their group velocity tends to zero and wave-induced vertical shear significantly increases. This causes the development of shear instability, which is interpreted as wave breaking. Remarkably, this mechanism of local intensification of turbulent mixing in the abyssal ocean can be adequately described within the framework of linear theory. The qualitative picture is similar to wind wave breaking on a beach: the abyssal ocean always acts as a surf zone for near-inertial waves.

The Monterey Ocean Observing System Development Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaffey, M.; Graybeal, J. B.; O'Reilly, T.; Ryan, J.

2004-12-01

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) has a major development program underway to design, build, test and apply technology suitable to deep ocean observatories. The Monterey Ocean Observing System (MOOS) program is designed to form a large-scale instrument network that provides generic interfaces, intelligent instrument support, data archiving and near-real-time interaction for observatory experiments. The MOOS mooring system is designed as a portable surface mooring based seafloor observatory that provides data and power connections to both seafloor and ocean surface instruments through a specialty anchor cable. The surface mooring collects solar and wind energy for powering instruments and transmits data to shore-side researchers using a satellite communications modem. The use of a high modulus anchor cable to reach seafloor instrument networks is a high-risk development effort that is critical for the overall success of the portable observatory concept. An aggressive field test program off the California coast is underway to improve anchor cable constructions as well as end-to-end test overall system design. The overall MOOS observatory systems view is presented and the results of our field tests completed to date are summarized.

Protein Hydrogel Microbeads for Selective Uranium Mining from Seawater.

PubMed

Kou, Songzi; Yang, Zhongguang; Sun, Fei

2017-01-25

Practical methods for oceanic uranium extraction have yet to be developed in order to tap into the vast uranium reserve in the ocean as an alternative energy. Here we present a protein hydrogel system containing a network of recently engineered super uranyl binding proteins (SUPs) that is assembled through thiol-maleimide click chemistry under mild conditions. Monodisperse SUP hydrogel microbeads fabricated by a microfluidic device further enable uranyl (UO 2 2+ ) enrichment from natural seawater with great efficiency (enrichment index, K = 2.5 × 10 3 ) and selectivity. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using protein hydrogels to extract uranium from the ocean.

Dissipation of Tidal Energy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The moon's gravity imparts tremendous energy to the Earth, raising tides throughout the global oceans. What happens to all this energy? This question has been pondered by scientists for over 200 years, and has consequences ranging from the history of the moon to the mixing of the oceans. Richard Ray at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. and Gary Egbert of the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore. studied six years of altimeter data from the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite to address this question. According to their report in the June 15 issue of Nature, about 1 terawatt, or 25 to 30 percent of the total tidal energy dissipation, occurs in the deep ocean. The remainder occurs in shallow seas, such as on the Patagonian Shelf. 'By measuring sea level with the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite altimeter, our knowledge of the tides in the global ocean has been remarkably improved,' said Richard Ray, a geophysicist at Goddard. The accuracies are now so high that this data can be used to map empirically the tidal energy dissipation. (Red areas, above) The deep-water tidal dissipation occurs generally near rugged bottom topography (seamounts and mid-ocean ridges). 'The observed pattern of deep-ocean dissipation is consistent with topographic scattering of tidal energy into internal motions within the water column, resulting in localized turbulence and mixing', said Gary Egbert an associate professor at OSU. One important implication of this finding concerns the possible energy sources needed to maintain the ocean's large-scale 'conveyor-belt' circulation and to mix upper ocean heat into the abyssal depths. It is thought that 2 terawatts are required for this process. The winds supply about 1 terawatt, and there has been speculation that the tides, by pumping energy into vertical water motions, supply the remainder. However, all current general circulation models of the oceans ignore the tides. 'It is possible that properly accounting for tidally induced ocean mixing may have important implications for long-term climate modeling', Egbert said. In the past, most geophysical theories held that the only significant tidal energy sink was bottom friction in shallow seas. Egbert and Ray find that this sink is indeed dominant, but it is not the whole story. There had always been suggestive evidence that tidal energy is also dissipated in the open ocean to create internal waves, but published estimates of this effect varied widely and had met with no general consensus before TOPEX/Poseidon. TOPEX/Poseidon mission, a joint U.S.-French mission, is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The satellite was launched in August 1992, and it continues to produce sea level measurements of the highest quality. For supporting images: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/search/Instrumentsdatasets/TOPEX-POSEIDON.html Image by Richard Ray, NASA GSFC

Federal Ocean Energy Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1987-10-01

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Ocean Energy Technology (OET) Program is looking for cost-effective ways to harness ocean energy to help power tomorrow's world. Federally sponsored researchers are studying methods to transform the solar heat stored in the ocean's surface waters into electricity as well as new ways to convert wave energy into mechanical energy or electricity. This report provides a summary of research completed during FY86. Four major research areas are addressed in the work covered by this report: Thermodynamic Research and Analysis addresses the process and system analyses which provide the underlying understanding of physical effects which constitute the energy conversion processes, Experimental Verification and Testing provides confirmation of the analytical projections and empirical relationships, Materials and Structural Research addresses special materials compatibility issues related to operation in the sea. Much of its focus is on concepts for the system CWP which is a major technology cost driver, and Oceanographic, Environmental, and Geotechnical Research addresss those unique design requirements imposed by construction in steep slope coastal areas.

NASA CYGNSS Ocean Wind Observations in the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruf, C. S.; Balasubramaniam, R.; Mayers, D.; McKague, D. S.

2017-12-01

The CYGNSS constellation of eight satellites was successfully launched on 15 December 2016 into a low inclination (tropical) Earth orbit to measure ocean surface wind speed in the inner core of tropical cyclones with better than 12 hour refresh rates. Each satellite carries a four-channel bi-static radar receiver that measures GPS signals scattered by the ocean, from which ocean surface roughness, near surface wind speed, and air-sea latent heat flux are estimated. The measurements are unique in several respects, most notably in their ability to penetrate through all levels of precipitation, made possible by the low frequency at which GPS operates, and in the frequent sampling of tropical cyclone intensification, made possible by the large number of satellites. Level 2 science data products have been developed for near surface (10 m referenced) ocean wind speed, ocean surface roughness (mean square slope) and latent heat flux. Level 3 gridded versions of the L2 products have also been developed. A set of Level 4 products have also been developed specifically for direct tropical cyclone overpasses. These include the storm intensity (peak sustained winds) and size (radius of maximum winds), its extent (34, 50 and 64 knot wind radii), and its integrated kinetic energy. Results of measurements made during the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, including frequent overpasses of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, will be presented.

ONR Ocean Wave Dynamics Workshop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

In anticipation of the start (in Fiscal Year 1988) of a new Office of Naval Research (ONR) Accelerated Research Initiative (ARI) on Ocean Surface Wave Dynamics, a workshop was held August 5-7, 1986, at Woods Hole, Mass., to discuss new ideas and directions of research. This new ARI on Ocean Surface Wave Dynamics is a 5-year effort that is organized by the ONR Physical Oceanography Program in cooperation with the ONR Fluid Mechanics Program and the Physical Oceanography Branch at the Naval Ocean Research and Development Activity (NORDA). The central theme is improvement of our understanding of the basic physics and dynamics of surface wave phenomena, with emphasis on the following areas: precise air-sea coupling mechanisms,dynamics of nonlinear wave-wave interaction under realistic environmental conditions,wave breaking and dissipation of energy,interaction between surface waves and upper ocean boundary layer dynamics, andsurface statistical and boundary layer coherent structures.

Systemic to Microscale Response of Orbicella faveolata to Future Ocean CO2 Conditions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dungan, A.; Hall, E. R.; Blackwelder, P. L.; Fogarty, N. D.

2016-02-01

Coral reefs are one of the most economically important ecosystems on the planet, supplying roughly $30 billion USD annually into world economies from the goods and services they provide. Despite their great contributions, anthropogenic influence via carbon dioxide emissions is leading to unprecedented changes in the tropical oceans with concerns about subsequent negative impacts on reefs. Surface ocean pH has dropped 0.1 units in the past century, representing a thirty percent increase in hydrogen ion concentration. In spite of this rapid shift in oceanic chemistry, it is unclear how adult corals and their new recruits will be impacted. In this experiment we examined the relationship between CO2-induced seawater acidification, net calcification, and physiological parameters in Orbicella faveolata adults and new recruits under ambient (465 ± 5.52 ppm), and high (1451 ± 6.51 ppm) CO2 conditions. These treatments represented current and end of the century CO2 values predicted under the RCP8.5 scenario developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Electron microscopy (TEM/SEM) was used to examine coral cellular ultrastructure and newly formed aragonite skeletal crystal structures. Orbicella faveolata exhibited no significant difference in skeletal deposition rates under control and high CO2 conditions; however, crystal formations for both adult and juvenile O. faveolata were statistically longer in the high CO2 treatment. No significant differences were seen in photosynthesis or respiration rates. These results suggest that the addition of CO2 may cause a shift in the overall energy budgets causing a modification of skeletal aragonite crystal structures, rather than inhibiting skeletal crystal formation. Consequential to this energy shift, Orbicella faveolata belongs in the category of Scleractinian corals that exhibit a low sensitivity to ocean acidification and existing colonies may continue to calcify and build reefs in the face of ocean acidification. It remains unclear, however, what the long term effects of a more acidic ocean may be on gamete production and other energy expensive processes.

Oceanic dispersion of Fukushima-derived Cs-137 in the coastal, offshore, and open oceans simulated by multiple oceanic general circulation models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawamura, H.; Furuno, A.; Kobayashi, T.; In, T.; Nakayama, T.; Ishikawa, Y.; Miyazawa, Y.; Usui, N.

2017-12-01

To understand the concentration and amount of Fukushima-derived Cs-137 in the ocean, this study simulates the oceanic dispersion of Cs-137 by an oceanic dispersion model SEA-GEARN-FDM developed at Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and multiple oceanic general circulation models. The Cs-137 deposition amounts at the sea surface were used as the source term in oceanic dispersion simulations, which were estimated by atmospheric dispersion simulations with a Worldwide version of System for Prediction of Environmental Emergency Dose Information version II (WSPEEDI-II) developed at JAEA. The direct release from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean based on in situ Cs-137 measurements was used as the other source term in oceanic dispersion simulations. The simulated air Cs-137 concentrations qualitatively replicated those measured around the North Pacific. The accumulated Cs-137 ground deposition amount in the eastern Japanese Islands was consistent with that estimated by aircraft measurements. The oceanic dispersion simulations relatively well reproduced the measured Cs-137 concentrations in the coastal and offshore oceans during the first few months after the Fukushima disaster, and in the open ocean during the first year post-disaster. It was suggested that Cs-137 dispersed along the coast in the north-south direction during the first few months post-disaster, and were subsequently dispersed offshore by the Kuroshio Current and Kuroshio Extension. Mesoscale eddies accompanied by the Kuroshio Current and Kuroshio Extension played an important role in dilution of Cs-137. The Cs-137 amounts were quantified in the coastal, offshore, and open oceans during the first year post-disaster. It was demonstrated that Cs-137 actively dispersed from the coastal and offshore oceans to the open ocean, and from the surface layer to the deeper layer in the North Pacific.

Upper Oceanic Energy Response to Tropical Cyclone Passage

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-15

insolation, and the upper ocean stratification . The importance of the upper ocean energy content to TCs, particularly their intensification, has been...similar to those of Shay and Brewster (2010), who showed that the stable stratification of the east Pacific also makes the 100-m mixed layer depth a poor... The upper oceanic temporal response to tropical cyclone (TC) passage is investigated using a 6-yr daily record of data-driven analyses of two

30 CFR 250.241 - What must the DPP or DOCD include?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What must the DPP or DOCD include? 250.241 Section 250.241 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT... and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and Development Operations...

30 CFR 285.629 - May I develop my lease in phases?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false May I develop my lease in phases? 285.629 Section 285.629 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT... CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Requirements Contents of the Construction and Operations Plan § 285...

76 FR 18750 - Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC; Notice of Change in Docket Number

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-05

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 12680-003; Project No. 12711-003] Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC; Notice of Change in Docket Number On July 24, 2009, Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC (ORPC) filed a draft hydrokinetic pilot license application (DLA) for the...

Modeling internal wave generation by seamounts in oceans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Buijsman, M. C.; Comino, E. L.; Swinney, H.

2017-12-01

Recent global bathymetric data at 30 arc-sec resolution has revealed that there are 33,452 seamounts and 138,412 knolls in the oceans. To develop an estimate for the energy converted from tidal flow to internal gravity waves, we have conducted numerical simulations using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology circulation model (MITgcm) to compute the energy conversion by randomly distributed Gaussian-shaped seamounts. We find that for an isolated axisymmetric seamount of height 1100 m and radius 1600 m, which corresponds to the Wessel height-to-radius ratio 0.69, the conversion rate is 100 kW, assuming a tidal speed amplitude 1 cm/s, buoyancy frequency 1e-3 rad/s, and circularly polarized tidal motion, and taking into account the earth's rotation. The 100 kW estimate is about 60% less than the 3-D linear theory prediction because fluid goes around a seamount instead of over it. Our estimate accounts the suppression of energy conversion due to wave interference at the generation site of closely spaced seamounts. We conclude that for randomly distributed Gaussian seamounts of varying widths and separations, separated on average by 18 km as in the oceans, wave interference reduces the energy conversion by seamounts by only about 16%. This result complements previous studies of wave interference for 2-D ridges.

Direct Measurements of the Baroclinic Instability in the Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadek, Mahmoud; Aluie, Hussein; Hecht, Matthew; Vallis, Geoffrey

2016-11-01

The ocean is mechanically driven by wind and buoyancy at the surface which produce sloping isopycnals with a reservoir of available potential energy (APE). Large scale APE can be converted to kinetic energy via the baroclinic instability, which produces mesoscale eddies. Mesoscale eddies are ubiquitous in mid- and high-latitudes, and play a primary role in determining the strength and trajectories of currents and in generating intrinsic climate variability. The widespread belief that mesoscale eddies are generated through baroclinic instability is based on general accord between observations and linear stability analysis and the predicted behavior of nonlinear models. However, these models are unable to give us quantitative evidence of the extent to which the instability is responsible for eddy generation at various locations in the ocean. To this end, we implement a new coarse-graining framework, recently developed to study flow on a sphere, to directly analyze the baroclinic instability as a function of scale and geographic location, and implement it using strongly eddying high-resolution simulations in the North Atlantic and in the Southern Ocean. The results give us new information about location and intensity of the instability in both physical and spectral space. Partial support was provided by National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant OCE-1259794, US Department of Energy (US DOE) Grant DE-SC0014318, and the LANL LDRD program through Project Number 20150568ER.

North Atlantic Ocean OSSE system development: Nature Run evaluation and application to hurricane interaction with the Gulf Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kourafalou, Vassiliki H.; Androulidakis, Yannis S.; Halliwell, George R.; Kang, HeeSook; Mehari, Michael M.; Le Hénaff, Matthieu; Atlas, Robert; Lumpkin, Rick

2016-11-01

A high resolution, free-running model has been developed for the hurricane region of the North Atlantic Ocean. The model is evaluated with a variety of observations to ensure that it adequately represents both the ocean climatology and variability over this region, with a focus on processes relevant to hurricane-ocean interactions. As such, it can be used as the "Nature Run" (NR) model within the framework of Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs), designed specifically to improve the ocean component of coupled ocean-atmosphere hurricane forecast models. The OSSE methodology provides quantitative assessment of the impact of specific observations on the skill of forecast models and enables the comprehensive design of future observational platforms and the optimization of existing ones. Ocean OSSEs require a state-of-the-art, high-resolution free-running model simulation that represents the true ocean (the NR). This study concentrates on the development and data based evaluation of the NR model component, which leads to a reliable model simulation that has a dual purpose: (a) to provide the basis for future hurricane related OSSEs; (b) to explore process oriented studies of hurricane-ocean interactions. A specific example is presented, where the impact of Hurricane Bill (2009) on the eastward extension and transport of the Gulf Stream is analyzed. The hurricane induced cold wake is shown in both NR simulation and observations. Interaction of storm-forced currents with the Gulf Stream produced a temporary large reduction in eastward transport downstream from Cape Hatteras and had a marked influence on frontal displacement in the upper ocean. The kinetic energy due to ageostrophic currents showed a significant increase as the storm passed, and then decreased to pre-storm levels within 8 days after the hurricane advanced further north. This is a unique result of direct hurricane impact on a western boundary current, with possible implications on the ocean feedback on hurricane evolution.

Characterization and Scaling of Heave Plates for Ocean Wave Energy Converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, Brian; Mundon, Timothy

2016-11-01

Ocean waves present a tremendous, untapped source of renewable energy, capable of providing half of global electricity demand by 2040. Devices developed to extract this energy are known as wave energy converters (WECs) and encompass a wide range of designs. A somewhat common archetype is a two-body point-absorber, in which a surface float reacts against a submerged "heave" plate to extract energy. Newer WEC's are using increasingly complex geometries for the submerged plate and an emerging challenge in creating low-order models lies in accurately determining the hydrodynamic coefficients (added mass and drag) in the corresponding oscillatory flow regime. Here we present experiments in which a laboratory-scale heave plate is sinusoidally forced in translation (heave) and rotation (pitch) to characterize the hydrodynamic coefficients as functions of the two governing nondimensional parameters, Keulegan-Carpenter number (amplitude) and Reynolds number. Comparisons against CFD simulations are offered. As laboratory-scale physical model tests remain the standard for testing wave energy devices, effects and implications of scaling (with respect to a full-scale device) are also investigated.

The Earth System's Missing Energy and Land Warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, S.; Wang, H.; Duan, W.

2013-05-01

The energy content of the Earth system is determined by the balance or imbalance between the incoming energy from solar radiation and the outgoing energy of terrestrial long wavelength radiation. Change in the Earth system energy budget is the ultimate cause of global climate change. Satellite data show that there is a small yet persistent radiation imbalance at the top-of-atmosphere such that Earth has been steadily accumulating energy, consistent with the theory of greenhouse effect. It is commonly believed [IPCC, 2001; 2007] that up to 94% of the energy trapped by anthropogenic greenhouse gases is absorbed by the upper several hundred meter thick layer of global oceans, with the remaining to accomplish ice melting, atmosphere heating, and land warming, etc. However, the recent measurements from ocean monitoring system indicated that the rate of oceanic heat uptake has not kept pace with the greenhouse heat trapping rate over the past years [Trenberth and Fasullo, Science, 328: 316-317, 2010]. An increasing amount of energy added to the earth system has become unaccounted for, or is missing. A recent study [Loeb et al., Nature Geoscience, 5:110-113, 2012] suggests that the missing energy may be located in the deep ocean down to 1,800 m. Here we show that at least part of the missing energy can be alternatively explained by the land mass warming. We argue that the global continents alone should have a share greater than 10% of the global warming energy. Although the global lands reflect solar energy at a higher rate, they use less energy for evaporation than do the oceans. Taken into accounts the terrestrial/oceanic differences in albedo (34% vs. 28%) and latent heat (27% vs. 58% of net solar radiation at the surface), the radiative energy available per unit surface area for storage or other internal processes is more abundant on land than on ocean. Despite that the lands cover only about 29% of the globe, the portion of global warming energy stored in the lands is much greater than previously thought. The earth system is consisted of well-connected and interdependent atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. The lack of knowledge about or misrepresentation of the role of the heat capacity of the continental land masses will inevitably affect our ability to understand Earth's climate response to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Tropical Ocean Surface Energy Balance Variability: Linking Weather to Climate Scales

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, J. Brent; Clayson, Carol Anne

2013-01-01

Radiative and turbulent surface exchanges of heat and moisture across the atmosphere-ocean interface are fundamental components of the Earth s energy and water balance. Characterizing the spatiotemporal variability of these exchanges of heat and moisture is critical to understanding the global water and energy cycle variations, quantifying atmosphere-ocean feedbacks, and improving model predictability. These fluxes are integral components to tropical ocean-atmosphere variability; they can drive ocean mixed layer variations and modify the atmospheric boundary layer properties including moist static stability, thereby influencing larger-scale tropical dynamics. Non-parametric cluster-based classification of atmospheric and ocean surface properties has shown an ability to identify coherent weather regimes, each typically associated with similar properties and processes. Using satellite-based observational radiative and turbulent energy flux products, this study investigates the relationship between these weather states and surface energy processes within the context of tropical climate variability. Investigations of surface energy variations accompanying intraseasonal and interannual tropical variability often use composite-based analyses of the mean quantities of interest. Here, a similar compositing technique is employed, but the focus is on the distribution of the heat and moisture fluxes within their weather regimes. Are the observed changes in surface energy components dominated by changes in the frequency of the weather regimes or through changes in the associated fluxes within those regimes? It is this question that the presented work intends to address. The distribution of the surface heat and moisture fluxes is evaluated for both normal and non-normal states. By examining both phases of the climatic oscillations, the symmetry of energy and water cycle responses are considered.

30 CFR 585.100 - Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY AND... Lands Act (OCS Lands Act) (43 U.S.C. 1337), as set forth in section 388(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) (Pub. L. 109-58). The Secretary of the Interior delegated to the Bureau of Ocean Energy...

30 CFR 585.100 - Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY AND... Lands Act (OCS Lands Act) (43 U.S.C. 1337), as set forth in section 388(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) (Pub. L. 109-58). The Secretary of the Interior delegated to the Bureau of Ocean Energy...

30 CFR 585.100 - Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY AND... Lands Act (OCS Lands Act) (43 U.S.C. 1337), as set forth in section 388(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) (Pub. L. 109-58). The Secretary of the Interior delegated to the Bureau of Ocean Energy...

76 FR 76174 - Request for Information on the State of the Offshore Renewable Energy Industry-Auction Format...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-06

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [Docket BOEM-2011-0095] Request for...) AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior. ACTION: Request for information. SUMMARY..., each designed to efficiently issue renewable energy leases to those who value them most and are best...

76 FR 59671 - Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC; Notice of Application Tendered for Filing With the Commission...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-27

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [ Project No. 12711-005] Ocean Renewable... Energy Project. f. Location: The proposed project would be located in Cobscook Bay, in Washington County...: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC...

76 FR 63917 - Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-14

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 12711-005] Ocean Renewable... Company, LLC. e. Name of Project: Cobscook Bay Tidal Energy Project. f. Location: The proposed project..., mail an original and seven copies to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission...

33 CFR 320.3 - Related laws.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... determined by the Secretary charged with its administration. (m) The Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Act of... of NOAA for the ownership, construction, location, and operation of ocean thermal energy conversion... Energy Regulatory Agency (FERC) to issue licenses for the construction and the operation and maintenance...

Proceedings of condensed papers on alternate energy sources

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

Veziroglu, T.N.

1979-01-01

The conference covers the results of research and developments which have taken place during the last 2 years. It includes sessions on solar energy, ocean thermal energy, wind energy, hydro power, nuclear breeders and nuclear fusion, synthetic fuels from coal or waste, hydrogen production and uses. The volume of the Proceedings presents the papers and lectures in condensed format grouped by their subjects under 40 technical sessions. Condensed papers are presented for the 336 presentations; abstracts have previously appeared in the DOE Energy Data Base for 33 of the full-length papers.

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion power system development. Phase I. Final report

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

Not Available

1978-12-04

This report covers the conceptual and preliminary design of closed-cycle, ammonia, ocean thermal energy conversion power plants by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Preliminary designs for evaporator and condenser test articles (0.13 MWe size) and a 10 MWe modular experiment power system are described. Conceptual designs for 50 MWe power systems, and 100 MWe power plants are also descirbed. Design and cost algorithms were developed, and an optimized power system design at the 50 MWe size was completed. This design was modeled very closely in the test articles and in the 10 MWe Modular Application. Major component and auxiliary system design, materials,more » biofouling, control response, availability, safety and cost aspects are developed with the greatest emphasis on the 10 MWe Modular Application Power System. It is concluded that all power plant subsystems are state-of-practice and require design verification only, rather than continued research. A complete test program, which verifies the mechanical reliability as well as thermal performance, is recommended and described.« less

30 CFR 585.504 - How are my payments affected if I develop my lease in phases?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... lease in phases? 585.504 Section 585.504 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ALTERNATE USES OF EXISTING FACILITIES ON THE OUTER... § 585.506 and as described in § 585.503(b). (c) Rent for a project easement in addition to lease rent...

30 CFR 585.504 - How are my payments affected if I develop my lease in phases?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... lease in phases? 585.504 Section 585.504 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ALTERNATE USES OF EXISTING FACILITIES ON THE OUTER... § 585.506 and as described in § 585.503(b). (c) Rent for a project easement in addition to lease rent...

30 CFR 585.504 - How are my payments affected if I develop my lease in phases?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... lease in phases? 585.504 Section 585.504 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ALTERNATE USES OF EXISTING FACILITIES ON THE OUTER... § 585.506 and as described in § 585.503(b). (c) Rent for a project easement in addition to lease rent...

Experimental ocean acidification alters the allocation of metabolic energy

PubMed Central

Pan, T.-C. Francis; Applebaum, Scott L.; Manahan, Donal T.

2015-01-01

Energy is required to maintain physiological homeostasis in response to environmental change. Although responses to environmental stressors frequently are assumed to involve high metabolic costs, the biochemical bases of actual energy demands are rarely quantified. We studied the impact of a near-future scenario of ocean acidification [800 µatm partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2)] during the development and growth of an important model organism in developmental and environmental biology, the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Size, metabolic rate, biochemical content, and gene expression were not different in larvae growing under control and seawater acidification treatments. Measurements limited to those levels of biological analysis did not reveal the biochemical mechanisms of response to ocean acidification that occurred at the cellular level. In vivo rates of protein synthesis and ion transport increased ∼50% under acidification. Importantly, the in vivo physiological increases in ion transport were not predicted from total enzyme activity or gene expression. Under acidification, the increased rates of protein synthesis and ion transport that were sustained in growing larvae collectively accounted for the majority of available ATP (84%). In contrast, embryos and prefeeding and unfed larvae in control treatments allocated on average only 40% of ATP to these same two processes. Understanding the biochemical strategies for accommodating increases in metabolic energy demand and their biological limitations can serve as a quantitative basis for assessing sublethal effects of global change. Variation in the ability to allocate ATP differentially among essential functions may be a key basis of resilience to ocean acidification and other compounding environmental stressors. PMID:25825763

Experimental ocean acidification alters the allocation of metabolic energy.

PubMed

Pan, T-C Francis; Applebaum, Scott L; Manahan, Donal T

2015-04-14

Energy is required to maintain physiological homeostasis in response to environmental change. Although responses to environmental stressors frequently are assumed to involve high metabolic costs, the biochemical bases of actual energy demands are rarely quantified. We studied the impact of a near-future scenario of ocean acidification [800 µatm partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2)] during the development and growth of an important model organism in developmental and environmental biology, the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Size, metabolic rate, biochemical content, and gene expression were not different in larvae growing under control and seawater acidification treatments. Measurements limited to those levels of biological analysis did not reveal the biochemical mechanisms of response to ocean acidification that occurred at the cellular level. In vivo rates of protein synthesis and ion transport increased ∼50% under acidification. Importantly, the in vivo physiological increases in ion transport were not predicted from total enzyme activity or gene expression. Under acidification, the increased rates of protein synthesis and ion transport that were sustained in growing larvae collectively accounted for the majority of available ATP (84%). In contrast, embryos and prefeeding and unfed larvae in control treatments allocated on average only 40% of ATP to these same two processes. Understanding the biochemical strategies for accommodating increases in metabolic energy demand and their biological limitations can serve as a quantitative basis for assessing sublethal effects of global change. Variation in the ability to allocate ATP differentially among essential functions may be a key basis of resilience to ocean acidification and other compounding environmental stressors.

Evidence for infragravity wave-tide resonance in deep oceans.

PubMed

Sugioka, Hiroko; Fukao, Yoshio; Kanazawa, Toshihiko

2010-10-05

Ocean tides are the oscillatory motions of seawater forced by the gravitational attraction of the Moon and Sun with periods of a half to a day and wavelengths of the semi-Pacific to Pacific scale. Ocean infragravity (IG) waves are sea-surface gravity waves with periods of several minutes and wavelengths of several dozen kilometres. Here we report the first evidence of the resonance between these two ubiquitous phenomena, mutually very different in period and wavelength, in deep oceans. The evidence comes from long-term, large-scale observations with arrays of broadband ocean-bottom seismometers located at depths of more than 4,000 m in the Pacific Ocean. This observational evidence is substantiated by a theoretical argument that IG waves and the tide can resonantly couple and that such coupling occurs over unexpectedly wide areas of the Pacific Ocean. Through this resonant coupling, some of ocean tidal energy is transferred in deep oceans to IG wave energy.

Hola! ADEOS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlowicz, Michael

Three months after its launch, Japan's Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) is set to begin day-to-day science operations at the end of November. The global change research satellite, launched August 16 from the Tanegashima Space Center by Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA), has settled into a circular polar orbit at 800 km altitude. ADEOS includes instruments from Japan, the United States, and France that will observe ocean chlorophyll production, ocean temperature, atmospheric gases, polarization and direction of solar energy reflected by the Earth, and the distribution of vegetation.

Data on development of new energy technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1994-03-01

The paper compiles data on the trend of development of new energy technologies into a book. By category, renewable energy is solar energy, wind power generation, geothermal power generation, ocean energy, and biomass. As a category of fuel form conversion, cited are coal liquefaction/gasification, coal gasification combined cycle power generation, and natural gas liquefaction/decarbonization. The other categories are cogeneration by fuel cell and ceramic gas turbine, district heat supply system, power load leveling technology, transportation-use substitution-fuel vehicle, and others (Stirling engine, superconducting power generator, etc.). The data are systematically compiled on essential principles, transition of introduction, objectives of introduction, status of production, cost, development schedule, performance, etc. The paper also deals with the related legislation system, developmental organizations, and a menu for power companies' buying surplus power.

HARNESSING OCEAN WAVE ENERGY TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY

EPA Science Inventory

A technical challenge to sustainability is finding an energy source that is abundant enough to meet global demands without producing greenhouse gases or radioactive waste. Energy from ocean surface waves can provide the people of this planet a clean, endless power source to me...

Intensified diapycnal mixing in the midlatitude western boundary currents.

PubMed

Jing, Zhao; Wu, Lixin

2014-12-10

The wind work on oceanic near-inertial motions is suggested to play an important role in furnishing the diapycnal mixing in the deep ocean which affects the uptake of heat and carbon by the ocean as well as climate changes. However, it remains a puzzle where and through which route the near-inertial energy penetrates into the deep ocean. Using the measurements collected in the Kuroshio extension region during January 2005, we demonstrate that the diapycnal mixing in the thermocline and deep ocean is tightly related to the shear variance of wind-generated near-inertial internal waves with the diapycnal diffusivity 6 × 10(-5) m(2)s(-1) almost an order stronger than that observed in the circulation gyre. It is estimated that 45%-62% of the local near-inertial wind work 4.5 × 10(-3) Wm(-2) radiates into the thermocline and deep ocean and accounts for 42%-58% of the energy required to furnish mixing there. The elevated mixing is suggested to be maintained by the energetic near-inertial wind work and strong eddy activities causing enhanced downward near-inertial energy flux than earlier findings. The western boundary current turns out to be a key region for the penetration of near-inertial energy into the deep ocean and a hotspot for the diapycnal mixing in winter.

Long-Period Tidal Variations in the Length of Day

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Richard D.; Erofeeva, Svetlana Y.

2014-01-01

A new model of long-period tidal variations in length of day is developed. The model comprises 80 spectral lines with periods between 18.6 years and 4.7 days, and it consistently includes effects of mantle anelasticity and dynamic ocean tides for all lines. The anelastic properties followWahr and Bergen; experimental confirmation for their results now exists at the fortnightly period, but there remains uncertainty when extrapolating to the longest periods. The ocean modeling builds on recent work with the fortnightly constituent, which suggests that oceanic tidal angular momentum can be reliably predicted at these periods without data assimilation. This is a critical property when modeling most long-period tides, for which little observational data exist. Dynamic ocean effects are quite pronounced at shortest periods as out-of-phase rotation components become nearly as large as in-phase components. The model is tested against a 20 year time series of space geodetic measurements of length of day. The current international standard model is shown to leave significant residual tidal energy, and the new model is found to mostly eliminate that energy, with especially large variance reduction for constituents Sa, Ssa, Mf, and Mt.

Development of a Kelp-type Structure Module in a Coastal Ocean Model to Assess the Hydrodynamic Impact of Seawater Uranium Extraction Technology

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

Wang, Taiping; Khangaonkar, Tarang; Long, Wen

2014-02-07

In recent years, with the rapid growth of global energy demand, the interest in extracting uranium from seawater for nuclear energy has been renewed. While extracting seawater uranium is not yet commercially viable, it serves as a “backstop” to the conventional uranium resources and provides an essentially unlimited supply of uranium resource. With recent advances in seawater uranium extraction technology, extracting uranium from seawater could be economically feasible when the extraction devices are deployed at a large scale (e.g., several hundred km2). There is concern however that the large scale deployment of adsorbent farms could result in potential impacts tomore » the hydrodynamic flow field in an oceanic setting. In this study, a kelp-type structure module was incorporated into a coastal ocean model to simulate the blockage effect of uranium extraction devices on the flow field. The module was quantitatively validated against laboratory flume experiments for both velocity and turbulence profiles. The model-data comparison showed an overall good agreement and validated the approach of applying the model to assess the potential hydrodynamic impact of uranium extraction devices or other underwater structures in coastal oceans.« less

Effects of Offshore Wind Turbines on Ocean Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wimer, Nicholas; Churchfield, Matthew; Hamlington, Peter

2014-11-01

Wakes from horizontal axis wind turbines create large downstream velocity deficits, thus reducing the available energy for downstream turbines while simultaneously increasing turbulent loading. Along with this deficit, however, comes a local increase in the velocity around the turbine rotor, resulting in increased surface wind speeds. For offshore turbines, these increased speeds can result in changes to the properties of wind-induced waves at the ocean surface. In this study, the characteristics and implications of such waves are explored by coupling a wave simulation code to the Simulator for Offshore Wind Farm Applications (SOWFA) developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The wave simulator and SOWFA are bi-directionally coupled using the surface wind field produced by an offshore wind farm to drive an ocean wave field, which is used to calculate a wave-dependent surface roughness that is fed back into SOWFA. The details of this combined framework are outlined. The potential for using the wave field created at offshore wind farms as an additional energy resource through the installation of on-site wave converters is discussed. Potential negative impacts of the turbine-induced wave field are also discussed, including increased oscillation of floating turbines.

Energy from Ocean Waves, River Currents, and Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guha, Shyamal

2006-05-01

The earth we live in is surrounded by fluids, which are in perpetual motion. There is air in the atmosphere, water in lakes, oceans and rivers. The air and water around us form our natural environment. Much of the fluid medium is in constant motion. The kinetic energy of this moving fluid is astronomical in magnitude. Over the years, I considered methods of converting a fraction of the vast reserve of this kinetic energy into electro-mechanical energy. I conceived a few schemes of such conversion. The fluids whose kinetic energy can be converted into electro-mechanical energy are: ocean waters, river current and atmospheric air. In a book to be published in 2006, I have described different techniques of energy conversion. In the APS meeting, I plan to discuss some of these techniques.

Transformation of apparent ocean wave spectra observed from an aircraft sensor platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poole, L. R.

1976-01-01

The problem considered was transformation of a unidirectional apparent ocean wave spectrum observed from an aircraft sensor platform into the true spectrum that would be observed from a stationary platform. Spectral transformation equations were developed in terms of the linear wave dispersion relationship and the wave group speed. An iterative solution to the equations was outlined and used to transform reference theoretical apparent spectra for several assumed values of average water depth. Results show that changing the average water depth leads to a redistribution of energy density among the various frequency bands of the transformed spectrum. This redistribution is most severe when much of the energy density is expected, a priori, to reside at relatively low true frequencies.

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

Dallman, Ann Renee; Neary, Vincent Sinclair

This report presents met - ocean data and wave energy characteristics at three U.S. wave energy converter (WEC) test and potential deployment sites . Its purpose is to enable the compari son of wave resource characteristics among sites as well as the select io n of test sites that are most suitable for a developer's device and that best meet their testing needs and objectives . It also provides essential inputs for the design of WEC test devices and planning WEC tests, including the planning of deployment and op eration s and maintenance. For each site, this report catalogues wavemore » statistics recommended in the (draft) International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Specification (IEC 62600 - 101 TS) on Wave Energy Characterization, as well as the frequency of oc currence of weather windows and extreme sea states, and statistics on wind and ocean currents. It also provides useful information on test site infrastructure and services .« less

Environmental siting suitability analysis for commercial scale ocean renewable energy: A southeast Florida case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulcan, Amanda

This thesis aims to facilitate the siting and implementation of Florida Atlantic University Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center (FAU SNMREC) ocean current energy (OCE) projects offshore southeastern Florida through the analysis of benthic anchoring conditions. Specifically, a suitability analysis considering all presently available biologic and geologic datasets within the legal framework of OCE policy and regulation was done. OCE related literature sources were consulted to assign suitability levels to each dataset, ArcGIS interpolations generated seafloor substrate maps, and existing submarine cable pathways were considered for OCE power cables. The finalized suitability map highlights the eastern study area as most suitable for OCE siting due to its abundance of sand/sediment substrate, existing underwater cable route access, and minimal biologic presence. Higher resolution datasets are necessary to locate specific OCE development locales, better understand their benthic conditions, and minimize potentially negative OCE environmental impacts.

A Self-Powered Fast-Sampling Profiling Float in support of a Mesoscale Ocean Observing System in the Western North Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valdez, T.; Chao, Y.; Davis, R. E.; Jones, J.

2012-12-01

This talk will describe a new self-powered profiling float that can perform fast sampling over the upper ocean for long durations in support of a mesoscale ocean observing system in the Western North Pacific. The current state-of-the-art profiling floats can provide several hundreds profiles for the upper ocean every ten days. To quantify the role of the upper ocean in modulating the development of Typhoons requires at least an order of magnitude reduction for the sampling interval. With today's profiling float and battery technology, a fast sampling of one day or even a few hours will reduce the typical lifetime of profiling floats from years to months. Interactions between the ocean and typhoons often involves mesoscale eddies and fronts, which require a dense array of floats to reveal the 3-dimensional structure. To measure the mesoscale ocean over a large area like the Western North Pacific therefore requires a new technology that enables fast sampling and long duration at the same time. Harvesting the ocean renewable energy associated with the vertical temperature differentials has the potential to power profiling floats with fast sampling over long durations. Results from the development and deployment of a prototype self-powered profiling float (known as SOLO-TREC) will be presented. With eight hours sampling in the upper 500 meters, the upper ocean temperature and salinity reveal pronounced high frequency variations. Plans to use the SOLO-TREC technology in support of a dense array of fast sampling profiling floats in the Western North Pacific will be discussed.

Survey on utility technology of a tidal and ocean current energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirose, Manabu; Kadoyu, Masataka; Tanaka, Hiroyoshi

1987-06-01

A study is made to show the current technological levels in Japan and other nations regarding the conversion of tidal current or ocean current energy to electric power and to determine the latent energy quantities and energy-related characteristics of tidal and ocean currents. In Japan, relatively large-scale experiments made so far mostly used one of the following three types of devices: Savonius-wheel type, Darrieus-wheel type, and cross-flow-wheel type. Field experiments of tidal energy conversion have been performed at the Naruto and Kurushima Straits. The energy in the Kuroshio current is estimated at about 170 billion kWh per year. Ocean current energy does not undergo large seasonal variations. The total energy in major straits and channels in the Inland Sea and other sea areas to the west is estimated at about 124 billion kWh per year. Tidal current energy shows large seasonal variations, but it is possible to predict the changes. A survey is made to determine energy-related characteristics of a tidal current at Chichino-seto, Kagoshima Prefecture. At Chichino-seto, the flow velocity ranges from 0 to 2.2m/s, with a latent tidal current energy of about 70 kW, of which about 20 kW can actually be utilized.

30 CFR 203.91 - What is in a post-production development report?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What is in a post-production development report? 203.91 Section 203.91 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS REVENUE MANAGEMENT RELIEF OR REDUCTION IN ROYALTY RATES OCS Oil, Gas, and...

30 CFR 250.257 - What information on the support vessels, offshore vehicles, and aircraft you will use must...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What information on the support vessels... Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE... Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and Development Operations Coordination Documents (docd...

30 CFR 250.243 - What general information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What general information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.243 Section 250.243 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND... SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and Development...

Spatial and Temporal Variability of Surface Energy Fluxes During Autumn Ice Advance: Observations and Model Validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persson, O. P. G.; Blomquist, B.; Grachev, A. A.; Guest, P. S.; Stammerjohn, S. E.; Solomon, A.; Cox, C. J.; Capotondi, A.; Fairall, C. W.; Intrieri, J. M.

2016-12-01

From Oct 4 to Nov 5, 2015, the Office of Naval Research - sponsored Sea State cruise in the Beaufort Sea with the new National Science Foundation R/V Sikuliaq obtained extensive in-situ and remote sensing observations of the lower troposphere, the advancing sea ice, wave state, and upper ocean conditions. In addition, a coupled atmosphere, sea ice, upper-ocean model, based on the RASM model, was run at NOAA/PSD in a hindcast mode for this same time period, providing a 10-day simulation of the atmosphere/ice/ocean evolution. Surface energy fluxes quantitatively represent the air-ice, air-ocean, and ice-ocean interaction processes, determining the cooling (warming) rate of the upper ocean and the growth (melting) rate of sea ice. These fluxes also impact the stratification of the lower troposphere and the upper ocean. In this presentation, both direct and indirect measurements of the energy fluxes during Sea State will be used to explore the spatial and temporal variability of these fluxes and the impacts of this variability on the upper ocean, ice, and lower atmosphere during the autumn ice advance. Analyses have suggested that these fluxes are impacted by atmospheric synoptic evolution, proximity to existing ice, ice-relative wind direction, ice thickness and snow depth. In turn, these fluxes impact upper-ocean heat loss and timing of ice formation, as well as stability in the lower troposphere and upper ocean, and hence heat transport to the free troposphere and ocean mixed-layer. Therefore, the atmospheric structure over the advancing first-year ice differs from that over the nearby open water. Finally, these observational analyses will be used to provide a preliminary validation of the spatial and temporal variability of the surface energy fluxes and the associated lower-tropospheric and upper-ocean structures in the simulations.

Thoughts on why in CESM a more poleward TOA energy imbalance favors more ocean-centric energy transport and weaker ITCZ shift responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, S.; Pritchard, M. S.

2017-12-01

The role of different location of top-of-atmosphere (TOA) solar forcing to the annual-mean, zonal-mean ITCZ location is examined in a dynamic ocean coupled Community Earth System Model. We observe a damped ITCZ shift response that is now a familiar response of coupled GCMs, but a new finding is that the damping efficiency is increases monotonically as the latitudinal location of forcing is moved poleward. More Poleward forcing cases exhibit weaker shifts of the annual-mean ITCZ position consistent with a more ocean-centric cross-equatorial energy partitioning response to the forcing, which is in turn linked to changes in ocean circulation, not thermodynamic structure. The ocean's dynamic response is partly due to Ekman-driven shallow overturning circulation responses, as expected from a recent theory, but also contains a significant Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) component--which is in some sense surprising given that it is activated even in near-tropical forcing experiments. Further analysis of the interhemispheric energy budget reveals the surface heating feedback response provides a useful framework for interpreting the cross-equatorial energy transport partitioning between atmosphere and ocean. Overall, the results of this study may help explain the mixed results of the degree of ITCZ shift response to interhemispheric asymmetric forcing documented in coupled GCMs in recent years. Furthermore, the sensitive AMOC response motivates expanding current coupled theoretical frameworks on meridional energy transport partitioning to include effects beyond Ekman transport.

Edge systems in the deep ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coon, Andrew; Earp, Samuel L.

2010-04-01

DARPA has initiated a program to explore persistent presence in the deep ocean. The deep ocean is difficult to access and presents a hostile environment. Persistent operations in the deep ocean will require new technology for energy, communications and autonomous operations. Several fundamental characteristics of the deep ocean shape any potential system architecture. The deep sea presents acoustic sensing opportunities that may provide significantly enhanced sensing footprints relative to sensors deployed at traditional depths. Communication limitations drive solutions towards autonomous operation of the platforms and automation of data collection and processing. Access to the seabed presents an opportunity for fixed infrastructure with no important limitations on size and weight. Difficult access and persistence impose requirements for long-life energy sources and potentially energy harvesting. The ocean is immense, so there is a need to scale the system footprint for presence over tens of thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands of square nautical miles. This paper focuses on the aspect of distributed sensing, and the engineering of networks of sensors to cover the required footprint.

Environmental programs for ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)

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

Wilde, P.

1981-07-01

The environmental research effort in support of the US Department of Energy's Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) program has the goal of providing documented information on the effect of proposed operations on the ocean and the effect of oceanic conditions on the plant. The associated environment program consists of archival studies in potential areas serial oceanographic cruises to sites or regions of interest, studies from various fixed platforms at sites, and compilation of such information for appropriate legal compliance and permit requirements and for use in progressive design of OTEC plants. Site/regions investigated are south of Mobile and west ofmore » Tampa, Gulf of Mexico; Punta Tuna, Puerto Rico; St. Croix, Virgin Islands; Kahe Point, Oahu and Keahole Point, Hawaii, Hawaiian Islands; and off the Brazilian south Equatorial Coast. Four classes of environmental concerns identified are: redistribution of oceanic properties (ocean water mixing, impingement/entrainment etc.); chemical pollution (biocides, working fluid leaks, etc.); structural effects (artificial reef, aggregation, nesting/migration, etc.); socio-legal-economic (worker safety, enviromaritime law, etc.).« less

Applying Physics to Clean Energy Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Science and Technology, 1975

1975-01-01

Solar and ocean thermal energy sources offer real potential for an environmentally clean fuel by the year 2000. A review of current research contracts relating to ocean-thermal energy, cost requirements of plant construction and uses of the electricity produced, such as synthesizing ammonia and synthetic fuels, are discussed. (BT)

77 FR 25877 - Amendments to ONRR's Web Site and Mailing Addresses and Payment Definitions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-02

..., Electronic funds transfers, Geothermal energy, Indians--lands, Mineral royalties, Oil and gas exploration... Secretary announced the name change of MMS to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and... (ONRR); the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM); and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental...

Application of a wind-wave-current coupled model in the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean sea), for wind energy purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

María Palomares, Ana; Navarro, Jorge; Grifoll, Manel; Pallares, Elena; Espino, Manuel

2016-04-01

This work shows the main results of the HAREAMAR project (including HAREMAR, ENE2012-38772-C02-01 and DARDO, ENE2012-38772-C02-02 projects), concerning the local Wind, Wave and Current simulation at St. Jordi Bay (NW Mediterranean Sea). Offshore Wind Energy has become one of the main topics within the research in Wind Energy research. Although there are quite a few models with a high level of reliability for wind simulation and prediction in onshore places, the wind prediction needs further investigations for adaptation to the Offshore emplacements, taking into account the interaction atmosphere-ocean. The main problem in these ocean areas is the lack of wind data, which neither allows for characterizing the energy potential and wind behaviour in a particular place, nor validating the forecasting models. The main objective of this work is to reduce the local prediction errors, in order to make the meteo-oceanographic hindcast and forecast more reliable. The COAWST model (Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave Sediment Transport Model; Warner et al., 2010) system has been implemented in the region considering a set of downscaling nested meshes to obtain high-resolution outputs in the region. The adaptation to this particular area, combining the different wind, wave and ocean model domains has been far from simple, because the grid domains for the three models differ significantly. This work shows the main results of the COAWST model implementation to this particular area, including both monthly and other set of tests in different atmospheric situations, especially chosen for their particular interest. The time period considered for the validation is the whole year 2012. A comparative study between the WRF, SWAN and ROMS model outputs (without coupling), the COWAST model outputs, and a buoy measurements moored in the region was performed for this year. References Warner, J.C., Armstrong, B., He, R., and Zambon, J.B., 2010, Development of a Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST) modeling system: Ocean Modeling, 35 (3), 230-244.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of bulk aqueous solutions at oceanic pressures: evaluation of key measurement parameters

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

Michel, Anna P. M.; Lawrence-Snyder, Marion; Angel, S. Michael

The development of in situ chemical sensors is critical for present-day expeditionary oceanography and the new mode of ocean observing systems that we are entering. New sensors take a significant amount of time to develop; therefore, validation of techniques in the laboratory for use in the ocean environment is necessary. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a promising in situ technique for oceanography. Laboratory investigations on the feasibility of using LIBS to detect analytes in bulk liquids at oceanic pressures were carried out. LIBS was successfully used to detect dissolved Na, Mn, Ca, K, and Li at pressures up to 2.76x107more » Pa. The effects of pressure, laser-pulse energy, interpulse delay, gate delay, temperature, and NaCl concentration on the LIBS signal were examined. An optimal range of laser-pulse energies was found to exist for analyte detection in bulk aqueous solutions at both low and high pressures. No pressure effect was seen on the emission intensity for Ca and Na, and an increase in emission intensity with increased pressure was seen for Mn. Using the dual-pulse technique for several analytes, a very short interpulse delay resulted in the greatest emission intensity. The presence of NaCl enhanced the emission intensity for Ca, but had no effect on peak intensity of Mn or K. Overall, increased pressure, the addition of NaCl to a solution, and temperature did not inhibit detection of analytes in solution and sometimes even enhanced the ability to detect the analytes. The results suggest that LIBS is a viable chemical sensing method for in situ analyte detection in high-pressure environments such as the deep ocean.« less

Estimating the Economic Benefits of Regional Ocean Observing Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-04-01

transportation, health and safety, energy, and commercial fishing . Nine more specific activities are examined (Table 2). Table 2 Activities affected... Health and Safety Oil Spill & Hazard Cleanup Property Damage Energy OCS Development Electric Generation Management Commercial Fishing The project...Increased expenditures Mid Atlantic $30.0 South Atlantic $2.0 Fishing Florida $7.6 Willingness to pay G.o.Mexico* $6.7-34.0 Willingness to pay

Wave Energy Prize - 1/50th Testing - Advanced Ocean Energy @ VT

DOE Data Explorer

Wesley Scharmen

2016-01-29

This submission of data includes all the 1/50th scale testing data completed on the Wave Energy Prize for the for the Advanced Ocean Energy @VT team, and includes: 1/50th test data (raw & processed) 1/50th test data video and pictures 1/50th Test plans and testing documents SSTF_Submission (summarized results)

Global Energy-saving Map of Strong Ocean Currents

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan) 2(Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung...World Bank and FAO. (2009). The sunken billions. The economic justification for fisheries reform. Washington, DC, Agriculture and Rural Development

30 CFR 250.202 - What criteria must the Exploration Plan (EP), Development and Production Plan (DPP), or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Section 250.202 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT...; and (e) Does not cause undue or serious harm or damage to the human, marine, or coastal environment. ...

Internal swells in the tropics: Near-inertial wave energy fluxes and dissipation during CINDY

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soares, S. M.; Natarov, A.; Richards, K. J.

2016-05-01

A developing MJO event in the tropical Indian Ocean triggered wind disturbances that generated inertial oscillations in the surface mixed layer. Subsequent radiation of near-inertial waves below the mixed layer produced strong turbulence in the pycnocline. Linear plane wave dynamics and spectral analysis are used to explain these observations, with the ultimate goal of estimating the wave energy flux in relation to both the energy input by the wind and the dissipation by turbulence. The results indicate that the wave packets carry approximately 30-40% of the wind input of inertial kinetic energy, and propagate in an environment conducive to the occurrence of a critical level set up by a combination of vertical gradients in background relative vorticity and Doppler shifting of wave frequency. Turbulent kinetic energy dissipation measurements demonstrate that the waves lose energy as they propagate in the transition layer as well as in the pycnocline, where approaching this critical level may have dissipated approximately 20% of the wave packet energy in a single event. Our analysis, therefore, supports the notion that appreciable amounts of wind-induced inertial kinetic energy escape the surface boundary layer into the interior. However, a large fraction of wave energy is dissipated within the pycnocline, limiting its penetration into the abyssal ocean.

Anomaly transform methods based on total energy and ocean heat content norms for generating ocean dynamic disturbances for ensemble climate forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanova, Vanya; Hense, Andreas

2017-08-01

In our study we use the anomaly transform, a special case of ensemble transform method, in which a selected set of initial oceanic anomalies in space, time and variables are defined and orthogonalized. The resulting orthogonal perturbation patterns are designed such that they pick up typical balanced anomaly structures in space and time and between variables. The metric used to set up the eigen problem is taken either as the weighted total energy with its zonal, meridional kinetic and available potential energy terms having equal contributions, or the weighted ocean heat content in which a disturbance is applied only to the initial temperature fields. The choices of a reference state for defining the initial anomalies are such that either perturbations on seasonal timescales and or on interannual timescales are constructed. These project a-priori only the slow modes of the ocean physical processes, such that the disturbances grow mainly in the Western Boundary Currents, in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and the El Nino Southern Oscillation regions. An additional set of initial conditions is designed to fit in a least square sense data from global ocean reanalysis. Applying the AT produced sets of disturbances to oceanic initial conditions initialized by observations of the MPIOM-ESM coupled model on T63L47/GR15 resolution, four ensemble and one hind-cast experiments were performed. The weighted total energy norm is used to monitor the amplitudes and rates of the fastest growing error modes. The results showed minor dependence of the instabilities or error growth on the selected metric but considerable change due to the magnitude of the scaling amplitudes of the perturbation patterns. In contrast to similar atmospheric applications, we find an energy conversion from kinetic to available potential energy, which suggests a different source of uncertainty generation in the ocean than in the atmosphere mainly associated with changes in the density field.

Energy: An annotated bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blow, S. J. (Compiler)

1975-01-01

This bibliography is the first update of a previous energy bibliography dated August 1974. It contains approximately 3,300 selected references on energy and energy related topics from bibliographic sources dated August 1974 through December 1974. The references are arranged by date, with the latest works first, in subject categories. (1) Energy and power - general; resources, supply/demand, and forecasting; policy, legislation, and regulation; research and development, environment; consumption and economics; conservation; and systems analysis. (2) Energy and power sources - general; fossil fuels; hydrogen and other fuels; organic wastes and waste heat; nuclear; geothermal; solar; wind; ocean/water; magnetohydrodynamics and electrohydrodynamics; and gas and steam turbines. (3) Energy and power storage and transmission.

Review of NASA programs in applying aerospace technology to energy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwenk, F. C.

1981-01-01

NASA's role in energy research and development, with the aid of aerospace technology, is reviewed. A brief history, which began in 1974 with studies of solar energy systems on earth, is presented, and the major energy programs, consisting of over 60 different projects, are described, and include solar terrestrial systems, conservation and fossil energy systems, and space utilization systems. Special attention is given to the Satellite Power System and the isolation of nuclear wastes in space. Emerging prospects for NASA programs in energy technology include bioenergy, and ocean thermal energy conversion, coal extraction and conversion technologies, and support to the nuclear industry in power plant systems safety.

Energy from Ocean Waves, River Currents, and Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guha, Shyamal

2006-03-01

The Earth we live in is surrounded by fluids, which are in perpetual motion. The air in the atmosphere and water found in lakes, ocean, and rivers form our natural environment. Much of the fluid medium is in constant motion. The kinetic energy of this moving fluid is astronomical in magnitude. Over the years, I have considered methods of converting a fraction of the vast reserve of this kinetic energy into electro-mechanical energy. I have conceived a few schemes of such conversions. The fluids whose kinetic energy can be converted into electro-mechanical energy are the following: ocean waters, river currents and atmospheric air. In a book to be published in the spring of 2006, I have described different techniques of energy conversion. In the upcoming APS meeting, I plan to discuss some of these techniques.

Mapping the Energy Cascade in the North Atlantic Ocean: The Coarse-graining Approach

DOE PAGES

Aluie, Hussein; Hecht, Matthew; Vallis, Geoffrey K.

2017-11-14

A coarse-graining framework is implemented to analyze nonlinear processes, measure energy transfer rates and map out the energy pathways from simulated global ocean data. Traditional tools to measure the energy cascade from turbulence theory, such as spectral flux or spectral transfer rely on the assumption of statistical homogeneity, or at least a large separation between the scales of motion and the scales of statistical inhomogeneity. The coarse-graining framework allows for probing the fully nonlinear dynamics simultaneously in scale and in space, and is not restricted by those assumptions. This study describes how the framework can be applied to ocean flows.

Mapping the Energy Cascade in the North Atlantic Ocean: The Coarse-graining Approach

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

Aluie, Hussein; Hecht, Matthew; Vallis, Geoffrey K.

A coarse-graining framework is implemented to analyze nonlinear processes, measure energy transfer rates and map out the energy pathways from simulated global ocean data. Traditional tools to measure the energy cascade from turbulence theory, such as spectral flux or spectral transfer rely on the assumption of statistical homogeneity, or at least a large separation between the scales of motion and the scales of statistical inhomogeneity. The coarse-graining framework allows for probing the fully nonlinear dynamics simultaneously in scale and in space, and is not restricted by those assumptions. This study describes how the framework can be applied to ocean flows.

Assessment of Offshore Wind Energy Leasing Areas for the BOEM New Jersey Wind Energy Area

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

Musial, W.; Elliott, D.; Fields, J.

2013-10-01

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), under an interagency agreement with the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), is providing technical assistance to identify and delineate leasing areas for offshore wind energy development within the Atlantic Coast Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) established by BOEM. This report focuses on NREL's development and evaluation of the delineations for the New Jersey (NJ) WEA. The overarching objective of this study is to develop a logical process by which the New Jersey WEA can be subdivided into non-overlapping leasing areas for BOEM's use in developing an auction process inmore » a renewable energy lease sale. NREL identified a selection of leasing areas and proposed delineation boundaries within the established NJ WEA. The primary output of the interagency agreement is this report, which documents the methodology, including key variables and assumptions, by which the leasing areas were identified and delineated.« less

Thermodynamic neutral density: A new physically-based, energy-constrained, materially conserved neutral density variable for quantifying mixing and tracking water masses in the ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tailleux, R.

2016-02-01

A new materially-conserved quasi-neutral density variable has been constructed, called thermodynamic neutral density. It is composed of two parts. The first part is the Lorenz reference density entering Lorenz theory of available potential energy, which can be interpreted as the potential density of a fluid parcel referenced to the pressure it would have in Lorenz reference state of minimum potential energy. The second part is an empirical correction for pressure, which can be suitably chosen to make thermodynamic neutral density a very good approximation of Jackett and McDougall (1997) neutral density over most of the ocean water masses for which the latter is defined. Thermodynamic neutral density possesses many advantages over the empirically constructed Jackett and McDougall (1997) neutral density: 1) it is physically-based; 2) it is easily computed using fast and efficient methods for arbitrary states of the ocean, not just the present state, using the recently developed methodology by Saenz et al. (2015); 3) it is exactly neutral in a state of rest, and approximately neutral in the present ocean; 4) it is exactly materially conserved (it is a function of salinity and potential temperature only) and not plagued by unphysical nonmaterial effects, so can be used unambiguously to define and diagnose diapycnal and isopycnal mixing; 5) it is based on available potential energy, and therefore is the most suitable variable to discuss the energy cost of adiabatic stirring; 6) it is the variable that should be used to define the isopycnal and diapycnal directions in rotated diffusion tensor, as it can be shown that using the directions defined by the local neutral tangent plane as currently done causes spurious destruction of water masses. References: J. A. Saenz, R. Tailleux, E.D. Butler, G.O. Hughes, and K.I.C. Oliver, 2015: Estimating Lorenz's reference state in an ocean with a nonlinear equation of state for seawater. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 45, 1242—1257

Impact of oceanic-scale interactions on the seasonal modulation of ocean dynamics by the atmosphere.

PubMed

Sasaki, Hideharu; Klein, Patrice; Qiu, Bo; Sasai, Yoshikazu

2014-12-15

Ocean eddies (with a size of 100-300 km), ubiquitous in satellite observations, are known to represent about 80% of the total ocean kinetic energy. Recent studies have pointed out the unexpected role of smaller oceanic structures (with 1-50 km scales) in generating and sustaining these eddies. The interpretation proposed so far invokes the internal instability resulting from the large-scale interaction between upper and interior oceanic layers. Here we show, using a new high-resolution simulation of the realistic North Pacific Ocean, that ocean eddies are instead sustained by a different process that involves small-scale mixed-layer instabilities set up by large-scale atmospheric forcing in winter. This leads to a seasonal evolution of the eddy kinetic energy in a very large part of this ocean, with an amplitude varying by a factor almost equal to 2. Perspectives in terms of the impacts on climate dynamics and future satellite observational systems are briefly discussed.

Impact of oceanic-scale interactions on the seasonal modulation of ocean dynamics by the atmosphere

PubMed Central

Sasaki, Hideharu; Klein, Patrice; Qiu, Bo; Sasai, Yoshikazu

2014-01-01

Ocean eddies (with a size of 100–300 km), ubiquitous in satellite observations, are known to represent about 80% of the total ocean kinetic energy. Recent studies have pointed out the unexpected role of smaller oceanic structures (with 1–50 km scales) in generating and sustaining these eddies. The interpretation proposed so far invokes the internal instability resulting from the large-scale interaction between upper and interior oceanic layers. Here we show, using a new high-resolution simulation of the realistic North Pacific Ocean, that ocean eddies are instead sustained by a different process that involves small-scale mixed-layer instabilities set up by large-scale atmospheric forcing in winter. This leads to a seasonal evolution of the eddy kinetic energy in a very large part of this ocean, with an amplitude varying by a factor almost equal to 2. Perspectives in terms of the impacts on climate dynamics and future satellite observational systems are briefly discussed. PMID:25501039

Intensified Diapycnal Mixing in the Midlatitude Western Boundary Currents

PubMed Central

Jing, Zhao; Wu, Lixin

2014-01-01

The wind work on oceanic near-inertial motions is suggested to play an important role in furnishing the diapycnal mixing in the deep ocean which affects the uptake of heat and carbon by the ocean as well as climate changes. However, it remains a puzzle where and through which route the near-inertial energy penetrates into the deep ocean. Using the measurements collected in the Kuroshio extension region during January 2005, we demonstrate that the diapycnal mixing in the thermocline and deep ocean is tightly related to the shear variance of wind-generated near-inertial internal waves with the diapycnal diffusivity 6 × 10−5 m2s−1 almost an order stronger than that observed in the circulation gyre. It is estimated that 45%–62% of the local near-inertial wind work 4.5 × 10−3 Wm−2 radiates into the thermocline and deep ocean and accounts for 42%–58% of the energy required to furnish mixing there. The elevated mixing is suggested to be maintained by the energetic near-inertial wind work and strong eddy activities causing enhanced downward near-inertial energy flux than earlier findings. The western boundary current turns out to be a key region for the penetration of near-inertial energy into the deep ocean and a hotspot for the diapycnal mixing in winter. PMID:25491363

Organic nutrient chemistry and the marine microbiome

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

Repeta, Daniel J.; Boiteau, Rene M.

Vast expanses of the ocean are characterized by extraordinarily low concentrations of nutrients but nevertheless support vibrant communities of marine microbes. In aggregate, these communities drive many of the important elemental cycles that sustain life on Earth. Microbial communities are organized to maximize nutrient and energy transfer between cells, and efficiently recycle organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and trace metals. Energy and nutrient transfer occurs across a broad range of spatial scales. Large-sized marine algae and bacteria support epibiont communities that are physically in contact, exchanging nutrients and energy across cell membranes, while other communities that are physically far apart, relymore » on the horizontal mixing of ocean currents or the vertical pull of gravity to transfer nutrient and energy containing organic matter. Marine organic geochemists are making rapid progress in understanding the chemistry of the marine microbiome. These advances have benefited from parallel developments in analytical chemistry, microbial isolation and culture techniques, and advances in microbial genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. The combination of all three approaches has proven to be quite powerful. Here we highlight two aspects of the chemistry of organic phosphorus and trace metal cycling and the marine microbiome. In each study, advances in chemical analyses, microbial culture, and microbial genomics played key roles in understanding how microbial communities interact to facilitate nutrient cycling in the open ocean.« less

Globalizing Lessons Learned from Regional-scale Observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glenn, S. M.

2016-02-01

The Mid Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System (MARACOOS) has accumulated a decade of experience designing, building and operating a Regional Coastal Ocean Observing System for the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). MARACOOS serves societal goals and supports scientific discovery at the scale of a Large Marine Ecosystem (LME). Societal themes include maritime safety, ecosystem decision support, coastal inundation, water quality and offshore energy. Scientific results that feed back on societal goals with better products include improved understanding of seasonal transport pathways and their impact on phytoplankton blooms and hypoxia, seasonal evolution of the subsurface Mid Atlantic Cold Pool and its impact on fisheries, biogeochemical transformations in coastal plumes, coastal ocean evolution and impact on hurricane intensities, and storm sediment transport pathways. As the global ocean observing requirements grow to support additional societal needs for information on fisheries and aquaculture, ocean acidification and deoxygenation, water quality and offshore development, global observing will necessarily evolve to include more coastal observations and forecast models at the scale of the world's many LMEs. Here we describe our efforts to share lessons learned between the observatory operators at the regional-scale of the LMEs. Current collaborators are spread across Europe, and also include Korea, Indonesia, Australia, Brazil and South Africa. Specific examples include the development of a world standard QA/QC approach for HF Radar data that will foster the sharing of data between countries, basin-scale underwater glider missions between internationally-distributed glider ports to developed a shared understanding of operations and an ongoing evaluation of the global ocean models in which the regional models for the LME will be nested, and joint training programs to develop the distributed teams of scientists and technicians required to support the global network. Globalization includes the development of international networks to coordinate activities, such as the Global HF Radar network supported by GEO, the global Everyone's Glider Organization supported by WMO and IOC, and the need for professional training supported by MTS.

Model Scaling of Hydrokinetic Ocean Renewable Energy Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Ellenrieder, Karl; Valentine, William

2013-11-01

Numerical simulations are performed to validate a non-dimensional dynamic scaling procedure that can be applied to subsurface and deeply moored systems, such as hydrokinetic ocean renewable energy devices. The prototype systems are moored in water 400 m deep and include: subsurface spherical buoys moored in a shear current and excited by waves; an ocean current turbine excited by waves; and a deeply submerged spherical buoy in a shear current excited by strong current fluctuations. The corresponding model systems, which are scaled based on relative water depths of 10 m and 40 m, are also studied. For each case examined, the response of the model system closely matches the scaled response of the corresponding full-sized prototype system. The results suggest that laboratory-scale testing of complete ocean current renewable energy systems moored in a current is possible. This work was supported by the U.S. Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center (SNMREC).

30 CFR 282.23 - Testing Plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR... lessee needs more information to develop a detailed Mining Plan than is obtainable under an approved... techniques or technology or mining equipment, or to determine environmental effects by a pilot test mining...

Electromagnetic backscattering from one-dimensional drifting fractal sea surface I: Wave-current coupled model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Xie; Shang-Zhuo, Zhao; William, Perrie; He, Fang; Wen-Jin, Yu; Yi-Jun, He

2016-06-01

To study the electromagnetic backscattering from a one-dimensional drifting fractal sea surface, a fractal sea surface wave-current model is derived, based on the mechanism of wave-current interactions. The numerical results show the effect of the ocean current on the wave. Wave amplitude decreases, wavelength and kurtosis of wave height increase, spectrum intensity decreases and shifts towards lower frequencies when the current occurs parallel to the direction of the ocean wave. By comparison, wave amplitude increases, wavelength and kurtosis of wave height decrease, spectrum intensity increases and shifts towards higher frequencies if the current is in the opposite direction to the direction of ocean wave. The wave-current interaction effect of the ocean current is much stronger than that of the nonlinear wave-wave interaction. The kurtosis of the nonlinear fractal ocean surface is larger than that of linear fractal ocean surface. The effect of the current on skewness of the probability distribution function is negligible. Therefore, the ocean wave spectrum is notably changed by the surface current and the change should be detectable in the electromagnetic backscattering signal. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41276187), the Global Change Research Program of China (Grant No. 2015CB953901), the Priority Academic Development Program of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), Program for the Innovation Research and Entrepreneurship Team in Jiangsu Province, China, the Canadian Program on Energy Research and Development, and the Canadian World Class Tanker Safety Service.

Energy: An annotated bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blow, S. J. (Compiler)

1974-01-01

This bibliography is a compilation of approximately 4,300 selected references on energy and energy related topics. The references are arranged by date, with the latest works first, in the following subject categories: (1) energy and power - general; resources, supply/demand, and forecasting; policy, legislation, and regulation; research and development; environment; consumption and economics; and conservation, (2) energy and power sources - general, fossil fuels, hydrogen and methanol, organic wastes and waste heat, nuclear, geothermal, solar, wind, ocean/water, magnetohydrodynamics and electrohydrodynamics, and gas and steam turbines, and (3) energy and power storage and transmission. Literature from bibliographic sources dated January 1972 through July 1974 is covered, with some pertinent literature prior to 1972 included.

Proceedings: Panel on Information Dissemination for Wind Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weis, P.

1980-04-01

A program for coordinating and strengthening technical information activities related to the commercialization of solar energy research and development results is described. The program contains a project for each of the following technologies: biomass; ocean thermal energy conversion; photovoltaics; solar thermal power; and wind energy conversion systems. In addition to the production and dissemination of several types of information materials, the wind energy project aims to support efforts of others in the field. The meeting is the first attempt to acquaint people with the information activities of others, to discuss information needs as an aid to planning, and to promote cooperation in disseminating information on wind energy.

Department of Defense High Performance Computing Modernization Program. 2006 Annual Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

Department. We successfully completed several software development projects that introduced parallel, scalable production software now in use across the...imagined. They are developing and deploying weather and ocean models that allow our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen to plan missions more effectively...and to navigate adverse environments safely. They are modeling molecular interactions leading to the development of higher energy fuels, munitions

Global assessment of benthic nepheloid layers and linkage with upper ocean dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner, Wilford D.; Richardson, Mary Jo; Mishonov, Alexey V.

2018-01-01

Global maps of the maximum bottom concentration, thickness, and integrated particle mass in benthic nepheloid layers are published here to support collaborations to understand deep ocean sediment dynamics, linkage with upper ocean dynamics, and assessing the potential for scavenging of adsorption-prone elements near the deep ocean seafloor. Mapping the intensity of benthic particle concentrations from natural oceanic processes also provides a baseline that will aid in quantifying the industrial impact of current and future deep-sea mining. Benthic nepheloid layers have been mapped using 6,392 full-depth profiles made during 64 cruises using our transmissometers mounted on CTDs in multiple national/international programs including WOCE, SAVE, JGOFS, CLIVAR-Repeat Hydrography, and GO-SHIP during the last four decades. Intense benthic nepheloid layers are found in areas where eddy kinetic energy in overlying waters, mean kinetic energy 50 m above bottom (mab), and energy dissipation in the bottom boundary layer are near the highest values in the ocean. Areas of intense benthic nepheloid layers include the Western North Atlantic, Argentine Basin in the South Atlantic, parts of the Southern Ocean and areas around South Africa. Benthic nepheloid layers are weak or absent in most of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic basins away from continental margins. High surface eddy kinetic energy is associated with the Kuroshio Current east of Japan. Data south of the Kuroshio show weak nepheloid layers, but no transmissometer data exist beneath the Kuroshio, a deficiency that should be remedied to increase understanding of eddy dynamics in un-sampled and under-sampled oceanic areas.

Application of nonlinear deterministic decomposition to the prediction and energy dissipation of long-crested irregular ocean surface waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meza Conde, Eustorgio

The Hybrid Wave Model (HWM) is a deterministic nonlinear wave model developed for the computation of wave properties in the vicinity of ocean wave measurements. The HWM employs both Mode-Coupling and Phase Modulation Methods to model the wave-wave interactions in an ocean wave field. Different from other nonlinear wave models, the HWM decouples the nonlinear wave interactions from ocean wave field measurements and decomposes the wave field into a set of free-wave components. In this dissertation the HWM is applied to the prediction of wave elevation from pressure measurements and to the quantification of energy during breaking of long-crested irregular surface waves. 1.A transient wave train was formed in a two-dimensional wave flume by sequentially generating a series of waves from high to low frequencies that superposed at a downstream location. The predicted wave elevation using the HWM based on the pressure measurement of a very steep transient wave train is in excellent agreement with the corresponding elevation measurement, while that using Linear Wave Theory (LWT) has relatively large discrepancies. Furthermore, the predicted elevation using the HWM is not sensitive to the choice of the cutoff frequency, while that using LWT is very sensitive. 2.Several transient wave trains containing an isolated plunging or spilling breaker at a prescribed location were generated in a two-dimensional wave flume using the same superposition technique. Surface elevation measurements of each transient wave train were made at locations before and after breaking. Applying the HWM nonlinear deterministic decomposition to the measured elevation, the free-wave components comprising the transient wave train were derived. By comparing the free-wave spectra before and after breaking it is found that energy loss was almost exclusively from wave components at frequencies higher than the spectral peak frequency. Even though the wave components near the peak frequency are the largest, they do not significantly gain or lose energy after breaking. It was also observed that wave components of frequencies significantly below or near the peak frequency gain a small portion of energy lost by the high-frequency waves. These findings may have important implications to the ocean wave energy budget.

Drivers of Arctic Ocean warming in CMIP5 models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgard, Clara; Notz, Dirk

2017-05-01

We investigate changes in the Arctic Ocean energy budget simulated by 26 general circulation models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 framework. Our goal is to understand whether the Arctic Ocean warming between 1961 and 2099 is primarily driven by changes in the net atmospheric surface flux or by changes in the meridional oceanic heat flux. We find that the simulated Arctic Ocean warming is driven by positive anomalies in the net atmospheric surface flux in 11 models, by positive anomalies in the meridional oceanic heat flux in 11 models, and by positive anomalies in both energy fluxes in four models. The different behaviors are mainly characterized by the different changes in meridional oceanic heat flux that lead to different changes in the turbulent heat loss to the atmosphere. The multimodel ensemble mean is hence not representative of a consensus across the models in Arctic climate projections.

SIIOS in Alaska: Testing an "In-Vault" Option for a Europa Lander Seismometer Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bray, Veronica J.; Weber, Renee C.; DellaGiustina, Daniella N.; Bailey, S. H. (Hop); Schmerr, Nicholas C.; Pettit, Erin C.; Avenson, Brad; Marusiak, Angela G.; Dahl, Peter; Carr, Christina;

Producing a Climate-Quality Database of Global Upper Ocean Profile Temperatures - The IQuOD (International Quality-controlled Ocean Database) Project.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sprintall, J.; Cowley, R.; Palmer, M. D.; Domingues, C. M.; Suzuki, T.; Ishii, M.; Boyer, T.; Goni, G. J.; Gouretski, V. V.; Macdonald, A. M.; Thresher, A.; Good, S. A.; Diggs, S. C.

2016-02-01

Historical ocean temperature profile observations provide a critical element for a host of ocean and climate research activities. These include providing initial conditions for seasonal-to-decadal prediction systems, evaluating past variations in sea level and Earth's energy imbalance, ocean state estimation for studying variability and change, and climate model evaluation and development. The International Quality controlled Ocean Database (IQuOD) initiative represents a community effort to create the most globally complete temperature profile dataset, with (intelligent) metadata and assigned uncertainties. With an internationally coordinated effort organized by oceanographers, with data and ocean instrumentation expertise, and in close consultation with end users (e.g., climate modelers), the IQuOD initiative will assess and maximize the potential of an irreplaceable collection of ocean temperature observations (tens of millions of profiles collected at a cost of tens of billions of dollars, since 1772) to fulfil the demand for a climate-quality global database that can be used with greater confidence in a vast range of climate change related research and services of societal benefit. Progress towards version 1 of the IQuOD database, ongoing and future work will be presented. More information on IQuOD is available at www.iquod.org.

Technology development plan: Geotechnical survey systems for OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) cold water pipes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valent, Philip J.; Riggins, Michael

1989-04-01

An overview is given of current and developing technologies and techniques for performing geotechnical investigations for siting and designing Cold Water Pipes (CWP) for shelf-resting Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) power plants. The geotechnical in situ tools used to measure the required parameters and the equipment/systems used to deploy these tools are identified. The capabilities of these geotechnical tools and deployment systems are compared to the data requirements for the CWP foundation/anchor design, and shortfalls are identified. For the last phase of geotechnical data gathering for design, a drillship will be required to perform soil boring work, to obtain required high quality sediment samples for laboratory dynamic testing, and to perform deep penetration in situ tests. To remedy shortfalls and to reduce the future OTEC CWP geotechnical survey costs, it is recommended that a seafloor resting machine be developed to advance the friction cone penetrometer, and also probably a pressuremeter, to provide geotechnical parameters to shallow subseafloor penetrations on slopes of 35 deg and in water depths to 1300 m.

Effects of an Arctic under-ice phytoplankton bloom on bio-optical properties of surface waters during the Norwegian Young Sea Ice Cruise (N-ICE2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlov, A. K.; Granskog, M. A.; Hudson, S. R.; Taskjelle, T.; Kauko, H.; Hamre, B.; Assmy, P.; Mundy, C. J.; Nicolaus, M.; Kowalczuk, P.; Stedmon, C. A.; Fernandez Mendez, M.

2016-02-01

A thinner and younger Arctic sea-ice cover has led to an increase in solar light transmission into the surface ocean, especially during late spring and summer. A description of the seasonal evolution of polar surface water optical properties is essential, in order to understand how changes are affecting light availability for photosynthetic organisms and the surface ocean energy budget. The development of the bio-optical properties of Arctic surface waters under predominantly first-year sea ice in the southern Nansen Basin were studied from January to June 2015 during the Norwegian Young Sea Ice Cruise (N-ICE2015). Observations included inherent optical properties, absorption by colored dissolved organic matter and particles, as well as radiometric measurements. We documented a rapid transition from relatively clear and transparent waters in winter to turbid waters in late May and June. This transition was associated with a strong under-ice phytoplankton bloom detected first under the compact ice pack and then monitored during drift across the marginal ice zone. We discuss potential implications of underwater light availability for photosynthesis, heat redistribution in the upper ocean layer, and energy budget of the sea-ice - ocean system.

30 CFR 250.125 - Service fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR... Domestic Product by publication of a document in the Federal Register. If a significant adjustment is... Development Operations Coordination Document (DOCD) $3,971 for each well proposed; no fee for revisions § 250...

Subsurface Hybrid Power Options for Oil & Gas Production at Deep Ocean Sites

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

Farmer, J C; Haut, R; Jahn, G

2010-02-19

An investment in deep-sea (deep-ocean) hybrid power systems may enable certain off-shore oil and gas exploration and production. Advanced deep-ocean drilling and production operations, locally powered, may provide commercial access to oil and gas reserves otherwise inaccessible. Further, subsea generation of electrical power has the potential of featuring a low carbon output resulting in improved environmental conditions. Such technology therefore, enhances the energy security of the United States in a green and environmentally friendly manner. The objective of this study is to evaluate alternatives and recommend equipment to develop into hybrid energy conversion and storage systems for deep ocean operations.more » Such power systems will be located on the ocean floor and will be used to power offshore oil and gas exploration and production operations. Such power systems will be located on the oceans floor, and will be used to supply oil and gas exploration activities, as well as drilling operations required to harvest petroleum reserves. The following conceptual hybrid systems have been identified as candidates for powering sub-surface oil and gas production operations: (1) PWR = Pressurized-Water Nuclear Reactor + Lead-Acid Battery; (2) FC1 = Line for Surface O{sub 2} + Well Head Gas + Reformer + PEMFC + Lead-Acid & Li-Ion Batteries; (3) FC2 = Stored O2 + Well Head Gas + Reformer + Fuel Cell + Lead-Acid & Li-Ion Batteries; (4) SV1 = Submersible Vehicle + Stored O{sub 2} + Fuel Cell + Lead-Acid & Li-Ion Batteries; (5) SV2 = Submersible Vehicle + Stored O{sub 2} + Engine or Turbine + Lead-Acid & Li-Ion Batteries; (6) SV3 = Submersible Vehicle + Charge at Docking Station + ZEBRA & Li-Ion Batteries; (7) PWR TEG = PWR + Thermoelectric Generator + Lead-Acid Battery; (8) WELL TEG = Thermoelectric Generator + Well Head Waste Heat + Lead-Acid Battery; (9) GRID = Ocean Floor Electrical Grid + Lead-Acid Battery; and (10) DOC = Deep Ocean Current + Lead-Acid Battery.« less

Assessment of Offshore Wind Energy Leasing Areas for the BOEM Massachusetts Wind Energy Area

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

Musial, W.; Parker, Z.; Fields, M.

2013-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), under an interagency agreement with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), is providing technical assistance to identify and delineate leasing areas for offshore wind energy development within the Atlantic Coast Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) established by BOEM. This report focuses on NREL's development of three delineated leasing area options for the Massachusetts (MA) WEA and the technical evaluation of these leasing areas. The overarching objective of this study is to develop a logical process by which the MA WEA can be subdivided into non-overlapping leasing areas for BOEM'smore » use in developing an auction process in a renewable energy lease sale. NREL worked with BOEM to identify an appropriate number of leasing areas and proposed three delineation alternatives within the MA WEA based on the boundaries announced in May 2012. A primary output of the interagency agreement is this report, which documents the methodology, including key variables and assumptions, by which the leasing areas were identified and delineated.« less

Open-Ocean and Coastal Properties of Recent Major Tsunamis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabinovich, A.; Thomson, R.; Zaytsev, O.

2017-12-01

The properties of six major tsunamis during the period 2009-2015 (2009 Samoa; 2010 Chile; 2011 Tohoku; 2012 Haida Gwaii; 2014 and 2015 Chile) were thoroughly examined using coastal data from British Columbia, the U.S. West Coast and Mexico, and offshore open-ocean DART and NEPTUNE stations. Based on joint spectral analyses of the tsunamis and background noise, we have developed a method to suppress the influence of local topography and to use coastal observations to determine the underlying spectra of tsunami waves in the deep ocean. The "reconstructed" open-ocean tsunami spectra were found to be in close agreement with the actual tsunami spectra evaluated from the analysis of directly measured open-ocean tsunami records. We have further used the spectral estimates to parameterize tsunamis based on their integral open-ocean spectral characteristics. Three key parameters are introduced to describe individual tsunami events: (1) Integral open-ocean energy; (2) Amplification factor (increase of the mean coastal tsunami variance relative to the open-ocean variance); and (3) Tsunami colour, the frequency composition of the open-ocean tsunami waves. In particular, we found that the strongest tsunamis, associated with large source areas (the 2010 Chile and 2011 Tohoku) are "reddish" (indicating the dominance of low-frequency motions), while small-source events (the 2009 Samoa and 2012 Haida Gwaii) are "bluish" (indicating strong prevalence of high-frequency motions).

Evaluating the Sonic Layer Depth Relative to the Mixed Layer Depth

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-24

upper ocean to trap acoustic energy in a surface duct while MLD characterizes upper ocean mixing. The SLD is computed from temperature and salinity...and compared over the annual cycle. The SLD characterizes the potential of the upper ocean to trap acoustic energy in a surface duct while MLD...exists a tropical cyclone formation [e.g., Mao et al., 2000], to Minimum acoustic Cutoff Frequency (MCF) above which phytoplankton bloom critical depth

A Review of Global Satellite-Derived Snow Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frei, Allan; Tedesco, Marco; Lee, Shihyan; Foster, James; Hall, Dorothy K.; Kelly, Richard; Robinson, David A.

2011-01-01

Snow cover over the Northern Hemisphere plays a crucial role in the Earth s hydrology and surface energy balance, and modulates feedbacks that control variations of global climate. While many of these variations are associated with exchanges of energy and mass between the land surface and the atmosphere, other expected changes are likely to propagate downstream and affect oceanic processes in coastal zones. For example, a large component of the freshwater flux into the Arctic Ocean comes from snow melt. The timing and magnitude of this flux affects biological and thermodynamic processes in the Arctic Ocean, and potentially across the globe through their impact on North Atlantic Deep Water formation. Several recent global remotely sensed products provide information at unprecedented temporal, spatial, and spectral resolutions. In this article we review the theoretical underpinnings and characteristics of three key products. We also demonstrate the seasonal and spatial patterns of agreement and disagreement amongst them, and discuss current and future directions in their application and development. Though there is general agreement amongst these products, there can be disagreement over certain geographic regions and under conditions of ephemeral, patchy and melting snow

A Review of Global Satellite-Derived Snow Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frei, Allan; Tedesco, Marco; Lee, Shihyan; Foster, James; Hall, Dorothy K.; Kelly, Richard; Robinson, David A.

2011-01-01

Snow cover over the Northern Hemisphere plays a crucial role in the Earth's hydrology and surface energy balance, and modulates feedbacks that control variations of global climate. While many of these variations are associated with exchanges of energy and mass between the land surface and the atmosphere, other expected changes are likely to propagate downstream and affect oceanic processes in coastal zones. For example, a large component of the freshwater flux into the Arctic Ocean comes from snow melt. The timing and magnitude of this flux affects biological and thermodynamic processes in the Arctic Ocean, and potentially across the globe through their impact on North Atlantic Deep Water formation. Several recent global remotely sensed products provide information at unprecedented temporal, spatial, and spectral resolutions. In this article we review the theoretical underpinnings and characteristics of three key products. We also demonstrate the seasonal and spatial patterns of agreement and disagreement amongst them, and discuss current and future directions in their application and development. Though there is general agreement amongst these products, there can be disagreement over certain geographic regions and under conditions of ephemeral, patchy and melting snow.

A Review of Global Satellite-derived Snow Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frei, Allan; Tedesco, Marco; Lee, Shihyan; Foster, James; Hall, Dorothy K.; Kelly, Richard; Robinson, David A.

2012-01-01

Snow cover over the Northern Hemisphere plays a crucial role in the Earth's hydrology and surface energy balance, and modulates feedbacks that control variations of global climate. While many of these variations are associated with exchanges of energy and mass between the land surface and the atmosphere, other expected changes are likely to propagate downstream and affect oceanic processes in coastal zones. For example, a large component of the freshwater flux into the Arctic Ocean comes from snow melt. The timing and magnitude of this flux affects biological and thermodynamic processes in the Arctic Ocean, and potentially across the globe through their impact on North Atlantic Deep Water formation. Several recent global remotely sensed products provide information at unprecedented temporal, spatial, and spectral resolutions. In this article we review the theoretical underpinnings and characteristics of three key products. We also demonstrate the seasonal and spatial patterns of agreement and disagreement amongst them, and discuss current and future directions in their application and development. Though there is general agreement amongst these products, there can be disagreement over certain geographic regions and under conditions of ephemeral, patchy and melting snow.

Solar Energy: Its Technologies and Applications

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Auh, P. C.

1978-06-01

Solar heat, as a potential source of clean energy, is available to all of us. Extensive R and D efforts are being made to effectively utilize this renewable energy source. A variety of different technologies for utilizing solar energy have been proven to be technically feasible. Here, some of the most promising technologies and their applications are briefly described. These are: Solar Heating and Cooling of Buildings (SHACOB), Solar Thermal Energy Conversion (STC), Wind Energy Conversion (WECS), Bioconversion to Fuels (BCF), Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), and Photovoltaic Electric Power Systems (PEPS). Special emphasis is placed on the discussion of the SHACOB technologies, since the technologies are being expeditiously developed for the near commercialization.

Energy transformations associated with the synoptic and planetary scales during the evolution of a blocking anticyclone and an upstream explosively-developing cyclone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Phillip J.; Tsou, Chih-Hua

1992-01-01

The eddy kinetic energy (KE), release of eddy potential energy, generation of eddy kinetic energy, and exchange between eddy and zonal kinetic energy are investigated for a blocking anticyclone over the North Atlantic Ocean and an extratropical cyclone that developed during January 17-21, 1979. The results indicate that KE was maintained by baroclinic conversion of potential to kinetic. As released potential energy was being used to generate KE, a portion of the KE was barotropically converted to zonal KE. These transformations were dominated by the synoptic-scale component. While changes in the mass field depended not only on the synoptic scale but also on the interactions between the synoptic and planetary scales, the corresponding changes in the eddy motion fields responded largely to synoptic-scale processes.

Measurements of the earth radiation budget from satellites during the first GARP global experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonder Haar, T. H.; Campbell, G. G.; Smith, E. A.; Arking, A.; Coulson, K.; Hickey, J.; House, F.; Ingersoll, A.; Jacobowitz, H.; Smith, L.

1981-01-01

Radiation budget data (which will aid in climate model development) and solar constant measurements (both to be used for the study of long term climate change and interannual seasonal weather variability) are presented, obtained during Nimbus-6 and Nimbus-7 satellite flights, using wide-field-of-view, scanner, and black cavity detectors. Data on the solar constant, described as a function of the date of measurement, are given. The unweighed mean amounts to 1377 + or - 20 per sq Wm, with a standard deviation of 8 per sq Wm. The new solar data are combined with earlier measurements, and it is suggested that the total absolute energy output of the sun is a minimum at 'solar maximum' and vice versa. Attention is given to the measurements of the net radiation budget, the planetary albedo, and the infrared radiant exitance. The annual and semiannual cycles of normal variability explain most of the variance of energy exchange between the earth and space. Examination of separate ocean and atmospheric energy budgets implies a net continent-ocean region energy exchange.

Conservation laws in baroclinic inertial-symmetric instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grisouard, Nicolas; Fox, Morgan B.; Nijjer, Japinder

2017-04-01

Submesoscale oceanic density fronts are structures in geostrophic and hydrostatic balance, but are more prone to instabilities than mesoscale flows. As a consequence, they are believed to play a large role in air-sea exchanges, near-surface turbulence and dissipation of kinetic energy of geostrophically and hydrostatically balanced flows. We will present two-dimensional (x, z) Boussinesq numerical experiments of submesoscale baroclinic fronts on the f-plane. Instabilities of the mixed inertial and symmetric types (the actual name varies across the literature) develop, with the absence of along-front variations prohibiting geostrophic baroclinic instabilities. Two new salient facts emerge. First, contrary to pure inertial and/or pure symmetric instability, the potential energy budget is affected, the mixed instability extracting significant available potential energy from the front and dissipating it locally. Second, in the submesoscale regime, the growth rate of this mixed instability is sufficiently large that significant radiation of near-inertial internal waves occurs. Although energetically small compared to e.g. local dissipation within the front, this process might be a significant source of near-inertial energy in the ocean.

33 CFR 140.10 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... conducted on the facility. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement inspector or BOEMRE inspector means an individual employed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement... not limited to, (1) geophysical surveys where magnetic, gravity, seismic, or other systems are used to...

33 CFR 140.10 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... conducted on the facility. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement inspector or BOEMRE inspector means an individual employed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement... not limited to, (1) geophysical surveys where magnetic, gravity, seismic, or other systems are used to...

33 CFR 140.10 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... conducted on the facility. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement inspector or BOEMRE inspector means an individual employed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement... not limited to, (1) geophysical surveys where magnetic, gravity, seismic, or other systems are used to...

78 FR 1594 - Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-08

... Ocean Energy Management--Completed Actions Regulation Sequence No. Title Identifier No. 328 Revised Requirements for 1010-AD61 Well Plugging and Platform Decommissioning. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (DOI) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Completed Actions 328. Revised...

Current situation of development of petroleum substituting energies (USA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1993-03-01

Trends in development of petroleum substituting energies in the U.S.A. are described. Among non-fossil fuel based energies currently available, nuclear power generation (7%), biomass power generation (4%), and hydraulic power generation (3%) account for a large part. The future for the nuclear energy is opaque. Biomasses are anticipated to be the largest regenerative energy source. Solar energy was regarded to be a future energy source, but its cost effect is not still good. While geothermal power generation produces 0.1% of the entire energy, its future is bright. Ocean energies of all types of form such as sea water thermal energy conversion and wave energy were not treated as a substituting energy in the U.S.A. Multi-fuel vehicles using gasoline, methanol, and ethanol are estimated to account for 25% of vehicle operations in the U.S.A. by 2000. Electric vehicles for practical use would be a hybrid type combining electric motors and gasoline engines.

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.

Climate Modeling: Ocean Cavities below Ice Shelves

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

Petersen, Mark Roger

The Accelerated Climate Model for Energy (ACME), a new initiative by the U.S. Department of Energy, includes unstructured-mesh ocean, land-ice, and sea-ice components using the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS) framework. The ability to run coupled high-resolution global simulations efficiently on large, high-performance computers is a priority for ACME. Sub-ice shelf ocean cavities are a significant new capability in ACME, and will be used to better understand how changing ocean temperature and currents influence glacial melting and retreat. These simulations take advantage of the horizontal variable-resolution mesh and adaptive vertical coordinate in MPAS-Ocean, in order to place high resolutionmore » below ice shelves and near grounding lines.« less

76 FR 78938 - Carpinteria Offshore Field Redevelopment Project-Developmental Drilling Into the Carpinteria...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-20

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Carpinteria Offshore Field Redevelopment Project--Developmental Drilling Into the Carpinteria Offshore Field Oil and Gas Reserves... Lands Commission (CSLC) intend to jointly review a proposal to develop offshore oil and gas resources...

30 CFR 282.24 - Mining Plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Mining Plan. 282.24 Section 282.24 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR... Obligations and Responsibilities of Lessees § 282.24 Mining Plan. All OCS mineral development and production...

30 CFR 582.22 - Delineation Plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Delineation Plan. 582.22 Section 582.22 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER... minerals, and generate other information needed for the development of a comprehensive Testing or Mining...

30 CFR 582.22 - Delineation Plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Delineation Plan. 582.22 Section 582.22 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER... minerals, and generate other information needed for the development of a comprehensive Testing or Mining...

30 CFR 582.22 - Delineation Plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Delineation Plan. 582.22 Section 582.22 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER... minerals, and generate other information needed for the development of a comprehensive Testing or Mining...

30 CFR 556.26 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false General. 556.26 Section 556.26 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL... fully the potential effect of leasing on the human, marine and coastal environments, and develop...

30 CFR 556.26 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false General. 556.26 Section 556.26 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL... fully the potential effect of leasing on the human, marine and coastal environments, and develop...

30 CFR 556.26 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false General. 556.26 Section 556.26 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF SULPHUR OR OIL... fully the potential effect of leasing on the human, marine and coastal environments, and develop...

Building the U.S. First Offshore Wind Farm-Applying EBM Approaches to Successfully Address Offshore Energy, Commercial Fisheries, and Recreational Boating interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipsky, A.

2016-12-01

In August 2015 construction commenced on the Block Island Wind Farm, the first offshore wind energy project in the U.S. This pilot-scale offshore energy project, located 18 miles offshore of the Rhode Island mainland, was sited through a comprehensive ocean planning process. As the project progressed into design and construction, our team utilized potent ecosystem based management approaches to great advantage to address the human and resource interactions that existed in the project area. These practices have included designing and executing collaborative long-term monitoring ventures to fill key science gaps and reconcile fisheries concerns, establishing effective industry to industry engagement, and developing durable multi-sector agreements. This presentation will describe the specific EBM approaches used after the planning process was completed to bring the project to construction; highlighting where key aspects of the National Ocean Policy goals and principles have been successfully applied.

Building the U.S. First Offshore Wind Farm-Applying EBM Approaches to Successfully Address Offshore Energy, Commercial Fisheries, and Recreational Boating interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipsky, A.

2016-02-01

In August 2015 construction commenced on the Block Island Wind Farm, the first offshore wind energy project in the U.S. This pilot-scale offshore energy project, located 18 miles offshore of the Rhode Island mainland, was sited through a comprehensive ocean planning process. As the project progressed into design and construction, our team utilized potent ecosystem based management approaches to great advantage to address the human and resource interactions that existed in the project area. These practices have included designing and executing collaborative long-term monitoring ventures to fill key science gaps and reconcile fisheries concerns, establishing effective industry to industry engagement, and developing durable multi-sector agreements. This presentation will describe the specific EBM approaches used after the planning process was completed to bring the project to construction; highlighting where key aspects of the National Ocean Policy goals and principles have been successfully applied.

Development of a Long-Range Underwater Vehicle

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

lithium- seawater batteries . Specific objectives are (1) to test in the laboratory and ocean new lithium- seawater batteries developed and manufactured...by the PolyPlus Battery Company, (2) to discover how to mount and operate these cells to maximize their mass transfer with the ambient seawater and to...respectively. The achievable energy density for batteries is much less. PolyPlus Battery Company has developed a lithium- seawater battery (http

Evaluating microbial chemical choices: The ocean chemistry basis for the competition between use of O2 or NO3- as an electron acceptor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brewer, Peter G.; Hofmann, Andreas F.; Peltzer, Edward T.; Ussler, William, III

2014-05-01

The traditional ocean chemical explanation for the emergence of suboxia is that once O2 levels decline to about 10 μmol kg-1 then onset of NO3- reduction occurs. This piece of ocean chemical lore is well founded in observations and is typically phrased as a microbial choice and not as an obligate requirement. The argument based on O2 levels alone could also be phrased as being dependent on an equivalent amount of NO3- that would yield the same energy gain. This description is based on the availability of the electron acceptor: but the oxidation reactions are usually written out as free energy yield per mole of organic matter, thus not addressing the oxidant availability constraint invoked by ocean scientists. Here we show that the argument can be phrased simply as competing rate processes dependent on the free energy yield ratio per amount of electron acceptor obtained, and thus the [NO3-]:[O2] molar ratio is the critical variable. The rate at which a microbe can acquire either O2 or NO3- to carry out the oxidation reactions is dependent on both the concentration in the bulk ocean, and on the diffusivity within the microbial external molecular boundary layer. From the free energy yield calculations combined with the ~25% greater diffusivity of the O2 molecule we find that the equivalent energy yield occurs at a ratio of about 3.8 NO3-:O2 for a typical Redfield ratio reaction, consistent with an ocean where NO3- reduction onset occurs at about 10 μmol O2:40 μmol NO3-, and the reactions then proceed in parallel along a line of this slope until the next energy barrier is approached. Within highly localized microbial consortia intensely reducing pockets may occur in a bulk ocean containing finite low O2 levels; and the local flux of reduced species from strongly reducing shelf sediments will perturb the large scale water column relationship. But all localized reactions drive towards maximal energy gain from their immediate diffusive surroundings, thus the ocean macroscopic chemical fields quite well approximate the net efficiency and operational mode of the ensemble microbial engine.

30 CFR 581.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF MINERALS OTHER... mining activities; or (3) In which there is a reasonable probability of significant effect on land or water uses from such activity. Director means the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management...

30 CFR 581.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF MINERALS OTHER... mining activities; or (3) In which there is a reasonable probability of significant effect on land or water uses from such activity. Director means the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management...

30 CFR 581.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF MINERALS OTHER... mining activities; or (3) In which there is a reasonable probability of significant effect on land or water uses from such activity. Director means the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management...

30 CFR 585.115 - Documents incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Section 585.115 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE... authorized BOEM official. (d) You may inspect these documents at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 381... Fixed Offshore Platforms—Working Stress Design; Twenty-first Edition, December 2000; Errata and...

30 CFR 585.115 - Documents incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Section 585.115 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE... authorized BOEM official. (d) You may inspect these documents at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 381... Fixed Offshore Platforms—Working Stress Design; Twenty-first Edition, December 2000; Errata and...

30 CFR 585.115 - Documents incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Section 585.115 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE... authorized BOEM official. (d) You may inspect these documents at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 381... Fixed Offshore Platforms—Working Stress Design; Twenty-first Edition, December 2000; Errata and...

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

Stewart, Gordon M.; Robertson, Amy; Jonkman, Jason

A database of meteorological and ocean conditions is presented for use in offshore wind energy research and design. The original data are from 23 ocean sites around the USA and were obtained from the National Data Buoy Center run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The data are presented in a processed form that includes the variables of interest for offshore wind energy design: wind speed, significant wave height, wave peak-spectral period, wind direction and wave direction. For each site, a binning process is conducted to create conditional probability functions for each of these variables. The sites are thenmore » grouped according to geographic location and combined to create three representative sites, including a West Coast site, an East Coast site and a Gulf of Mexico site. Both the processed data and the probability distribution parameters for the individual and representative sites are being hosted on a publicly available domain by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, with the intent of providing a standard basis of comparison for meteorological and ocean conditions for offshore wind energy research worldwide.« less

Potential Impacts of Hydrokinetic and Wave Energy Conversion Technologies on Aquatic Environments

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

Čada, Glenn F.

2007-04-01

A new generation of hydropower technologies, the kinetic hydro and wave energy conversion devices, offers the possibility of generating electricity from the movements of water, without the need for dams and diversions. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 encouraged the development of these sources of renewable energy in the United States, and there is growing interest in deploying them globally. The technologies that would extract electricity from free-flowing streams, estuaries, and oceans have not been widely tested. Consequently, the U.S. Department of Energy convened a workshop to (1) identify the varieties of hydrokinetic energy and wave energy conversion devices andmore » their stages of development, (2) identify where these technologies can best operate, (3) identify the potential environmental issues associated with these technologies and possible mitigation measures, and (4) develop a list of research needs and/or practical solutions to address unresolved environmental issues. The article reviews the results of that workshop, focusing on potential effects on freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems, and we describe recent national and international developments.« less

Harvesting Broad Frequency Band Blue Energy by a Triboelectric-Electromagnetic Hybrid Nanogenerator.

PubMed

Wen, Zhen; Guo, Hengyu; Zi, Yunlong; Yeh, Min-Hsin; Wang, Xin; Deng, Jianan; Wang, Jie; Li, Shengming; Hu, Chenguo; Zhu, Liping; Wang, Zhong Lin

2016-07-26

Ocean wave associated energy is huge, but it has little use toward world energy. Although such blue energy is capable of meeting all of our energy needs, there is no effective way to harvest it due to its low frequency and irregular amplitude, which may restrict the application of traditional power generators. In this work, we report a hybrid nanogenerator that consists of a spiral-interdigitated-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator (S-TENG) and a wrap-around electromagnetic generator (W-EMG) for harvesting ocean energy. In this design, the S-TENG can be fully isolated from the external environment through packaging and indirectly driven by the noncontact attractive forces between pairs of magnets, and W-EMG can be easily hybridized. Notably, the hybrid nanogenerator could generate electricity under either rotation mode or fluctuation mode to collect energy in ocean tide, current, and wave energy due to the unique structural design. In addition, the characteristics and advantages of outputs indicate that the S-TENG is irreplaceable for harvesting low rotation speeds (<100 rpm) or motion frequencies (<2 Hz) energy, which fits the frequency range for most of the water wave based blue energy, while W-EMG is able to produce larger output at high frequencies (>10 Hz). The complementary output can be maximized and hybridized for harvesting energy in a broad frequency range. Finally, a single hybrid nanogenerator unit was demonstrated to harvest blue energy as a practical power source to drive several LEDs under different simulated water wave conditions. We also proposed a blue energy harvesting system floating on the ocean surface that could simultaneously harvest wind, solar, and wave energy. The proposed hybrid nanogenerator renders an effective and sustainable progress in practical applications of the hybrid nanogenerator toward harvesting water wave energy offered by nature.

Decadal evolution of the surface energy budget during the fast warming and global warming hiatus periods in the ERA-interim

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Xiaoming; Sejas, Sergio A.; Cai, Ming; Taylor, Patrick C.; Deng, Yi; Yang, Song

2018-05-01

The global-mean surface temperature has experienced a rapid warming from the 1980s to early-2000s but a muted warming since, referred to as the global warming hiatus in the literature. Decadal changes in deep ocean heat uptake are thought to primarily account for the rapid warming and subsequent slowdown. Here, we examine the role of ocean heat uptake in establishing the fast warming and warming hiatus periods in the ERA-Interim through a decomposition of the global-mean surface energy budget. We find the increase of carbon dioxide alone yields a nearly steady increase of the downward longwave radiation at the surface from the 1980s to the present, but neither accounts for the fast warming nor warming hiatus periods. During the global warming hiatus period, the transfer of latent heat energy from the ocean to atmosphere increases and the total downward radiative energy flux to the surface decreases due to a reduction of solar absorption caused primarily by an increase of clouds. The reduction of radiative energy into the ocean and the surface latent heat flux increase cause the ocean heat uptake to decrease and thus contribute to the slowdown of the global-mean surface warming. Our analysis also finds that in addition to a reduction of deep ocean heat uptake, the fast warming period is also driven by enhanced solar absorption due predominantly to a decrease of clouds and by enhanced longwave absorption mainly attributed to the air temperature feedback.

Corrigendum to ``Sensitivity of near-inertial internal waves to spatial interpolations of wind stress in ocean generation circulation models'' [Ocean Modelling 99 (2016) 15-21

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jing, Zhao; Wu, Lixin; Ma, Xiaohui

2016-08-01

The authors regret that the Acknowledgements section in Jing et al. (2016) neglected to give proper credit to the model development team and to the intellectual work behind the model simulation and wish to add the following acknowledgements: We are very grateful to the developers of the coupled regional climate model (CRCM) used in this study. The CRCM was developed at Texas A&M University by Dr. Raffaele Montuoro under the direction of Dr. Ping Chang, with support from National Science Foundation Grants AGS-1067937 and AGS-1347808, Department of Energy Grant DE-SC0006824, as well as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Grant NA11OAR4310154. The design of the reported CRCM simulations was led by Dr. Ping Chang and carried out by Dr. Xiaohui Ma as a part of her dissertation research under the supervision of Dr. Ping Chang, supported by National Science Foundation Grants AGS-1067937 and AGS-1347808. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

30 CFR 582.0 - Authority for information collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Section 582.0 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE...-0081. The information is being collected to inform the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) of general mining operations in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The information will be used to ensure...

30 CFR 582.0 - Authority for information collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Section 582.0 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE...-0081. The information is being collected to inform the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) of general mining operations in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The information will be used to ensure...

30 CFR 582.0 - Authority for information collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Section 582.0 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE...-0081. The information is being collected to inform the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) of general mining operations in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The information will be used to ensure...

EXPLORING PROOF OF CONCEPT IN OCEAN CURRENT ENERGY EXTRACTION

EPA Science Inventory

The small-scale OCEE is expected to yield a power density similar to that of an average wind turbine of comparable size. The project will result in specifications for materials, turbine geometries and turbine location/orientation that will extract the most energy from ocean curre...

Tsunami Speed Variations in Density-stratified Compressible Global Oceans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watada, S.

2013-12-01

Recent tsunami observations in the deep ocean have accumulated unequivocal evidence that tsunami traveltime delays compared with the linear long-wave tsunami simulations occur during tsunami propagation in the deep ocean. The delay is up to 2% of the tsunami traveltime. Watada et al. [2013] investigated the cause of the delay using the normal mode theory of tsunamis and attributed the delay to the compressibility of seawater, the elasticity of the solid earth, and the gravitational potential change associated with mass motion during the passage of tsunamis. Tsunami speed variations in the deep ocean caused by seawater density stratification is investigated using a newly developed propagator matrix method that is applicable to seawater with depth-variable sound speeds and density gradients. For a 4-km deep ocean, the total tsunami speed reduction is 0.45% compared with incompressible homogeneous seawater; two thirds of the reduction is due to elastic energy stored in the water and one third is due to water density stratification mainly by hydrostatic compression. Tsunami speeds are computed for global ocean density and sound speed profiles and characteristic structures are discussed. Tsunami speed reductions are proportional to ocean depth with small variations, except for in warm Mediterranean seas. The impacts of seawater compressibility and the elasticity effect of the solid earth on tsunami traveltime should be included for precise modeling of trans-oceanic tsunamis. Data locations where a vertical ocean profile deeper than 2500 m is available in World Ocean Atlas 2009. The dark gray area indicates the Pacific Ocean defined in WOA09. a) Tsunami speed variations. Red, gray and black bars represent global, Pacific, and Mediterranean Sea, respectively. b) Regression lines of the tsunami velocity reduction for all oceans. c)Vertical ocean profiles at grid points indicated by the stars in Figure 1.

Surface Energy Budget Disruption in the Northeast Pacific in Response to a Marine Heat Wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmeisser, L.; Siedlecki, S. A.; Ackerman, T. P.; Bond, N. A.

2016-12-01

The surface energy budget of the ocean varies greatly over space and time as a result of ocean-atmosphere interactions. Changes in the budget due to variability in incident shortwave radiation can alter the thermal structure of the upper ocean, influence photosynthetic processes, and ultimately affect marine biogeochemistry. Thus, accurate representation of the surface energy budget over the oceans is essential for successfully modeling ocean processes and ocean-atmosphere interactions. Siedlecki et al. [Scientific Reports 6 (2016): 27203] show that NOAA's Climate Forecast System (CFS) shortwave radiation fields are biased high relative to CFS reanalysis data by about 50 W/m2 in the study area off the coast of Washington and Oregon. This bias varies in space and time and is known to exist in large scale climate models. The bias results in reduced skill in ocean forecasts at the surface, with specific impacts on sea surface temperature and biogeochemistry. In order to better understand the surface radiation balance over the ocean and the biases present in large scale climate models, we use several data sets to analyze an anomalous sea surface temperature event (marine heat wave, MHW) in the Northeast Pacific during 2014-2015. This `blob' of warm water disrupted ocean-atmosphere feedbacks in the region and altered the surface energy balance; thus, it provides a case study to better understand physical mechanisms at play in the surface radiation balance. CERES SYN1deg satellite data are compared to model output from CFS (1°x1° resolution) and WRF (12km resolution). We use all three fields to assess the impact of model resolution on the surface energy budget, as well as identify feedbacks in ocean-atmosphere processes that may differ between the observations and the models. Observational time series from 2009-15 of shortwave radiation, longwave radiation, and cloud parameters across 3 latitudinal lines (44.5N, 47N, 50N) in the Northeast Pacific (150W to 125W) clearly show disruption in cloud fraction, water content, and radiative fluxes during the MHW. The timing and spatial extent of the disruption differ in the models. The surface radiation budget for the Northeast Pacific over this time period from the observations and models is compared and discussed.

Individual and population-level responses to ocean acidification.

PubMed

Harvey, Ben P; McKeown, Niall J; Rastrick, Samuel P S; Bertolini, Camilla; Foggo, Andy; Graham, Helen; Hall-Spencer, Jason M; Milazzo, Marco; Shaw, Paul W; Small, Daniel P; Moore, Pippa J

2016-01-29

Ocean acidification is predicted to have detrimental effects on many marine organisms and ecological processes. Despite growing evidence for direct impacts on specific species, few studies have simultaneously considered the effects of ocean acidification on individuals (e.g. consequences for energy budgets and resource partitioning) and population level demographic processes. Here we show that ocean acidification increases energetic demands on gastropods resulting in altered energy allocation, i.e. reduced shell size but increased body mass. When scaled up to the population level, long-term exposure to ocean acidification altered population demography, with evidence of a reduction in the proportion of females in the population and genetic signatures of increased variance in reproductive success among individuals. Such increased variance enhances levels of short-term genetic drift which is predicted to inhibit adaptation. Our study indicates that even against a background of high gene flow, ocean acidification is driving individual- and population-level changes that will impact eco-evolutionary trajectories.

Regular network model for the sea ice-albedo feedback in the Arctic.

PubMed

Müller-Stoffels, Marc; Wackerbauer, Renate

2011-03-01

The Arctic Ocean and sea ice form a feedback system that plays an important role in the global climate. The complexity of highly parameterized global circulation (climate) models makes it very difficult to assess feedback processes in climate without the concurrent use of simple models where the physics is understood. We introduce a two-dimensional energy-based regular network model to investigate feedback processes in an Arctic ice-ocean layer. The model includes the nonlinear aspect of the ice-water phase transition, a nonlinear diffusive energy transport within a heterogeneous ice-ocean lattice, and spatiotemporal atmospheric and oceanic forcing at the surfaces. First results for a horizontally homogeneous ice-ocean layer show bistability and related hysteresis between perennial ice and perennial open water for varying atmospheric heat influx. Seasonal ice cover exists as a transient phenomenon. We also find that ocean heat fluxes are more efficient than atmospheric heat fluxes to melt Arctic sea ice.

30 CFR 582.24 - Mining Plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Mining Plan. 582.24 Section 582.24 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER... § 582.24 Mining Plan. All OCS mineral development and production activities shall be conducted in...

30 CFR 582.24 - Mining Plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Mining Plan. 582.24 Section 582.24 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER... § 582.24 Mining Plan. All OCS mineral development and production activities shall be conducted in...

30 CFR 582.24 - Mining Plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Mining Plan. 582.24 Section 582.24 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER... § 582.24 Mining Plan. All OCS mineral development and production activities shall be conducted in...

Global Warming Threatens National Interests in the Arctic

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-26

Global warming has impacted the Arctic Ocean by significantly reducing the extent of the summer ice cover allowing greater access to the region...increased operations in the Arctic region, and DoD must continue to research and develop new and alternate energy sources for its forces. Global warming is

30 CFR 250.262 - What administrative information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What administrative information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.262 Section 250.262 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT... OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and...

30 CFR 250.255 - What decommissioning information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What decommissioning information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.255 Section 250.255 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT... OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and...

30 CFR 203.0 - What definitions apply to this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What definitions apply to this part? 203.0 Section 203.0 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT... of construction) means evidence of an irreversible commitment to a concept and scale of development...

Hawaii energy strategy project 3: Renewable energy resource assessment and development program

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

NONE

1995-11-01

RLA Consulting (RLA) has been retained by the State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) to conduct a Renewable Energy Resource Assessment and Development Program. This three-phase program is part of the Hawaii Energy Strategy (HES), which is a multi-faceted program intended to produce an integrated energy strategy for the State of Hawaii. The purpose of Phase 1 of the project, Development of a Renewable Energy Resource Assessment Plan, is to better define the most promising potential renewable energy projects and to establish the most suitable locations for project development in the state. In order tomore » accomplish this goal, RLA has identified constraints and requirements for renewable energy projects from six different renewable energy resources: wind, solar, biomass, hydro, wave, and ocean thermal. These criteria were applied to areas with sufficient resource for commercial development and the results of Phase 1 are lists of projects with the most promising development potential for each of the technologies under consideration. Consideration of geothermal energy was added to this investigation under a separate contract with DBEDT. In addition to the project lists, a monitoring plan was developed with recommended locations and a data collection methodology for obtaining additional wind and solar data. This report summarizes the results of Phase 1. 11 figs., 22 tabs.« less

The European Marine Observing Network and the development of an Integrated European Ocean Observing System. An EuroGOOS perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez, Vicente; Gorringe, Patrick; Nolan, Glenn

2016-04-01

The ocean benefits many sectors of society, being the biggest reservoir of heat, water, carbon and oxygen and playing a fundamental role regulating the earth's climate. We rely on the oceans for food, transport, energy and recreation. Therefore, a sustained marine observation network is crucial to further our understanding of the oceanic environment and to supply scientific data to meet society's need. Marine data and observations in Europe, collected primarily by state governmental agencies, is offered via five Regional Operational Oceanographic Systems (ROOS) within the context of EuroGOOS (http://www.eurogos.eu), an International Non-Profit Association of national governmental agencies and research organizations (40 members from 19 member states) committed to European-scale operational oceanography within the context of the Intergovernmental Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). Strong cooperation within these regions, enabling the involvement of additional partners and countries, forms the basis of EuroGOOS work. Ocean data collected from different type of sensors (e.g. moored buoys, tide gauges, Ferrybox systems, High Frequency radars, gliders and profiling floats) is accessible to scientist and other end users through data portals and initiatives such as the European Marine Observations and Data Network (EMODnet) (www.emodnet.eu) and the Copernicus Marine Service Copernicus (www.copernicus.eu). Although a relatively mature European ocean observing capability already exists and its well-coordinated at European level, some gaps have been identified, for example the demand for ecosystem products and services, or the case that biogeochemical observations are still relatively sparse particularly in coastal and shelf seas. Assessing gaps based on the capacity of the observing system to answer key societal challenges e.g. site suitability for aquaculture and ocean energy, oil spill response and contextual oceanographic products for fisheries and ecosystems is still required. In this respect, an important effort is being carried out at European level aiming to stablish and consolidate an Integrated and sustained European Ocean Observing System (EOOS). In this paper we present the emerging vision for EOOS with a review of the existing observing networks on which it will be based.

Air-sea interaction with SSM/I and altimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

A number of important developments in satellite remote sensing techniques have occurred recently which offer the possibility of studying over vast areas of the ocean the temporally evolving energy exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere. Commencing in spring of 1985, passive and active microwave sensors that can provide valuable data for scientific utilization will start to become operational on Department of Defense (DOD) missions. The passive microwave radiometer can be used to estimate surface wind speed, total air column humidity, and rain rate. The active radar, or altimeter, senses surface gravity wave height and surface wind speed.

Swash zone characteristics at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Erikson, L.H.; Hanes, D.M.; Barnard, P.L.; Gibbs, A.E.

2007-01-01

Runup data collected during the summer of 2005 at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA are analyzed and considered to be typical summer swash characteristics at this site. Analysis shows that the beach was dissipative with Iribarren numbers between 0.05 and 0.4 and that infragravity energy dominated. Foreshore slopes were mild between 0.01 and 0.05 with swash periods on the order of a minute. Predicted runup heights obtained with six previously developed analytical runup formulae were compared to measured extreme runup statistics. Formulations dependent on offshore wave height, foreshore slope and deep water wavelength gave reasonable results.

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.

Modelling the Evolution of Sea Spray Droplets on a Global Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staniec, A.; Vlahos, P.; Monahan, E. C.

2017-12-01

Sea spray droplets are an important mechanism for the transport of moisture, heat, and organic material between the ocean and the atmosphere. Spume droplets are the largest of the size spectrum and as such have the potential to transport significant amounts of energy and gases despite their generally short residence time in the atmosphere. A model is developed based on the physical parameterizations from Andreas et al. (1995, 2005)and a range of spume generation functions, coupled with a biogeochemical exchange model for gases developed here to examine the equilibrium temperature and gas exchange of spume droplets under representative open ocean conditions. The modelling approach uses micro-physics to simulate the expected changes to the droplet as it equilibrates with the atmospheric temperature and relative humidity. The effect of temperature differentials and relative humidity variations is explored. A global approach is simulated by using average summer and winter values for SST, salinity, and air temperature throughout the various ocean basins.

Marine Fuel Choice For Ocean Going Vessels Within Emission Control Areas

EIA Publications

2015-01-01

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) contracted with Leidos Corporation to analyze the impact on ocean-going vessel fuel usage of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) emissions control areas in North America and the Caribbean. EIA plans to update the upcoming Annual Energy Outlook 2016 to include a new methodology for calculating the amount of fuel consumption by ocean-going vessels traveling though North American and Caribbean emissions control areas, including the impact of compliance strategies.

Impact of novel energy sources: OTEC, wind, goethermal, biomass

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, A. S., Jr.

1978-01-01

Alternate energy conversion methods such as ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), wind power, geothermal wells and biomass conversion are being explored, and re-examined in some cases, for commercial viability. At a time when United States fossil fuel and uranium resources are found to be insufficient to supply national needs into the twenty-first century, it is essential to broaden the base of feasible energy conversion technologies. The motivations for development of these four alternative energy forms are established. Primary technical aspects of OTEC, wind, geothermal and biomass energy conversion systems are described along with a discussion of relative advantages and disadvantages of the concepts. Finally, the sentiment is voiced that each of the four systems should be developed to the prototype stage and employed in the region of the country and in the sector of economy which is complimentary to the form of system output.

Modern problems of thermodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novikov, I. I.

2012-12-01

The role of energy and methods of its saving for the development of human society and life are analyzed. The importance of future use of space energy flows and energy of water and air oceans is emphasized. The authors consider the idea of the unit for production of electric energy and pure substances using sodium chloride which reserves are limitless on the planet. Looking retrospectively at the development of power engineering from the elementary fire to modern electric power station, we see that the used method of heat production, namely by direct interaction of fuel and oxidizer, is the simplest. However, it may be possible to combust coal, i.e., carbon in salt melt, for instance, sodium chloride that would be more rational and efficient. If the stated problems are solved positively, we would master all energy properties of the substance; and this is the main problem of thermodynamics being one of the sciences on energy.

Proceedings of a Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning Workshop for the Western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thorsteinson, Lyman; Hirsch, Derrick; Helweg, David; Dhanju, Amardeep; Barmenski, Joan; Ferrero, Richard

2011-01-01

Recent scientific and ocean policy assessments demonstrate that a fundamental change in our current management system is required to achieve the long-term health of our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes in order to sustain the services and benefits they provide to society. The present (2011) species- and sector-centric way we manage these ecosystems cannot account properly for cumulative effects, sustaining multiple ecosystem services, and holistically and explicitly evaluating the tradeoffs associated with proposed alternative and multiple human uses. A transition to an ecosystem-based approach to management and conservation of coastal and marine resources is needed. Competing uses and activities such as commerce, recreation, cultural practices, energy development, conservation, and national security are increasing pressure for new and expanded resource usage in coastal marine ecosystems. Current management efforts use a sector-by-sector approach that mostly focuses on a limited range of tools and outcomes [for example, oil and gas leases, fishery management plans, and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)]. A comprehensive, ecosystem-based, and proactive approach to planning and managing these uses and activities is needed. Further, scientific understanding and information are essential to achieve an integrated decision-making process that includes knowledge of ecosystem services, existing and possible future conditions, and potential consequences of natural and anthropogenic events. Because no single government agency has executive authority for coastal or ocean resources, conflicting objectives around competing uses abound. In recent years, regional- and state-level initiatives in Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) have emerged to coordinate management activities. In some respects, the components and steps of the overall CMSP process are similar to how existing ocean resources are regulated and managed. For example, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) uses spatial planning exercises in State Renewable Energy Task Force meetings to identify competing and conflicting ocean uses, and to delineate areas suitable for renewable energy development. Similarly terrestrial areas such as in national parks and national wildlife refuges managed by the Department of the Interior (DOI) prepare management plans for preservation and restoration of species and habitats of concern, some of which are protected by law. The analogy to CMSP is clear - multiple users and multiple expectations, resulting in the requirement to establish spatial plans for management of different resources and different ecosystem services. A two-day workshop on December 1-2, 2010, was convened for DOI representatives and several key non-DOI participants with roles in CMSP as a step toward clarifying national perspectives and consequences of the National Ocean Policy for the West (appendix 1). Discussions helped to develop an understanding of CMSP from the federal perspective and to identify regional priorities. An overarching theme was to promote a better understanding of current and future science needs. The workshop format included briefings by key Federal agencies on their understanding of the national focus followed by discussion of regional issues, including the needs for scientific information and coordination. The workshop also explored potential science contributions by Federal agencies and others; utilizing current capabilities, data, and information systems; and provided a foundation for possible future regional workshops focusing in turn on the West Coast Region (California, Oregon, and Washington), Pacific Islands (sometimes referred to as Oceania) and Alaska. Participants were asked to share information in the following areas, recognizing that the purpose would be to learn more about the national perspective (see appendixes 2-4): Explore how the Western U.S. (Alaska, Pacific Islands, and West Coast Region) migh

77 FR 30022 - U.S. Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Stakeholder Assessment Public Listening...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-21

... of Ocean Energy Management, 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 100, Anchorage, AK 99503-5820, tel. 907... Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Building 3, Parkway Center, Conference Room, 2nd Floor...:00 pm CDT, June 12, 2012, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 135...

76 FR 13205 - Notice on Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sales

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-10

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement Notice on Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sales AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation... the name of an oil company listed under Group VIII in that notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT...

76 FR 50240 - BOEMRE Information Collection Activity: 1010-0141, Oil and Gas Drilling Operations, Extension of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-12

... Operations, Extension of a Collection; Submitted for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), Interior. ACTION... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement [Docket...

75 FR 66776 - BOEMRE Information Collection Activity: 1010-0043, Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-29

... Operations, Extension of a Collection; Submitted for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), Interior. ACTION... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement [Docket...

75 FR 68817 - BOEMRE Information Collection Activity: 1010-0067, Oil and Gas Well-Completion Operations...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-09

... Operations, Extension of a Collection; Submitted for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), Interior. ACTION... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement [Docket...

76 FR 11811 - Environmental Document Prepared in Support of Oil and Gas Activities on the Alaska Outer...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-03

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement... AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability of a recent Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact prepared by...

78 FR 14116 - Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Eastern Planning Area (EPA) Lease Sale 225...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-04

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Outer...: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability (NOA) of the draft... experts surveyed scientific journals and available scientific data, gathered information, and interviewed...

75 FR 61511 - Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-05

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska OCS Region, Chukchi Sea Planning Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation...

CarboNA: International Studies of the North American Carbon Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denning, S.; Cavallaro, N.; Ste-Marie, C.; Muhlia-Melo, A.

2009-05-01

A Science Steering Committee has been formed consisting of carbon cycle scientists from Canada, Mexico, and the United States and government agency contacts from each country, to draft a Science Plan for CarboNA. Science questions that we will address include: 1. What's the current carbon budget of NA and adjacent oceans, including spatial structure and seasonal-to- interannual variations? 2. What mechanisms are involved? What processes control the time mean vs the interannual variability? 3. When will sinks saturate? Will they become sources? Are there surprises in store? What roles will be played by melting permafrost, boreal warming, and subtropical desertification, and tropical development? 4. What are the likely responses of terrestrial ecosystems and coastal oceans to climate change and enhanced CO2? 5. What roles will economic development, energy technology, and trade play in mitigating increases in fossil fuel emissions? In addition to the national research programs already underway in the three countries, we anticipate special collaborative projects of international scope. For example: 1. Studies of the response of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change along an ecological gradient from the Arctic to the Tropics; 2. Truly continental budgets for atmospheric greenhouse gases using data from land-based, airborne, marine, and spaceborne platforms; 3. An aggressively interdisciplinary intensive experiment to understand and quantify carbon cycle processes and budgets in the Gulf of Mexico Basin; 4. Investigation of the turrent state and likely future changes in carbon cycling in coastal ocean environments, including river inputs of POC, DOC, DIC, and nutrients; impacts on fisheries and coastal economies; exchange between coastal oceans and deep ocean basins; and air-sea gas exchange; 5. Government-level agreements on data sharing and harmonization, including but not limited to forest inventories, agricultural data, fossil fuel emissions data, land-use data, energy and population and vehicle miles traveled, flux towers, trace gas measurements, etc. CarboNA will be introduced, and the process and content of current discussions will be presented.

THEO concept mission: Testing the Habitability of Enceladus's Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacKenzie, Shannon M.; Caswell, Tess E.; Phillips-Lander, Charity M.; Stavros, E. Natasha; Hofgartner, Jason D.; Sun, Vivian Z.; Powell, Kathryn E.; Steuer, Casey J.; O'Rourke, Joseph G.; Dhaliwal, Jasmeet K.; Leung, Cecilia W. S.; Petro, Elaine M.; Wynne, J. Judson; Phan, Samson; Crismani, Matteo; Krishnamurthy, Akshata; John, Kristen K.; DeBruin, Kevin; Budney, Charles J.; Mitchell, Karl L.

2016-09-01

Saturn's moon Enceladus offers a unique opportunity in the search for life and habitable environments beyond Earth, a key theme of the National Research Council's 2013-2022 Decadal Survey. A plume of water vapor and ice spews from Enceladus's south polar region. Cassini data suggest that this plume, sourced by a liquid reservoir beneath the moon's icy crust, contain organics, salts, and water-rock interaction derivatives. Thus, the ingredients for life as we know it - liquid water, chemistry, and energy sources - are available in Enceladus's subsurface ocean. We have only to sample the plumes to investigate this hidden ocean environment. We present a New Frontiers class, solar-powered Enceladus orbiter that would take advantage of this opportunity, Testing the Habitability of Enceladus's Ocean (THEO). Developed by the 2015 Jet Propulsion Laboratory Planetary Science Summer School student participants under the guidance of TeamX, this mission concept includes remote sensing and in situ analyses with a mass spectrometer, a sub-mm radiometer-spectrometer, a camera, and two magnetometers. These instruments were selected to address four key questions for ascertaining the habitability of Enceladus's ocean within the context of the moon's geological activity: (1) how are the plumes and ocean connected? (2) are the abiotic conditions of the ocean suitable for habitability? (3) how stable is the ocean environment? (4) is there evidence of biological processes? By taking advantage of the opportunity Enceladus's plumes offer, THEO represents a viable, solar-powered option for exploring a potentially habitable ocean world of the outer solar system.

Global Monitoring RSEM System for Crop Production by Incorporating Satellite-based Photosynthesis Rates and Anomaly Data of Sea Surface Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaneko, D.; Sakuma, H.

2014-12-01

The first author has been developing RSEM crop-monitoring system using satellite-based assessment of photosynthesis, incorporating meteorological conditions. Crop production comprises of several stages and plural mechanisms based on leaf photosynthesis, surface energy balance, and the maturing of grains after fixation of CO2, along with water exchange through soil vegetation-atmosphere transfer. Grain production in prime countries appears to be randomly perturbed regionally and globally. Weather for crop plants reflects turbulent phenomena of convective and advection flows in atmosphere and surface boundary layer. It has been difficult for scientists to simulate and forecast weather correctly for sufficiently long terms to crop harvesting. However, severely poor harvests related to continental events must originate from a consistent mechanism of abnormal energetic flow in the atmosphere through both land and oceans. It should be remembered that oceans have more than 100 times of energy storage compared to atmosphere and ocean currents represent gigantic energy flows, strongly affecting climate. Anomalies of Sea Surface Temperature (SST), globally known as El Niño, Indian Ocean dipole, and Atlantic Niño etc., affect the seasonal climate on a continental scale. The authors aim to combine monitoring and seasonal forecasting, considering such mechanisms through land-ocean biosphere transfer. The present system produces assessments for all continents, specifically monitoring agricultural fields of main crops. Historical regions of poor and good harvests are compared with distributions of SST anomalies, which are provided by NASA GSFC. Those comparisons fairly suggest that the Worst harvest in 1993 and the Best in 1994 relate to the offshore distribution of low temperature anomalies and high gaps in ocean surface temperatures. However, high-temperature anomalies supported good harvests because of sufficient solar radiation for photosynthesis, and poor harvests because of insufficient precipitation. Integrated rates of photosynthesis on prime grains with planted areas were compared with the SST anomalies in poor and good harvests years. Other factors for poor harvest such as rainfall, solar radiation in addition to the intensity of winds as a measure of pressure perturbations need to be studied.

Ocean Current Power Generator. Final Report

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

O'Sullivan, G. A.

2002-07-26

The Ocean Power Generator is both technically and economically suitable for deployment in the Gulf Stream from the US Navy facility in Dania, Florida. Yet to be completed is the calibration test in the Chesapeake Bay with the prototype dual hydroturbine Underwater Electric Kite. For the production units a revised design includes two ballast tanks mounted as pontoons to provide buoyancy and depth control. The power rating of the Ocean Power Generator has been doubled to 200 kW ready for insertion into the utility grid. The projected cost for a 10 MW installation is $3.38 per watt, a cost thatmore » is consistent with wind power pricing when it was in its deployment infancy, and a cost that is far better than photovoltaics after 25 years of research and development. The Gulf Stream flows 24 hours per day, and water flow is both environmentally and ecologically perfect as a renewable energy source. No real estate purchases are necessary, and you cannot see, hear, smell, or touch an Ocean Power Generator.« less

Sea ice, extremophiles and life on extra-terrestrial ocean worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Andrew; McMinn, Andrew

2018-01-01

The primary aim of this review is to highlight that sea-ice microbes would be capable of occupying ice-associated biological niches on Europa and Enceladus. These moons are compelling targets for astrobiological exploration because of the inferred presence of subsurface oceans that have persisted over geological timescales. Although potentially hostile to life in general, Europa and Enceladus may still harbour biologically permissive domains associated with the ice, ocean and seafloor environments. However, validating sources of free energy is challenging, as is qualifying possible metabolic processes or ecosystem dynamics. Here, the capacity for biological adaptation exhibited by microorganisms that inhabit sea ice is reviewed. These ecosystems are among the most relevant Earth-based analogues for considering life on ocean worlds because microorganisms must adapt to multiple physicochemical extremes. In future, these organisms will likely play a significant role in defining the constraints on habitability beyond Earth and developing a mechanistic framework that contrasts the limits of Earth's biosphere with extra-terrestrial environments of interest.

Dynamic energy budget modeling reveals the potential of future growth and calcification for the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi in an acidified ocean.

PubMed

Muller, Erik B; Nisbet, Roger M

2014-06-01

Ocean acidification is likely to impact the calcification potential of marine organisms. In part due to the covarying nature of the ocean carbonate system components, including pH and CO2 and CO3(2-) levels, it remains largely unclear how each of these components may affect calcification rates quantitatively. We develop a process-based bioenergetic model that explains how several components of the ocean carbonate system collectively affect growth and calcification rates in Emiliania huxleyi, which plays a major role in marine primary production and biogeochemical carbon cycling. The model predicts that under the IPCC A2 emission scenario, its growth and calcification potential will have decreased by the end of the century, although those reductions are relatively modest. We anticipate that our model will be relevant for many other marine calcifying organisms, and that it can be used to improve our understanding of the impact of climate change on marine systems. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Co-location of air capture, sub-ocean CO2 storage and energy production on the Kerguelen plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldberg, D.; Han, P.; Lackner, K.; Wang, T.

2011-12-01

How can carbon capture and storage activities be sustained from an energy perspective while keeping the entire activity out of sight and away from material risk and social refrain near populated areas? In light of reducing the atmospheric CO2 level to mitigate its effect on climate change, the combination of new air-capture technologies and large offshore storage reservoirs, supplemented by carbon neutral renewable energy, could address both of these engineering and public policy concerns. Because CO2 mixes rapidly in the atmosphere, air capture scrubbers could be located anywhere in the world. Although the power requirements for this technology may reduce net efficiencies, the local availability of carbon-neutral renewable energy for this purpose would eliminate some net energy loss. Certain locations where wind speeds are high and steady, such as those observed at high latitude and across the open ocean, appeal as carbon-neutral energy sources in close proximity to immense and secure reservoirs for geological sequestration of captured CO2. In particular, sub-ocean basalt flows are vast and carry minimal risks of leakage and damages compared to on-land sites. Such implementation of a localized renewable energy source coupled with carbon capture and storage infrastructure could result in a global impact of lowered CO2 levels. We consider an extreme location on the Kerguelen plateau in the southern Indian Ocean, where high wind speeds and basalt storage reservoirs are both plentiful. Though endowed with these advantages, this mid-ocean location incurs clear material and economic challenges due to its remoteness and technological challenges for CO2 capture due to constant high humidity. We study the wind energy-air capture power balance and consider related factors in the feasibility of this location for carbon capture and storage. Other remote oceanic sites where steady winds blow and near large geological reservoirs may be viable as well, although all would require extensive research. Using these mitigation technologies in combination may offer a pivotal option for reducing atmospheric carbon to pre-industrial levels with minimal human risk or inconvenience.

Assessment of Offshore Wind System Design, Safety, and Operation Standards

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

Sirnivas, Senu; Musial, Walt; Bailey, Bruce

This report is a deliverable for a project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) entitled National Offshore Wind Energy Resource and Design Data Campaign -- Analysis and Collaboration (contract number DE-EE0005372; prime contractor -- AWS Truepower). The project objective is to supplement, facilitate, and enhance ongoing multiagency efforts to develop an integrated national offshore wind energy data network. The results of this initiative are intended to 1) produce a comprehensive definition of relevant met-ocean resource assets and needs and design standards, and 2) provide a basis for recommendations for meeting offshore wind energy industry data and design certificationmore » requirements.« less

Seasonal Evolution and Interannual Variability of the Local Solar Energy Absorbed by the Arctic Sea Ice-Ocean System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perovich, Donald K.; Nghiem, Son V.; Markus, Thorsten; Schwieger, Axel

2007-01-01

The melt season of the Arctic sea ice cover is greatly affected by the partitioning of the incident solar radiation between reflection to the atmosphere and absorption in the ice and ocean. This partitioning exhibits a strong seasonal cycle and significant interannual variability. Data in the period 1998, 2000-2004 were analyzed in this study. Observations made during the 1997-1998 SHEBA (Surface HEat Budget of the Arctic Ocean) field experiment showed a strong seasonal dependence of the partitioning, dominated by a five-phase albedo evolution. QuikSCAT scatterometer data from the SHEBA region in 1999-2004 were used to further investigate solar partitioning in summer. The time series of scatterometer data were used to determine the onset of melt and the beginning of freezeup. This information was combined with SSM/I-derived ice concentration, TOVS-based estimates of incident solar irradiance, and SHEBA results to estimate the amount of solar energy absorbed in the ice-ocean system for these years. The average total solar energy absorbed in the ice-ocean system from April through September was 900 MJ m(sup -2). There was considerable interannual variability, with a range of 826 to 1044 MJ m(sup -2). The total amount of solar energy absorbed by the ice and ocean was strongly related to the date of melt onset, but only weakly related to the total duration of the melt season or the onset of freezeup. The timing of melt onset is significant because the incident solar energy is large and a change at this time propagates through the entire melt season, affecting the albedo every day throughout melt and freezeup.

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

Vinick, Charles; Riccobono, Antonino, MS; Messing, Charles G., Ph.D.

Dehlsen Associates, LLC was awarded a grant by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Golden Field Office for a project titled 'Siting Study Framework and Survey Methodology for Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Project in Offshore Southeast Florida,' corresponding to DOE Grant Award Number DE-EE0002655 resulting from DOE funding Opportunity Announcement Number DE-FOA-0000069 for Topic Area 2, and it is referred to herein as 'the project.' The purpose of the project was to enhance the certainty of the survey requirements and regulatory review processes for the purpose of reducing the time, efforts, and costs associated with initial siting efforts ofmore » marine and hydrokinetic energy conversion facilities that may be proposed in the Atlantic Ocean offshore Southeast Florida. To secure early input from agencies, protocols were developed for collecting baseline geophysical information and benthic habitat data that can be used by project developers and regulators to make decisions early in the process of determining project location (i.e., the siting process) that avoid or minimize adverse impacts to sensitive marine benthic habitat. It is presumed that such an approach will help facilitate the licensing process for hydrokinetic and other ocean renewable energy projects within the study area and will assist in clarifying the baseline environmental data requirements described in the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (formerly Minerals Management Service) final regulations on offshore renewable energy (30 Code of Federal Regulations 285, published April 29, 2009). Because projects generally seek to avoid or minimize impacts to sensitive marine habitats, it was not the intent of this project to investigate areas that did not appear suitable for the siting of ocean renewable energy projects. Rather, a two-tiered approach was designed with the first step consisting of gaining overall insight about seabed conditions offshore southeastern Florida by conducting a geophysical survey of pre-selected areas with subsequent post-processing and expert data interpretation by geophysicists and experienced marine biologists knowledgeable about the general project area. The second step sought to validate the benthic habitat types interpreted from the geophysical data by conducting benthic video and photographic field surveys of selected habitat types. The goal of this step was to determine the degree of correlation between the habitat types interpreted from the geophysical data and what actually exists on the seafloor based on the benthic video survey logs. This step included spot-checking selected habitat types rather than comprehensive evaluation of the entire area covered by the geophysical survey. It is important to note that non-invasive survey methods were used as part of this study and no devices of any kind were either temporarily or permanently attached to the seabed as part of the work conducted under this project.« less

Global Energy and Water Budgets in MERRA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosilovich, Michael G.; Robertson, Franklin R.; Chen, Junye

2010-01-01

Reanalyses, retrospectively analyzing observations over climatological time scales, represent a merger between satellite observations and models to provide globally continuous data and have improved over several generations. Balancing the Earth s global water and energy budgets has been a focus of research for more than two decades. Models tend to their own climate while remotely sensed observations have had varying degrees of uncertainty. This study evaluates the latest NASA reanalysis, called the Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), from a global water and energy cycles perspective. MERRA was configured to provide complete budgets in its output diagnostics, including the Incremental Analysis Update (IAU), the term that represents the observations influence on the analyzed states, alongside the physical flux terms. Precipitation in reanalyses is typically sensitive to the observational analysis. For MERRA, the global mean precipitation bias and spatial variability are more comparable to merged satellite observations (GPCP and CMAP) than previous generations of reanalyses. Ocean evaporation also has a much lower value which is comparable to observed data sets. The global energy budget shows that MERRA cloud effects may be generally weak, leading to excess shortwave radiation reaching the ocean surface. Evaluating the MERRA time series of budget terms, a significant change occurs, which does not appear to be represented in observations. In 1999, the global analysis increments of water vapor changes sign from negative to positive, and primarily lead to more oceanic precipitation. This change is coincident with the beginning of AMSU radiance assimilation. Previous and current reanalyses all exhibit some sensitivity to perturbations in the observation record, and this remains a significant research topic for reanalysis development. The effect of the changing observing system is evaluated for MERRA water and energy budget terms.

A next generation altimeter for mapping the sea surface height variability: opportunities and challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Lee-Lueng; Morrow, Rosemary

2016-07-01

The global observations of the sea surface height (SSH) have revolutionized oceanography since the beginning of precision radar altimetry in the early 1990s. For the first time we have continuous records of SSH with spatial and temporal sampling for detecting the global mean sea level rise, the waxing and waning of El Niño, and the ocean circulation from gyres to ocean eddies. The limit of spatial resolution of the present constellation of radar altimeters in mapping SSH variability is approaching 100 km (in wavelength) with 3 or more simultaneous altimetric satellites in orbit. At scales shorter than 100 km, the circulation contains substantial amount of kinetic energy in currents, eddies and fronts that are responsible for the stirring and mixing of the ocean, especially from the vertical exchange of the upper ocean with the deep. A mission currently in development will use the technique of radar interferometry for making high-resolution measurement of the height of water over the ocean as well as on land. It is called Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT), which is a joint mission of US NASA and French CNES, with contributions from Canada and UK. SWOT promises the detection of SSH at scales approaching 15 km, depending on the sea state. SWOT will make SSH measurement over a swath of 120 km with a nadir gap of 20 km in a 21-day repeat orbit. A conventional radar altimeter will provide measurement along the nadir. This is an exploratory mission with applications in oceanography and hydrology. The increased spatial resolution offers an opportunity to study ocean surface processes to address important questions about the ocean circulation. However, the limited temporal sampling poses challenges to map the evolution of the ocean variability that changes rapidly at the small scales. The measurement technique and the development of the mission will be presented with emphasis on its science program with outlook on the opportunities and challenges.

"Supergreen" Renewables: Integration of Mineral Weathering Into Renewable Energy Production for Air CO2 Removal and Storage as Ocean Alkalinity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rau, G. H.; Carroll, S.; Ren, Z. J.

2015-12-01

Excess planetary CO2 and accompanying ocean acidification are naturally mitigated on geologic time scales via mineral weathering. Here, CO2 acidifies the hydrosphere, which then slowly reacts with silicate and carbonate minerals to produce dissolved bicarbonates that are ultimately delivered to the ocean. This alkalinity not only provides long-term sequestration of the excess atmospheric carbon, but it also chemically counters the effects of ocean acidification by stabilizing or raising pH and carbonate saturation state, thus helping rebalance ocean chemistry and preserving marine ecosystems. Recent research has demonstrated ways of greatly accelerating this process by its integration into energy systems. Specifically, it has been shown (1) that some 80% of the CO2 in a waste gas stream can be spontaneously converted to stable, seawater mineral bicarbonate in the presence of a common carbonate mineral - limestone. This can allow removal of CO2 from biomass combustion and bio-energy production while generating beneficial ocean alkalinity, providing a potentially cheaper and more environmentally friendly negative-CO2-emissions alternative to BECCS. It has also been demonstrated that strong acids anodically produced in a standard saline water electrolysis cell in the formation of H2 can be reacted with carbonate or silicate minerals to generate strong base solutions. These solutions are highly absorptive of air CO2, converting it to mineral bicarbonate in solution. When such electrochemical cells are powered by non-fossil energy (e.g. electricity from wind, solar, tidal, biomass, geothermal, etc. energy sources), the system generates H2 that is strongly CO2-emissions-negative, while producing beneficial marine alkalinity (2-4). The preceding systems therefore point the way toward renewable energy production that, when tightly coupled to geochemical mitigation of CO2 and formation of natural ocean "antacids", forms a high capacity, negative-CO2-emissions, "supergreen" source of fuel or electrcity. 1) http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/es102671x2) http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es800366q3) http://www.pnas.org/content/110/25/10095.full.pdf4) http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.5b00875

Energy Optimal Path Planning: Integrating Coastal Ocean Modelling with Optimal Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subramani, D. N.; Haley, P. J., Jr.; Lermusiaux, P. F. J.

2016-02-01

A stochastic optimization methodology is formulated for computing energy-optimal paths from among time-optimal paths of autonomous vehicles navigating in a dynamic flow field. To set up the energy optimization, the relative vehicle speed and headings are considered to be stochastic, and new stochastic Dynamically Orthogonal (DO) level-set equations that govern their stochastic time-optimal reachability fronts are derived. Their solution provides the distribution of time-optimal reachability fronts and corresponding distribution of time-optimal paths. An optimization is then performed on the vehicle's energy-time joint distribution to select the energy-optimal paths for each arrival time, among all stochastic time-optimal paths for that arrival time. The accuracy and efficiency of the DO level-set equations for solving the governing stochastic level-set reachability fronts are quantitatively assessed, including comparisons with independent semi-analytical solutions. Energy-optimal missions are studied in wind-driven barotropic quasi-geostrophic double-gyre circulations, and in realistic data-assimilative re-analyses of multiscale coastal ocean flows. The latter re-analyses are obtained from multi-resolution 2-way nested primitive-equation simulations of tidal-to-mesoscale dynamics in the Middle Atlantic Bight and Shelbreak Front region. The effects of tidal currents, strong wind events, coastal jets, and shelfbreak fronts on the energy-optimal paths are illustrated and quantified. Results showcase the opportunities for longer-duration missions that intelligently utilize the ocean environment to save energy, rigorously integrating ocean forecasting with optimal control of autonomous vehicles.

Estimation of oceanic subsurface mixing under a severe cyclonic storm using a coupled atmosphere-ocean-wave model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prakash, Kumar Ravi; Nigam, Tanuja; Pant, Vimlesh

2018-04-01

A coupled atmosphere-ocean-wave model was used to examine mixing in the upper-oceanic layers under the influence of a very severe cyclonic storm Phailin over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) during 10-14 October 2013. The coupled model was found to improve the sea surface temperature over the uncoupled model. Model simulations highlight the prominent role of cyclone-induced near-inertial oscillations in subsurface mixing up to the thermocline depth. The inertial mixing introduced by the cyclone played a central role in the deepening of the thermocline and mixed layer depth by 40 and 15 m, respectively. For the first time over the BoB, a detailed analysis of inertial oscillation kinetic energy generation, propagation, and dissipation was carried out using an atmosphere-ocean-wave coupled model during a cyclone. A quantitative estimate of kinetic energy in the oceanic water column, its propagation, and its dissipation mechanisms were explained using the coupled atmosphere-ocean-wave model. The large shear generated by the inertial oscillations was found to overcome the stratification and initiate mixing at the base of the mixed layer. Greater mixing was found at the depths where the eddy kinetic diffusivity was large. The baroclinic current, holding a larger fraction of kinetic energy than the barotropic current, weakened rapidly after the passage of the cyclone. The shear induced by inertial oscillations was found to decrease rapidly with increasing depth below the thermocline. The dampening of the mixing process below the thermocline was explained through the enhanced dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy upon approaching the thermocline layer. The wave-current interaction and nonlinear wave-wave interaction were found to affect the process of downward mixing and cause the dissipation of inertial oscillations.

76 FR 64372 - Ocean Energy Safety Advisory Committee (OESC); Notice of Meeting

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2011-10-18

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30 CFR 580.13 - Where must I send my application or notification?

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2013-07-01

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2012-07-01

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2014-07-01

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2014-07-01

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76 FR 11079 - Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf-Safety and Environmental...

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2012-09-18

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2011-03-02

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE...) AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, Interior. ACTION: Cancellation of... to lack of interest is necessary to allow sufficient time to gather new baseline data for...

78 FR 59968 - Potential Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Oregon...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-30

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [Docket No. BOEM-2013-0050..., Request for Interest AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior. ACTION: Public Notice of... demonstration facility offshore Coos Bay, Oregon. The project is designed to generate 30 megawatts (MW) of...

Interior Pathways to Dissipation of Mesoscale Energy

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

Nadiga, Balasubramanya T.

This talk at Goethe University asks What Powers Overturning Circulation? How does Ocean Circulation Equilibrate? There is a HUGE reservoir of energy sitting in the interior ocean. Can fluid dynamic instabilities contribute to the mixing required to drive global overturning circulation? Study designed to eliminate distinguished horizontal surfaces such as bottom BL and surface layer

Major role of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in dark ocean carbon fixation.

PubMed

Pachiadaki, Maria G; Sintes, Eva; Bergauer, Kristin; Brown, Julia M; Record, Nicholas R; Swan, Brandon K; Mathyer, Mary Elizabeth; Hallam, Steven J; Lopez-Garcia, Purificacion; Takaki, Yoshihiro; Nunoura, Takuro; Woyke, Tanja; Herndl, Gerhard J; Stepanauskas, Ramunas

2017-11-24

Carbon fixation by chemoautotrophic microorganisms in the dark ocean has a major impact on global carbon cycling and ecological relationships in the ocean's interior, but the relevant taxa and energy sources remain enigmatic. We show evidence that nitrite-oxidizing bacteria affiliated with the Nitrospinae phylum are important in dark ocean chemoautotrophy. Single-cell genomics and community metagenomics revealed that Nitrospinae are the most abundant and globally distributed nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in the ocean. Metaproteomics and metatranscriptomics analyses suggest that nitrite oxidation is the main pathway of energy production in Nitrospinae. Microautoradiography, linked with catalyzed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization, indicated that Nitrospinae fix 15 to 45% of inorganic carbon in the mesopelagic western North Atlantic. Nitrite oxidation may have a greater impact on the carbon cycle than previously assumed. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Report of the EOS oceans panel to the payload panel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbott, Mark R.; Freilich, Michael H.

1992-11-01

The atmosphere and the ocean are the two great fluids of the earth system. Changes in the coupling of these two fluids will have a profound impact on the Earth's climate and biogeochemical systems. Although changes in atmospheric composition and dynamics are the usual focus of global climate models, it is apparent that the ocean plays a critical role in modulating the magnitude and rate of these changes. The ocean is responsible for nearly half of the poleward heat flux as well as for a significant portion of the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, the processes governing the flux of materials and energy between the ocean atmosphere are poorly understood. Such processes include not only physical and chemical dynamics, but also biological processes which act to modify the chemical composition of the ocean as well as the trapping of solar energy as heat in the upper water column. Thus it is essential that the ocean be studied as a complete system of physical, chemical, and biological processes. Overlapping measurements must be made for at least 10-15 years to resolve critical low frequency fluctuations. The present EOS plan relies heavily on non-EOS entities to provide critical data sets for ocean studies. Although such partnerships are usually beneficial, there are risks that must be considered in terms of data coverage, quality, resolution, and availability. A simple replacement of an EOS sensor with a non-EOS sensor based on the fact that they both measure the same quantities will not guarantee that critical measurements will be made to address IPCC priorities in the area of ocean processes. EOS must continue to pursue appropriate methods to ensure that such partner — provided measurements meet scientific requirements. Such methods are analogous to contigencies applied in the area of schedules, cost, and performance for instrument projects. EOS must foster strong ties between US scientists and their foreign counterparts, in order to develop partnerships based on science, rather than just based on financial or administrative considerations. Effective international programs are necessary for a truly globally-based study, and they must begin with working scientists. In the area of ocean sciences, several opportunities exist in the early EOS era, such as ERS-1, TOPEX/Poseidon, and NSCAT / OCTS / SeaWiFS. We strongly encourage EOS to contribute to these efforts.

Climatology of Global Swell-Atmosphere Interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semedo, Alvaro

2016-04-01

At the ocean surface wind sea and swell waves coexist. Wind sea waves are locally generated growing waves strongly linked to the overlaying wind field. Waves that propagate away from their generation area, throughout entire ocean basins, are called swell. Swell waves do not receive energy from local wind. Ocean wind waves can be seen as the "gearbox" between the atmosphere and the ocean, and are of critical importance to the coupled atmosphere-ocean system, since they modulate most of the air-sea interaction processes and exchanges, particularly the exchange of momentum. This modulation is most of the times sea-state dependent, i.e., it is a function of the prevalence of one type of waves over the other. The wave age parameter, defined as the relative speed between the peak wave and the wind (c_p⁄U_10), has been largely used in different aspects of the air-sea interaction theory and in practical modeling solutions of wave-atmosphere coupled model systems. The wave age can be used to assess the development of the sea state but also the prevalence (domination) of wind sea or swell waves at the ocean surface. The presence of fast-running waves (swell) during light winds (at high wave age regimes) induces an upward momentum flux, directed from the water surface to the atmosphere. This upward directed momentum has an impact in the lower marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL): on the one hand it changes the vertical wind speed profile by accelerating the flow at the first few meters (inducing the so called "wave-driven wind"), and on the other hand it changes the overall MABL turbulence structure by limiting the wind shear - in some observed and modeled situations the turbulence is said to have "collapse". The swell interaction with the lower MABL is a function of the wave age but also of the swell steepness, since steeper waves loose more energy into the atmosphere as their energy attenuates. This interaction can be seen as highest in areas where swells are steepest, but also where the wind speed is lowest and consequently the wave age is high. A detailed global climatology of the wave age and swell steepness parameters, based on the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) ERA-Interim reanalysis is presented. It will be shown, in line with previous studies, that the global climatological patterns of the wave age confirm the global dominance of the World Ocean by swell waves. The areas of the ocean where the highest interaction of swell waves and the lower atmosphere can be expected are also presented.

Internal Tide Generation by Tall Ocean Ridges

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

Earth - sun and the Earth -moon orbits . As the earth and the moon rotate, so does the alignment of the tidal forces, such...tidal periods. It has since become recognized that internal tides are part of important global energy systems: the orbits of the moon around the Earth ...and the Earth around the sun , and the energy budget of the ocean. For instance, the energy in the moon- Earth system is decreasing, such that every

30 CFR 250.249 - What air emissions information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... the DPP or DOCD? 250.249 Section 250.249 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT...) The total annual emissions in tons per year; (iii) Emissions over the duration of the proposed development and production activities; (iv) The frequency and duration of emissions; and (v) The total of all...

30 CFR 250.253 - What lease stipulations information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What lease stipulations information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.253 Section 250.253 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT... OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and...

30 CFR 250.259 - What sulphur operations information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What sulphur operations information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.259 Section 250.259 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT... OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and...

30 CFR 250.1916 - What criteria for mechanical integrity must my SEMS program meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What criteria for mechanical integrity must my SEMS program meet? 250.1916 Section 250.1916 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT... mechanical integrity must my SEMS program meet? You must develop and implement written procedures that...

Log-Normal Turbulence Dissipation in Global Ocean Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, Brodie; Fox-Kemper, Baylor

2018-03-01

Data from turbulent numerical simulations of the global ocean demonstrate that the dissipation of kinetic energy obeys a nearly log-normal distribution even at large horizontal scales O (10 km ) . As the horizontal scales of resolved turbulence are larger than the ocean is deep, the Kolmogorov-Yaglom theory for intermittency in 3D homogeneous, isotropic turbulence cannot apply; instead, the down-scale potential enstrophy cascade of quasigeostrophic turbulence should. Yet, energy dissipation obeys approximate log-normality—robustly across depths, seasons, regions, and subgrid schemes. The distribution parameters, skewness and kurtosis, show small systematic departures from log-normality with depth and subgrid friction schemes. Log-normality suggests that a few high-dissipation locations dominate the integrated energy and enstrophy budgets, which should be taken into account when making inferences from simplified models and inferring global energy budgets from sparse observations.

A Digital Map From External Forcing to the Final Surface Warming Pattern and its Seasonal Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, M.

2015-12-01

Historically, only the thermodynamic processes (e.g., water vapor, cloud, surface albedo, and atmospheric lapse rate) that directly influence the top of the atmosphere (TOA) radiative energy flux balance are considered in climate feedback analysis. One of my recent research areas is to develop a new framework for climate feedback analysis that explicitly takes into consideration not only the thermodynamic processes that the directly influence the TOA radiative energy flux balance but also the local dynamical (e.g., evaporation, surface sensible heat flux, vertical convections etc) and non-local dynamical (large-scale horizontal energy transport) processes in aiming to explain the warming asymmetry between high and low latitudes, between ocean and land, and between the surface and atmosphere. In the last 5-6 years, we have developed a coupled atmosphere-surface climate feedback-response analysis method (CFRAM) as a new framework for estimating climate feedback and sensitivity in coupled general circulation models with a full physical parameterization package. In the CFRAM, the isolation of partial temperature changes due to an external forcing alone or an individual feedback is achieved by solving the linearized infrared radiation transfer model subject to individual energy flux perturbations (external or due to feedbacks). The partial temperature changes are addable and their sum is equal to the (total) temperature change (in the linear sense). The CFRAM is used to isolate the partial temperature changes due to the external forcing, due to water vapor feedback, clouds, surface albedo, local vertical convection, and non-local atmospheric dynamical feedbacks, as well as oceanic heat storage. It has been shown that seasonal variations in the cloud feedback, surface albedo feedback, and ocean heat storage/dynamics feedback, directly caused by the strong annual cycle of insolation, contribute primarily to the large seasonal variation of polar warming. Furthermore, the CO2 forcing, and water vapor and atmospheric dynamics feedbacks add to the maximum polar warming in fall/winter.

The NEWS Water Cycle Climatology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodell, M.; Beaudoing, H. K.; L'Ecuyer, T.; Olson, W. S.

2012-12-01

NASA's Energy and Water Cycle Study (NEWS) program fosters collaborative research towards improved quantification and prediction of water and energy cycle consequences of climate change. In order to measure change, it is first necessary to describe current conditions. The goal of the first phase of the NEWS Water and Energy Cycle Climatology project was to develop "state of the global water cycle" and "state of the global energy cycle" assessments based on data from modern ground and space based observing systems and data integrating models. The project was a multi-institutional collaboration with more than 20 active contributors. This presentation will describe the results of the water cycle component of the first phase of the project, which include seasonal (monthly) climatologies of water fluxes over land, ocean, and atmosphere at continental and ocean basin scales. The requirement of closure of the water budget (i.e., mass conservation) at various scales was exploited to constrain the flux estimates via an optimization approach that will also be described. Further, error assessments were included with the input datasets, and we examine these in relation to inferred uncertainty in the optimized flux estimates in order to gauge our current ability to close the water budget within an expected uncertainty range.

The NEWS Water Cycle Climatology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodell, Matthew; Beaudoing, Hiroko Kato; L'Ecuyer, Tristan; William, Olson

2012-01-01

NASA's Energy and Water Cycle Study (NEWS) program fosters collaborative research towards improved quantification and prediction of water and energy cycle consequences of climate change. In order to measure change, it is first necessary to describe current conditions. The goal of the first phase of the NEWS Water and Energy Cycle Climatology project was to develop "state of the global water cycle" and "state of the global energy cycle" assessments based on data from modern ground and space based observing systems and data integrating models. The project was a multi-institutional collaboration with more than 20 active contributors. This presentation will describe the results of the water cycle component of the first phase of the project, which include seasonal (monthly) climatologies of water fluxes over land, ocean, and atmosphere at continental and ocean basin scales. The requirement of closure of the water budget (i.e., mass conservation) at various scales was exploited to constrain the flux estimates via an optimization approach that will also be described. Further, error assessments were included with the input datasets, and we examine these in relation to inferred uncertainty in the optimized flux estimates in order to gauge our current ability to close the water budget within an expected uncertainty range.

An ocean kinetic energy converter for low-power applications using piezoelectric disk elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viñolo, C.; Toma, D.; Mànuel, A.; del Rio, J.

2013-09-01

The main problem facing long-term electronic system deployments in the sea, is to find a feasible way to supply them with the power they require. Harvesting mechanical energy from the ocean wave oscillations and converting it into electrical energy, provides an alternative method for creating self-contained power sources. However, the very low and varying frequency of ocean waves, which generally varies from 0.1 Hz to 2 Hz, presents a hurdle which has to be overcome if this mechanical energy is to be harvested. In this paper, a new sea wave kinetic energy converter is described using low-cost disk piezoelectric elements, which has no dependence on their excitement frequency, to feed low-consumption maritime-deployed electronic devices. The operating principles of the piezoelectric device technique are presented, including analytical formulations describing the transfer of energy. Finally, a prototypical design, which generates electrical energy from the motion of a buoy, is introduced. The paper concludes with the the behavior study of the piezoelectric prototype device as a power generator.

A simple model of the effect of ocean ventilation on ocean heat uptake

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

Nadiga, Balasubramanya T.; Urban, Nathan Mark

Presentation includes slides on Earth System Models vs. Simple Climate Models; A Popular SCM: Energy Balance Model of Anomalies; On calibrating against one ESM experiment, the SCM correctly captures that ESM's surface warming response with other forcings; Multi-Model Analysis: Multiple ESMs, Single SCM; Posterior Distributions of ECS; However In Excess of 90% of TOA Energy Imbalance is Sequestered in the World Oceans; Heat Storage in the Two Layer Model; Heat Storage in the Two Layer Model; Including TOA Rad. Imbalance and Ocean Heat in Calibration Improves Repr., but Significant Errors Persist; Improved Vertical Resolution Does Not Fix Problem; A Seriesmore » of Expts. Confirms That Anomaly-Diffusing Models Cannot Properly Represent Ocean Heat Uptake; Physics of the Thermocline; Outcropping Isopycnals and Horizontally-Averaged Layers; Local interactions between outcropping isopycnals leads to non-local interactions between horizontally-averaged layers; Both Surface Warming and Ocean Heat are Well Represented With Just 4 Layers; A Series of Expts. Confirms That When Non-Local Interactions are Allowed, the SCMs Can Represent Both Surface Warming and Ocean Heat Uptake; and Summary and Conclusions.« less

Research on Efficiency of a Wave Energy Conversion System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Zhongyue; Shang, Jianzhong; Luo, Zirong; Sun, Chongfei; Chen, Gewei

2018-02-01

The oceans are rich in wave energy that is green energy, and the wave energy are now being used to generate electricity on a massive scale. It can also be used as a single generator for beacon, buoy or underwater vehicle. Micro small wave energy power generation device is a kind of wave energy power generation devices, main characteristic is mobility is good, and can be directly assembled on various kinds of equipment for the power supply, with good prospects for development. The research object of the paper is a new adaptive reversing wave energy generating device belongs to micro-sized wave energy generating device. Using the upper and lower absorber blade groups, the low speed and large torque wave energy can be converted into electric energy which can be used for load and lithium battery charging.

NASA CYGNSS Mission Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruf, C. S.; Balasubramaniam, R.; Gleason, S.; McKague, D. S.; O'Brien, A.

2017-12-01

The CYGNSS constellation of eight satellites was successfully launched on 15 December 2016 into a low inclination (tropical) Earth orbit. Each satellite carries a four-channel bi-static radar receiver that measures GPS signals scattered by the ocean, from which ocean surface roughness, near surface wind speed, and air-sea latent heat flux are estimated. The measurements are unique in several respects, most notably in their ability to penetrate through all levels of precipitation, made possible by the low frequency at which GPS operates, and in the frequent sampling of tropical cyclone intensification and of the diurnal cycle of winds, made possible by the large number of satellites. Engineering commissioning of the constellation was successfully completed in March 2017 and the mission is currently in the early phase of science operations. Level 2 science data products have been developed for near surface (10 m referenced) ocean wind speed, ocean surface roughness (mean square slope) and latent heat flux. Level 3 gridded versions of the L2 products have also been developed. A set of Level 4 products have also been developed specifically for direct tropical cyclone overpasses. These include the storm intensity (peak sustained winds) and size (radius of maximum winds), its extent (34, 50 and 64 knot wind radii), and its integrated kinetic energy. Assimilation of CYGNSS L2 wind speed data into the HWRF hurricane weather prediction model has also been developed. An overview and the current status of the mission will be presented, together with highlights of early on-orbit performance and scientific results.

Dynamics of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence: Energy Conversions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francisco, C. P. F.; da Silveira, I. C. A.; Campos, E. J. D.

2011-03-01

In this work, we investigated the mesoscale dynamics of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence (BMC) region. Particularly, we were interested in the role of geophysical instability in the formation and development of the mesoscale features commonly observed in this region. We dynamically analyzed the results of numerical simulations of the BMC region conducted with 'Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model' (HYCOM). We quantified the effect of barotropic and baroclinic energy conversions in the modeled flow and showed the dominance of the latter in the region.

Understanding How Biomass Burning Impacts Climate Change

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

Aiken, Allison

2016-09-27

Biomass burning in Africa is creating a plume that spreads across the Atlantic Ocean all the way to Brazil. Allison Aiken, a research scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, collects data about the black carbon aerosols within this plume and their impact on the environment to help improve global climate modeling. A leader in energy science, Los Alamos develops climate models in support of the Laboratory’s mission to strengthen the nation’s energy security. Allison’s work is part of FIDO, a field operations team funded by the Energy Department’s Office of Science’s ARM Climate Research Facility.

Mixing and Formation of Layers by Internal Wave Forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dossmann, Yvan; Pollet, Florence; Odier, Philippe; Dauxois, Thierry

2017-12-01

The energy pathways from propagating internal waves to the scales of irreversible mixing in the ocean are not fully described. In the ocean interior, the triadic resonant instability is an intrinsic destabilization process that may enhance the energy cascade away from topographies. The present study focuses on the integrated impact of mixing processes induced by a propagative normal mode-1 over long-term experiments in an idealized setup. The internal wave dynamics and the evolution of the density profile are followed using the light attenuation technique. Diagnostics of the turbulent diffusivity KT and background potential energy BPE are provided. Mixing effects result in a partially mixed layer colocated with the region of maximum shear induced by the forcing normal mode. The maximum measured turbulent diffusivity is 250 times larger than the molecular value, showing that diapycnal mixing is largely enhanced by small-scale turbulent processes. Intermittency and reversible energy transfers are discussed to bridge the gap between the present diagnostic and the larger values measured in Dossmann et al. (). The mixing efficiency η is assessed by relating the BPE growth to the linearized KE input. One finds a value of Γ=12-19%, larger than the mixing efficiency in the case of breaking interfacial wave. After several hours of forcing, the development of staircases in the density profile is observed. This mechanism has been previously observed in experiments with weak homogeneous turbulence and explained by Phillips (1972) argument. The present experiments suggest that internal wave forcing could also induce the formation of density interfaces in the ocean.

High-Resolution Wind Measurements for Offshore Wind Energy Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nghiem, Son V.; Neumann, Gregory

2011-01-01

A mathematical transform, called the Rosette Transform, together with a new method, called the Dense Sampling Method, have been developed. The Rosette Transform is invented to apply to both the mean part and the fluctuating part of a targeted radar signature using the Dense Sampling Method to construct the data in a high-resolution grid at 1-km posting for wind measurements over water surfaces such as oceans or lakes.

Strong ocean tidal flow and heating on moons of the outer planets.

PubMed

Tyler, Robert H

2008-12-11

Data from recent space missions have added strong support for the idea that there are liquid oceans on several moons of the outer planets, with Jupiter's moon Europa having received the most attention. But given the extremely cold surface temperatures and meagre radiogenic heat sources of these moons, it is still unclear how these oceans remain liquid. The prevailing conjecture is that these oceans are heated by tidal forces that flex the solid moon (rock plus ice) during its eccentric orbit, and that this heat entering the ocean does not rapidly escape because of the insulating layer of ice over the ocean surface. Here, however, I describe strong tidal dissipation (and heating) in the liquid oceans; I show that a subdominant and previously unconsidered tidal force due to obliquity (axial tilt of the moon with respect to its orbital plane) has the right form and frequency to resonantly excite large-amplitude Rossby waves in these oceans. In the specific case of Europa, the minimum kinetic energy of the flow associated with this resonance (7.3 x 10(18) J) is two thousand times larger than that of the flow excited by the dominant tidal forces, and dissipation of this energy seems large enough to be a primary ocean heat source.

Sustainable Systems Analysis of Production and Transportation Scenarios for Conventional and Bio-based Energy Commodities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doran, E. M.; Golden, J. S.; Nowacek, D. P.

2013-12-01

International commerce places unique pressures on the sustainability of water resources and marine environments. System impacts include noise, emissions, and chemical and biological pollutants like introduction of invasive species into key ecosystems. At the same time, maritime trade also enables the sustainability ambition of intragenerational equity in the economy through the global circulation of commodities and manufactured goods, including agricultural, energy and mining resources (UN Trade and Development Board 2013). This paper presents a framework to guide the analysis of the multiple dimensions of the sustainable commerce-ocean nexus. As a demonstration case, we explore the social, economic and environmental aspects of the nexus framework using scenarios for the production and transportation of conventional and bio-based energy commodities. Using coupled LCA and GIS methodologies, we are able to orient the findings spatially for additional insight. Previous work on the sustainable use of marine resources has focused on distinct aspects of the maritime environment. The framework presented here, integrates the anthropogenic use, governance and impacts on the marine and coastal environments with the natural components of the system. A similar framework has been highly effective in progressing the study of land-change science (Turner et al 2007), however modification is required for the unique context of the marine environment. This framework will enable better research integration and planning for sustainability objectives including mitigation and adaptation to climate change, sea level rise, reduced dependence on fossil fuels, protection of critical marine habitat and species, and better management of the ocean as an emerging resource base for the production and transport of commodities and energy across the globe. The framework can also be adapted for vulnerability analysis, resilience studies and to evaluate the trends in production, consumption and commerce. To demonstrate the usefulness of the framework, we construct several scenarios as case studies to explore the emerging trends of larger ship deployment and the changing portfolio of energy resources including the increased consumption of bio-based energy. The maritime transportation industry remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels to power transport, while energy, mineral and grain remain the largest bulk commodities shipped. Emerging markets for such commodities, as well as new production methods and locations are considered. We overlay these trends and shifts with ecological areas of concern and biological migration routes. The diversity of governance regimes is also considered to produce a clearer picture of the emerging hot-spots for further study and for the synergies and tradeoffs that must be considered to achieve a sustainable ocean system. References Turner BL, Lambin EF, Reenberg A (2007) Proc Natl Acad Sci, (104):20666-20671. UN Trade and Development Board (2013) Recent developments and trends in international maritime transport affecting trade of developing countries, TD/B/C.1/30.

Evidence for self-refraction in a convergence zone: NPE (Nonlinear progressive wave equation) model results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcdonald, B. Edward; Plante, Daniel R.

1989-01-01

The nonlinear progressive wave equation (NPE) model was developed by the Naval Ocean Research and Development Activity during 1982 to 1987 to study nonlinear effects in long range oceanic propagation of finite amplitude acoustic waves, including weak shocks. The NPE model was applied to propagation of a generic shock wave (initial condition provided by Sandia Division 1533) in a few illustrative environments. The following consequences of nonlinearity are seen by comparing linear and nonlinear NPE results: (1) a decrease in shock strength versus range (a well-known result of entropy increases at the shock front); (2) an increase in the convergence zone range; and (3) a vertical meandering of the energy path about the corresponding linear ray path. Items (2) and (3) are manifestations of self-refraction.

Potential Offshore Wind Energy Areas in California: An Assessment of Locations, Technology, and Costs

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

Musial, Walter; Beiter, Philipp; Tegen, Suzanne

This report summarizes a study of possible offshore wind energy locations, technologies, and levelized cost of energy in the state of California between 2015 and 2030. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the federal agency responsible for regulating renewable energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf. It is based on reference wind energy areas where representative technology and performance characteristics were evaluated. These reference areas were identified as sites that were suitable to represent offshore wind cost and technology based on physical site conditions, wind resource quality, known existingmore » site use, and proximity to necessary infrastructure. The purpose of this study is to assist energy policy decision-making by state utilities, independent system operators, state government officials and policymakers, BOEM, and its key stakeholders. The report is not intended to serve as a prescreening exercise for possible future offshore wind development.« less

Design of Buoys for Mounting Wind Turbines at Exposed Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdoğan, Beytullah; Çelıkkol, Barbaros; Swift, Robinson

2018-04-01

In this study, two designs for a buoy capable of supporting a 10 kW wind turbine and its tower were developed to operate at the University of New Hampshire's Center of Ocean Renewable Energy testing site located off the Isles of Shoals, New Hampshire. The buoys are to be moored by a catenary chain system. To evaluate wave response, two Froude-scaled models were constructed, tested, and compared at the Ocean Engineering wave tank at the University of New Hampshire. These buoys have been implemented and compared with wave tank measurements of the spar displacement at a reference elevation 2.44 m above the mean water level.

The Feasibility and Current Estimated Capital Costs of Producing Jet Fuel at Sea Using Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-29

emission of sulfur and nitrogen compounds that are produced from the combustion of petroleum derived fossil fuel. 2.0 INTRODUCTION A costlbenefit and...Thermal Energy from Oceans. Enviro . Sci. & Eng. 2007,4,35. 13. Avery, W. H.; Wu, C. Renewable Energy From The Ocean; Oxford University Press: New York

33 CFR 140.101 - Inspection by Coast Guard marine inspectors or Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Inspection by Coast Guard marine inspectors or Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement inspectors. 140.101 Section 140... CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITIES GENERAL Inspections § 140.101 Inspection by Coast Guard marine inspectors or...

33 CFR 140.101 - Inspection by Coast Guard marine inspectors or Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Inspection by Coast Guard marine inspectors or Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement inspectors. 140.101 Section 140... CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITIES GENERAL Inspections § 140.101 Inspection by Coast Guard marine inspectors or...

33 CFR 140.101 - Inspection by Coast Guard marine inspectors or Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Inspection by Coast Guard marine inspectors or Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement inspectors. 140.101 Section 140... CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITIES GENERAL Inspections § 140.101 Inspection by Coast Guard marine inspectors or...

77 FR 24980 - Record of Decision for Authorizing the Use of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Sand Resources in the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-26

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Record of Decision for Authorizing... Damage Reduction Project AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior. ACTION: Notice of... Project, the USACE will nourish 4 miles of beach using a sea-turtle friendly design template. The purpose...

Wave Energy Prize - 1/50th Testing - Atlas Ocean Systems

DOE Data Explorer

Wesley Scharmen

2015-12-04

This submission of data includes all the 1/50th scale testing data completed on the Wave Energy Prize for the Atlas Ocean Systems team, and includes: 1/50th test data (raw & processed) 1/50th test data video and pictures 1/50th Test plans and testing documents SSTF_Submission (summarized results)

78 FR 36571 - Extension of Post-Sale Evaluation Period for Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area Lease Sale 227

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-18

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [MMAA104000] Extension of Post-Sale Evaluation Period for Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area Lease Sale 227 AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior. ACTION: Notice to Extend Post-Sale Evaluation Period. SUMMARY: This notice...

Tides and the Biosphere of Europa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenberg, Richard

2002-01-01

It's been suspected for at least a decade now that Jupiter's icy moon Europa harbors a global ocean of liquid water beneath its crust. To many scientists the presence of another ocean in our solar system immediately conjured up images of extraterrestrial lifeforms swimming in an alien sea. But what sorts of life could evolve in the dark waters of a subsurface ocean, and how would it derive the energy it needs to survive? Planetary scientist, Richard Greenberg has been studying the surface features of Europa, and he finds that the icy crust that covers the ocean may not be as thick as scientists had at first supposed. Cracks in Europa's surface suggest that the ocean waters may come very close to the surface. If so, the cracks themselves may provide a niche for life, and the light near the surface of the moon could provide energy for photosynthetic organisms.

Waves: Internal Tides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Richard D.

1999-01-01

Oceanic internal tides are internal waves with tidal periodicities. They are ubiquitous throughout the ocean, although generally more pronounced near large bathymetric features such as mid-ocean ridges and continental slopes. The internal vertical displacements associated with these waves can be extraordinarily large. Near some shelf breaks where the surface tides are strong, internal displacements (e.g., of an isothermal surface) can exceed 200 meters. Displacements of 10 meters in the open ocean are not uncommon. The associated current velocities are usually comparable to or larger than the currents of the surface tide. On continental shelves internal tides can occasionally generate packets of internal solitons, which are detectable in remote sensing imagery. Other common nonlinear features are generation of higher harmonics (e.g., 6-hr waves) and wave breaking. Internal tides are known to be an important energy source for mixing of shelf waters. Recent research suggests that they may also be a significant energy source for deep-ocean mixing.

Abyssal Upwelling in Mid-Ocean Ridge Fracture Zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clément, Louis; Thurnherr, Andreas M.

2018-03-01

Turbulence in the abyssal ocean plays a fundamental role in the climate system by sustaining the deepest branch of the overturning circulation. Over the western flank of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the South Atlantic, previously observed bottom-intensified and tidally modulated mixing of abyssal waters appears to imply a counterintuitive densification of deep and bottom waters. Here we show that inside fracture zones, however, turbulence is elevated away from the seafloor because of intensified downward propagating near-inertial wave energy, which decays below a subinertial shear maximum. Ray-tracing simulations predict a decay of wave energy subsequent to wave-mean flow interactions. The hypothesized wave-mean flow interactions drive a deep flow toward lighter densities of up to 0.6 Sv over the mid-ocean ridge flank in the Brazil Basin, and the same process may also cause upwelling of abyssal waters in other ocean basins with mid-ocean ridges with fracture zones.

Bioenergetics of photoheterotrophic bacteria in the oceans.

PubMed

Kirchman, David L; Hanson, Thomas E

2013-04-01

Photoheterotrophic microbes, such as proteorhodopsin (PR)-based phototrophic (PRP) and aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic (AAP) bacteria, are well known to be abundant in the oceans, potentially playing unique roles in biogeochemical cycles. However, the contribution of phototrophy to the energy requirements of these bacteria has not been quantitatively examined to date. To better understand the implications of photoheterophy in the oceans, we calculated energy benefits and costs of phototrophy and compared net benefits with maintenance costs. Benefits depend on the number of photosynthetic units (PSUs), absorption cross-section area of each PSU as function of wavelength, the in situ light quality, and the energy yield per absorbed photon. For costs we considered the energy required for the synthesis of pigments, amino acids and proteins in each PSU. Our calculations indicate that AAP bacteria harvest more light energy than do PRP bacteria, but the costs of phototrophy are much higher for AAP bacteria. Still, the net energy gained by AAP bacteria is often sufficient to meet maintenance costs, while that is not the case for PRP bacteria except with high light intensities and large numbers of proteorhodopsin molecules per cell. The low costs and simplicity of PR-based phototrophy explain the high abundance of proteorhodopsin genes in the oceans. However, even for AAP bacteria, the net energy yield of phototrophy is apparently too low to influence the distribution of photoheterotrophic bacteria among various marine systems. © 2012 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Ocean Tide Influences on the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padman, Laurie; Siegfried, Matthew R.; Fricker, Helen A.

2018-03-01

Ocean tides are the main source of high-frequency variability in the vertical and horizontal motion of ice sheets near their marine margins. Floating ice shelves, which occupy about three quarters of the perimeter of Antarctica and the termini of four outlet glaciers in northern Greenland, rise and fall in synchrony with the ocean tide. Lateral motion of floating and grounded portions of ice sheets near their marine margins can also include a tidal component. These tide-induced signals provide insight into the processes by which the oceans can affect ice sheet mass balance and dynamics. In this review, we summarize in situ and satellite-based measurements of the tidal response of ice shelves and grounded ice, and spatial variability of ocean tide heights and currents around the ice sheets. We review sensitivity of tide heights and currents as ocean geometry responds to variations in sea level, ice shelf thickness, and ice sheet mass and extent. We then describe coupled ice-ocean models and analytical glacier models that quantify the effect of ocean tides on lower-frequency ice sheet mass loss and motion. We suggest new observations and model developments to improve the representation of tides in coupled models that are used to predict future ice sheet mass loss and the associated contribution to sea level change. The most critical need is for new data to improve maps of bathymetry, ice shelf draft, spatial variability of the drag coefficient at the ice-ocean interface, and higher-resolution models with improved representation of tidal energy sinks.

Issues in offshore platform research - Part 1: Semi-submersibles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, R.; Kim, Tae-Wan; Sha, O. P.; Misra, S. C.

2010-09-01

Availability of economic and efficient energy resources is crucial to a nation's development. Because of their low cost and advancement in drilling and exploration technologies, oil and gas based energy systems are the most widely used energy source throughout the world. The inexpensive oil and gas based energy systems are used for everything, i.e., from transportation of goods and people to the harvesting of crops for food. As the energy demand continues to rise, there is strong need for inexpensive energy solutions. An offshore platform is a large structure that is used to house workers and machinery needed to drill wells in the ocean bed, extract oil and/or natural gas, process the produced fluids, and ship or pipe them to shore. Depending on the circumstances, the offshore platform can be fixed (to the ocean floor) or can consist of an artificial island or can float. Semi-submersibles are used for various purposes in offshore and marine engineering, e.g. crane vessels, drilling vessels, tourist vessels, production platforms and accommodation facilities, etc. The challenges of deepwater drilling have further motivated the researchers to design optimum choices for semi-submersibles for a chosen operating depth. In our series of eight papers, we discuss the design and production aspects of all the types of offshore platforms. In the present part I, we present an introduction and critical analysis of semi-submersibles.

Energy crisis: several ways to solve it

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

Fitzmorris, J.E. Jr.

There is no single way out of the energy crisis in a quick way, the author says. In discussing his views, Lt. Gov. Fitzmorris says the first step is to admit there is an energy crisis. Short- as well as long-term goals must be established, and crash programs (when necessary) should be used to develop sources of energy. Also, in the short run, more-effective energy imports and energy conservation should help. Even assuming substantial conservation measures, the nation will still require over one-third more energy in 1990 than today. Mr. Fitzmorris then reviews measures being practiced in his home statemore » of Louisiana that can bring some valuable time, but they cannot solve the basic problem; increased production of all types of energy is necessary for that. Energy companies and researchers in Louisiana are studying technology to gain energy from lignite, geopressured systems, hydrogen gas, ocean thermal difference, solar energy, biomass conversion, use of peat, and hydroelectric power. He says the two most steep and difficult paths out of the current energy quandry are to develop: (1) a national balance between the demands of energy development and environmental and (2) meaningful governmental deregulation at all levels, in deed as well as word. (MCW)« less

GLODAPv2 data exploration and extraction system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krassovski, Misha; Kozyr, Alex; Boden, Thomas

2016-04-01

The Global Ocean Data Analysis Project (GLODAP) is a cooperative effort of investigators funded for ocean synthesis and modeling projects by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Energy (DOE), and National Science Foundation (NSF). Cruises conducted as part of the WOCE, JGOFS, and NOAA Ocean-Atmosphere Carbon Exchange Study (OACES) over the decade of the 1990s generated oceanographic data of unparalleled quality and quantity. GLODAPv2 is a uniformly calibrated open-ocean data product containing inorganic carbon and carbon-relevant variables. This new product includes data from approximately one million individual seawater samples collected from over 700 cruises during the period 1972-2013. Extensive quality control and subsequent calibration were carried out for salinity, oxygen, nutrient, carbon dioxide, total alkalinity, pH, and chlorofluorocarbon data. The Carbon Dioxide Information and Analysis Center (CDIAC), serving as the primary DOE disseminator for climate data and information, developed database and web accessible systems that permit users worldwide to query and retrieve data from the GLODAPv2 collection. This presentation will showcase this new system, discuss technologies used to build the GLODAPv2 resource, and describe integration with a metadata search engine provided by CDIAC as well.

Tidal dissipation in the subsurface ocean of Enceladus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuyama, I.; Hay, H.; Nimmo, F.; Kamata, S.

2017-12-01

Icy satellites of the outer solar system have emerged as potential habitable worlds due to the presence of subsurface oceans. As a long-term energy source, tidal heating in these oceans can influence the survivability of subsurface oceans, and the thermal, rotational, and orbital evolution of these satellites. Additionally, the spatial and temporal variation of tidal heating has implications for the interior structure and spacecraft observations. Previous models for dissipation in thin oceans are not generally applicable to icy satellites because either they ignore the presence of an overlying solid shell or use a thin shell membrane approximation. We present a new theoretical treatment for tidal dissipation in thin oceans with overlying shells of arbitrary thickness and apply it to Enceladus. The shell's resistance to ocean tides increases with shell thickness, reducing tidal dissipation as expected. Both the magnitude of energy dissipation and the resonant ocean thicknesses decrease as the overlying shell thickness increases, as previously shown using a membrane approximation. In contrast to previous work based on the traditional definition of the tidal quality factor, Q, our new definition is consistent with higher energy dissipation for smaller Q, and introduces a lower limit on Q. The dissipated power and tides are not in phase with the forcing tidal potential due to the delayed ocean response. The phase lag depends on the Rayleigh friction coefficient and ocean and shell thicknesses, which implies that phase lag observations can be used to constrain these parameters. Eccentricity heating produces higher dissipation near the poles, while obliquity heating produces higher dissipation near the equator, in contrast to the dissipation patterns in the shell. The time-averaged surface distribution of tidal heating can generate lateral shell thickness variations, providing an additional constraint on the Rayleigh friction coefficient. Explaining the endogenic power radiated from the south polar terrain requires shell thicknesses smaller than about 1 km, a value that is not consistent with recent libration, gravity and topography constraints.

Seasonality of eddy kinetic energy in an eddy permitting global climate model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchida, Takaya; Abernathey, Ryan; Smith, Shafer

2017-10-01

We examine the seasonal cycle of upper-ocean mesoscale turbulence in a high resolution CESM climate simulation. The ocean model component (POP) has 0.1° resolution, mesoscale resolving at low and middle latitudes. Seasonally and regionally resolved wavenumber power spectra are calculated for sea-surface eddy kinetic energy (EKE). Although the interpretation of the spectral slopes in terms of turbulence theory is complicated by the strong presence of dissipation and the narrow inertial range, the EKE spectra consistently show higher power at small scales during winter throughout the ocean. Potential hypotheses for this seasonality are investigated. Diagnostics of baroclinc energy conversion rates and evidence from linear quasigeostrophic stability analysis indicate that seasonally varying mixed-layer instability is responsible for the seasonality in EKE. The ability of this climate model, which is not considered submesoscale resolving, to produce mixed layer instability although damped by dissipation, demonstrates the ubiquity and robustness of this process for modulating upper ocean EKE.

A Vision for the Next Ten Years for Integrated Ocean Observing Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willis, Z. S.

2012-12-01

Ocean observing has come a long way since the Ocean Sciences Decadal Committee met over a decade ago. Since then, our use of the ocean and coast and their vast resources has increased substantially - with increased shipping, fishing, offshore energy development and recreational boating. That increased use has also spearheaded advances in observing systems. Cutting-edge autonomous and remotely operated vehicles scour the surface and travel to depths collecting essential biogeochemical data for better managing our marine resources. Satellites enable the global mapping of practically every physical ocean variable imaginable. A nationally-integrated coastal network of high-frequency radars lines the borders of the U.S. feeding critical navigation, response, and environmental information continuously. Federal, academic, and industry communities have joined in unique partnerships at regional, national, and global levels to address common challenges to monitoring our ocean. The 2002 Workshop, Building Consensus: Toward an Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observing System laid the framework for the current United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS). Ten years later, U.S. IOOS has moved from concept to reality, though much work remains to meet the nation's ocean observing needs. Today, new research and technologies, evolving users and user requirements, economic and funding challenges, and diverse institutional mandates all influence the future growth and implementation of U.S. IOOS. In light of this new environment, the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC) will host the 2012 Integrated Ocean Observing System Summit in November 2012, providing a forum to develop a comprehensive ocean observing vision for the next decade, utilizing the knowledge and expertise gained by the IOOS-wide community over the past ten years. This effort to bring together ocean observing stakeholders at the regional, national, and global levels to address these challenges going forward: - Enhancing information delivery and integration to save lives, enhance the economy and protect the environment - Disseminating seamless information across regional and national boundaries - Harnessing technological innovations for new frontiers and opportunities The anticipated outcomes of the IOOS Summit include a highlight of the past decade of progress towards an integrated system, revisiting and updating user requirements, an assessment of existing observing system capabilities and gaps, identifying integration challenges/opportunities, and, establishing an U.S. IOOS-community-wide vision for the next 10 years of ocean observing. Most important will be the execution of priorities identified before and during the Summit, carrying them forward into a new decade of an enhanced Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observing System.

Energy limitation of cyanophage development: implications for marine carbon cycling.

PubMed

Puxty, Richard J; Evans, David J; Millard, Andrew D; Scanlan, David J

2018-05-01

Marine cyanobacteria are responsible for ~25% of the fixed carbon that enters the ocean biosphere. It is thought that abundant co-occurring viruses play an important role in regulating population dynamics of cyanobacteria and thus the cycling of carbon in the oceans. Despite this, little is known about how viral infections 'play-out' in the environment, particularly whether infections are resource or energy limited. Photoautotrophic organisms represent an ideal model to test this since available energy is modulated by the incoming light intensity through photophosphorylation. Therefore, we exploited phototrophy of the environmentally relevant marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus and monitored growth of a cyanobacterial virus (cyanophage). We found that light intensity has a marked effect on cyanophage infection dynamics, but that this is not manifest by a change in DNA synthesis. Instead, cyanophage development appears energy limited for the synthesis of proteins required during late infection. We posit that acquisition of auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) involved in light-dependent photosynthetic reactions acts to overcome this limitation. We show that cyanophages actively modulate expression of these AMGs in response to light intensity and provide evidence that such regulation may be facilitated by a novel mechanism involving light-dependent splicing of a group I intron in a photosynthetic AMG. Altogether, our data offers a mechanistic link between diurnal changes in irradiance and observed community level responses in metabolism, i.e., through an irradiance-dependent, viral-induced release of dissolved organic matter (DOM).

A New Approach for 3D Ocean Reconstruction from Limited Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, X.

2014-12-01

Satellites can measure ocean surface height and temperature with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to capture mesoscale features across the globe. Measurements of the ocean's interior, however, remain sparse and irregular, thus the dynamical inference of subsurface flows is necessary to interpret surface measurements. The most common (and accurate) approach is to incorporate surface measurements into a data-assimilating forward ocean model, but this approach is expensive and slow, and thus completely impractical for time-critical needs, such as offering guidance to ship-based observational campaigns. Two recently-developed approaches have made use of the apparent partial consistency of upper ocean dynamics with quasigeostrophic flows that take into account surface buoyancy gradients (i.e. the "surface quasigeostrophic" (SQG) model) to "reconstruct" the interior flow from knowledge of surface height and buoyancy. Here we improve on these methods in three ways: (1) we adopt a modal decomposition that represents the surface and interior dynamics in an efficient way, allowing the separation of surface energy from total energy; (2) we make use of instantaneous vertical profile observations (e.g. from ARGO data) to improve the reconstruction of eddy variables at depth; and (3) we use advanced statistical methods to choose the optimal modes for the reconstruction. The method is tested using a series of high horizontal and vertical resolution quasigeostrophic simulation, with a wide range of surface buoyancy and interior potential vorticity gradient combinations. In addtion, we apply the method to output from a very high resolution primitive equation simulation of a forced and dissipated baroclinic front in a channel. Our new method is systematically compared to the existing methods as well. Its advantages and limitations will be discussed.

Hydrothermal exploration and astrobiology: oases for life in distant oceans?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

German, Christopher R.

2004-04-01

High-temperature submarine hydrothermal fields on Earth's mid-ocean ridges play host to exotic ecosystems with fauna previously unknown to science. Because these systems draw significant energy from chemosynthesis rather than photosynthesis, it has been postulated that the study of such systems could have relevance to the origins of life and, hence, astrobiology. A major flaw to that argument, however, is that modern basalt-hosted submarine vents are too oxidizing and lack the abundant free hydrogen required to drive abiotic organic synthesis and/or the energy yielding reactions that the most primitive anaerobic thermophiles isolated from submarine vent-sites apparently require. Here, however, the progress over the past decade in which systematic search strategies have been used to identify previously overlooked venting on the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the ultra-slow spreading Arctic and SW Indian Ridges is described. Preliminary identification of fault-controlled venting in a number of these sites has led to the discovery of at least two high-temperature hydrothermal fields hosted in ultramafic rocks which emit complex organic molecules in their greater than 360 °C vent-fluids. Whether these concentrations represent de novo organic synthesis within the hydrothermal cell remains open to debate but it is probable that many more such sites exist throughout the Atlantic, Arctic and SW Indian Oceans. One particularly intriguing example is the Gakkel Ridge, which crosses the floor of the Arctic Ocean. On-going collaborations between oceanographers and astrobiologists are actively seeking to develop a new class of free-swimming autonomous underwater vehicle, equipped with appropriate chemical sensors, to conduct long-range missions that will seek out, locate and investigate new sites of hydrothermal venting at the bottom of this, and other, ice-covered oceans.

Internal tide generation by abyssal hills using analytical theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melet, Angélique; Nikurashin, Maxim; Muller, Caroline; Falahat, S.; Nycander, Jonas; Timko, Patrick G.; Arbic, Brian K.; Goff, John A.

2013-11-01

Internal tide driven mixing plays a key role in sustaining the deep ocean stratification and meridional overturning circulation. Internal tides can be generated by topographic horizontal scales ranging from hundreds of meters to tens of kilometers. State of the art topographic products barely resolve scales smaller than ˜10 km in the deep ocean. On these scales abyssal hills dominate ocean floor roughness. The impact of abyssal hill roughness on internal-tide generation is evaluated in this study. The conversion of M2 barotropic to baroclinic tidal energy is calculated based on linear wave theory both in real and spectral space using the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission SRTM30_PLUS bathymetric product at 1/120° resolution with and without the addition of synthetic abyssal hill roughness. Internal tide generation by abyssal hills integrates to 0.1 TW globally or 0.03 TW when the energy flux is empirically corrected for supercritical slope (i.e., ˜10% of the energy flux due to larger topographic scales resolved in standard products in both cases). The abyssal hill driven energy conversion is dominated by mid-ocean ridges, where abyssal hill roughness is large. Focusing on two regions located over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the East Pacific Rise, it is shown that regionally linear theory predicts an increase of the energy flux due to abyssal hills of up to 100% or 60% when an empirical correction for supercritical slopes is attempted. Therefore, abyssal hills, unresolved in state of the art topographic products, can have a strong impact on internal tide generation, especially over mid-ocean ridges.

30 CFR 250.256 - What related facilities and operations information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What related facilities and operations information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.256 Section 250.256 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY... OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans...

30 CFR 250.250 - What oil and hazardous substance spills information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What oil and hazardous substance spills information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.250 Section 250.250 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY... OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans...

75 FR 44276 - Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE); Cancellation of Oil and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-28

... Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, (the National Commission was established by Executive...); Cancellation of Oil and Gas Lease Sale 215 in the Western Planning Area (WPA) on the Outer Continental Shelf... measures to improve the safety of oil and gas development in Federal waters, provide greater environmental...

30 CFR 250.288 - When and how must I submit the Conceptual Plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false When and how must I submit the Conceptual Plan? 250.288 Section 250.288 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND... Plan to the Regional Director after you have decided on the general concept(s) for development and...

Statistical downscaling of IPCC sea surface wind and wind energy predictions for U.S. east coastal ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Zhigang; Xue, Zuo; He, Ruoying; Bao, Xianwen; Song, Jun

2016-08-01

A multivariate statistical downscaling method is developed to produce regional, high-resolution, coastal surface wind fields based on the IPCC global model predictions for the U.S. east coastal ocean, the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), and the Caribbean Sea. The statistical relationship is built upon linear regressions between the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) spaces of a cross- calibrated, multi-platform, multi-instrument ocean surface wind velocity dataset (predictand) and the global NCEP wind reanalysis (predictor) over a 10 year period from 2000 to 2009. The statistical relationship is validated before applications and its effectiveness is confirmed by the good agreement between downscaled wind fields based on the NCEP reanalysis and in-situ surface wind measured at 16 National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) buoys in the U.S. east coastal ocean and the GOM during 1992-1999. The predictand-predictor relationship is applied to IPCC GFDL model output (2.0°×2.5°) of downscaled coastal wind at 0.25°×0.25° resolution. The temporal and spatial variability of future predicted wind speeds and wind energy potential over the study region are further quantified. It is shown that wind speed and power would significantly be reduced in the high CO2 climate scenario offshore of the mid-Atlantic and northeast U.S., with the speed falling to one quarter of its original value.

Constraining Aggregate-Scale Solar Energy Partitioning in Arctic Sea Ice Through Synthesis of Remote Sensing and Autonomous In-Situ Observations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, N.; Polashenski, C. M.; Deeb, E. J.; Morriss, B. F.; Song, A.; Chen, J.

2015-12-01

One of the key processes controlling sea ice mass balance in the Arctic is the partitioning of solar energy between reflection back to the atmosphere and absorption into the ice and upper ocean. We investigate the solar energy balance in the ice-ocean system using in-situ data collected from Arctic Observing Network (AON) sea ice sites and imagery from high resolution optical satellites. AON assets, including ice mass balance buoys and ice tethered profilers, monitor the storage and fluxes of heat in the ice-ocean system. High resolution satellite imagery, processed using object-based image classification techniques, allows us to quantify the evolution of surrounding ice conditions, including melt pond coverage and floe size distribution, at aggregate scale. We present results from regionally representative sites that constrain the partitioning of absorbed solar energy between ice melt and ocean storage, and quantify the strength of the ice-albedo feedback. We further demonstrate how the results can be used to validate model representations of the physical processes controlling ice-albedo feedbacks. The techniques can be extended to understand solar partitioning across the Arctic basin using additional sites and model based data integration.

Harnessing Alternative Energy Sources to Enhance the Design of a Wave Generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bravo, A.

2017-12-01

Wave energy has the power to replace a non-renewable source of electricity for a home near the ocean. I built a small-scale wave generator capable of producing approximately 5 volts of electricity. The generator is an array of 16 small generators, each consisting of 200 feet of copper wire, 12 magnets, and a buoy. I tested my design in the Pacific Ocean and was able to power a string of lights I had attached to the generator. While the waves in the ocean moved my buoys, my design was powered by the vertical motion of the waves. My generator was hit with significant horizontal wave motion, and I realized I wasn't taking advantage of that direction of motion. To make my generator produce more electricity, I experimented with capturing the energy of the horizontal motion of water and incorporated that into my generator design. My generator, installed in the ocean, is also exposed to sun and wind, and I am exploring the potential of solar and wind energy collection in my design to increase the electricity output. Once I have maximized my electricity output, I would like to explore scaling up my design.

Causes of strong ocean heating during glacial periods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimov, N.; Zimov, S. A.

2013-12-01

During the last deglaciation period, the strongest climate changes occurred across the North Atlantic regions. Analyses of borehole temperatures from the Greenland ice sheet have yielded air temperature change estimates of 25°C over the deglaciation period (Dahl-Jensen et al. 1998). Such huge temperature changes cannot currently be explained in the frames of modern knowledge about climate. We propose that glacial-interglacial cycles are connected with gradual warming of ocean interior waters over the course of glaciations and quick transport of accumulated heat from ocean to the atmosphere during the deglaciation periods. Modern day ocean circulation is dominated by thermal convection with cold waters subsiding in the Northern Atlantic and filling up the ocean interior with cold and heavy water. However during the glaciation thermal circulation stopped and ocean circulation was driven by 'haline pumps' -Red and Mediterranean seas connected with ocean with only narrow but deep straights acts as evaporative basins, separating ocean water into fresh water which returns to the ocean surface (precipitation) and warm but salty, and therefore heavy, water which flows down to the ocean floor. This haline pump is stratifying the ocean, allowing warmer water locate under the colder water and thus stopping thermal convection in the ocean. Additional ocean interior warming is driven by geothermal heat flux and decomposition of organic rain. To test the hypothesis we present simple ocean box model that describes thermohaline circulation in the World Ocean. The first box is the Red and Mediterranean sea, the second is united high-latitude seas, the third is the ocean surface, and the fourth the ocean interior. The volume of these water masses and straight cross-sections are taken to be close to real values. We have accepted that the exchange of water between boxes is proportional to the difference in water density in these boxes, Sun energy inputs to the ocean and sea surface are taken as constant. Energy income to the interior box from the geothermal heat flux is also taken as constant. Even though energy inputs are taken as constants, the model manages to recreate the glacial-interglacial cycles. In the glacial periods only haline circulation takes place, the ocean is strongly stratified, and the interior box accumulates heat, while high-latitudes accumulate ice. 112,000 years after glaciation starts, water density on the ocean bottom becomes equal to the density of water in high-latitude seas, strong thermal convection take place, and the ocean quickly (within 14,600 years) releases the heat. The magnitude and duration of such cycles correspond with magnitudes and durations reconstructed for actual glacial-interglacial cycles. From the proposed mechanism it follows that during the glaciations it is likely that the Arctic Ocean was a big reservoir of isotopically light fresh ice. If in a glacial period, the World Ocean were half filled with warm water from the Red Sea and bioproductivity of the ocean declined because of the slow circulation, then carbon storage within the ocean reservoir would decline by ~2000 Pg (10^15 g) of carbon.

Trends in continental temperature and humidity directly linked to ocean warming.

PubMed

Byrne, Michael P; O'Gorman, Paul A

2018-05-08

In recent decades, the land surface has warmed substantially more than the ocean surface, and relative humidity has fallen over land. Amplified warming and declining relative humidity over land are also dominant features of future climate projections, with implications for climate-change impacts. An emerging body of research has shown how constraints from atmospheric dynamics and moisture budgets are important for projected future land-ocean contrasts, but these ideas have not been used to investigate temperature and humidity records over recent decades. Here we show how both the temperature and humidity changes observed over land between 1979 and 2016 are linked to warming over neighboring oceans. A simple analytical theory, based on atmospheric dynamics and moisture transport, predicts equal changes in moist static energy over land and ocean and equal fractional changes in specific humidity over land and ocean. The theory is shown to be consistent with the observed trends in land temperature and humidity given the warming over ocean. Amplified land warming is needed for the increase in moist static energy over drier land to match that over ocean, and land relative humidity decreases because land specific humidity is linked via moisture transport to the weaker warming over ocean. However, there is considerable variability about the best-fit trend in land relative humidity that requires further investigation and which may be related to factors such as changes in atmospheric circulations and land-surface properties.

An iceberg model implementation in ACME.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comeau, D.; Turner, A. K.; Hunke, E. C.

2017-12-01

Icebergs represent approximately half of the mass flux from the Antarctic ice sheet, transporting freshwater and nutrients away from the coast to the Southern Ocean. Icebergs impact the surrounding ocean and sea ice environment, and serve as nutrient sources for biogeochemical activity, yet these processes are typically not resolved in current climate models. We have implemented a parameterization for iceberg drift and decay into the Department of Energy's Accelerated Climate Model for Energy (ACME), where the ocean, sea ice, and land ice components are based on the unstructured grid modeling framework Multiple Prediction Across Scales (MPAS), to improve the representation of Antarctic mass flux to the Southern Ocean and its impacts on ocean stratification and circulation, sea ice, and biogeochemical processes in a fully coupled global climate model. The iceberg model is implemented in two frameworks: Lagrangian and Eulerian. The Lagrangian framework embeds individual icebergs into the ocean and sea ice grids, and will be useful in modeling `giant' (>10 nautical miles) iceberg events, which may have highly localized impacts on ocean and sea ice. The Eulerian framework allows us to model a realistic population of Antarctic icebergs without the computational expense of individual particle tracking to simulate the aggregate impact on the Southern Ocean climate system. This capability, together with under ice-shelf ocean cavities and dynamic ice-shelf fronts, will allow for extremely high fidelity simulation of the southern cryosphere within ACME.

Modeling of energy release systems from OTEC plants

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

Denno, K.

1983-12-01

This paper presents analytical scope for the controlling functions of OTEC operation for the ultimate production of sizable bulk ..delta..T as well as H/sub 2/, N/sub 2/ and NH/sub 3/. The controlling parametric functions include the oceanic and ammonia Reynolds numbers which depend implicitly and explicitly on the ocean water velocity, mass-volume, duration of ..delta..T extraction, and the inlet and outlet water temperatures internally and externally. Solutions for the oceanic and amonia Reynolds numbers have been established setting the deciding constraints on water velocity, boundary temperatures, mass-volume as well as other plant parameters. Linkage between OTEC plant and other conventionalmore » as well as advanced energy systems has been expressed in terms of a set of balance and coordinating energy equations.« less

A numerical study of the barotropic tides and tidal energy distribution in the Indonesian seas with the assimilated finite volume coastal ocean model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Yang; Bao, Xianwen; Yu, Huaming; Kuang, Liang

2012-04-01

The tides and tidal energetics in the Indonesian seas are simulated using a three-dimensional finite volume coastal ocean model. The high-resolution coastline-fitted model is configured to better resolve the hydrodynamic processes around the numerous barrier islands. A large model domain is adopted to minimize the uncertainty adjacent to open boundaries. The model results with elevation assimilation based on a simple nudge scheme faithfully reproduced the general features of the barotropic tides in the Indonesian Seas. The mean root-mean-square errors between the observed and simulated tidal constants are 2.3, 1.1, 2.4, and 1.5 cm for M2, S2, K1, and O1, respectively. Analysis of the model solutions indicates that the semidiurnal tides in the Indonesian Seas are primarily dominated by the Indian Ocean, whereas the diurnal tides in this region are mainly influenced by the Pacific Ocean, which is consistent with previous studies. Examinations of tidal energy transport reveal that the tidal energy for both of the simulated tidal constituents are transported from the Indian Ocean into the IS mainly through the Lombok Strait and the Timor Sea, whereas only M2 energy enters the Banda Sea and continues northward. The tidal energy dissipates the most in the passages on both sides of Timor Island, with the maximum M2 and K1 tidal energy transport reaching about 750 and 650 kW m-1, respectively. The total energy losses of the four dominant constituents in the IS are nearly 338 GW, with the M2 constituent dissipating 240.8 GW. It is also shown that the bottom dissipation rate for the M2 tide is about 1-2 order of magnitudes larger than that of the other three tidal components in the Indonesian seas.

Energy: Add Power to Your Collection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rholes, Julia M.

1981-01-01

An annotated bibliography of 34 children's books on different types of energy at various reading levels includes general titles, as well as books on coal, geothermal energy, nuclear energy, ocean engineering, petroleum, solar energy, and wind energy. (CHC)

15 CFR 970.2402 - Notice of pre-enactment exploration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE DEEP SEABED MINING REGULATIONS FOR EXPLORATION LICENSES Pre... Director, Office of Ocean Minerals and Energy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department...

15 CFR 970.2402 - Notice of pre-enactment exploration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE DEEP SEABED MINING REGULATIONS FOR EXPLORATION LICENSES Pre... Director, Office of Ocean Minerals and Energy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department...

15 CFR 970.2402 - Notice of pre-enactment exploration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE DEEP SEABED MINING REGULATIONS FOR EXPLORATION LICENSES Pre... Director, Office of Ocean Minerals and Energy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department...

15 CFR 970.2402 - Notice of pre-enactment exploration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE DEEP SEABED MINING REGULATIONS FOR EXPLORATION LICENSES Pre... Director, Office of Ocean Minerals and Energy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department...

15 CFR 970.2402 - Notice of pre-enactment exploration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REGULATIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SERVICE DEEP SEABED MINING REGULATIONS FOR EXPLORATION LICENSES Pre... Director, Office of Ocean Minerals and Energy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department...

Lambert-Beer law in ocean waters: optical properties of water and of dissolved/suspended material, optical energy budgets.

PubMed

Stavn, R H

1988-01-15

The role of the Lambert-Beer law in ocean optics is critically examined. The Lambert-Beer law and the three-parameter model of the submarine light field are used to construct an optical energy budget for any hydrosol. It is further applied to the analytical exponential decay coefficient of the light field and used to estimate the optical properties and effects of the dissolved/suspended component in upper ocean layers. The concepts of the empirical exponential decay coefficient (diffuse attenuation coefficient) of the light field and a constant exponential decay coefficient for molecular water are analyzed quantitatively. A constant exponential decay coefficient for water is rejected. The analytical exponential decay coefficient is used to analyze optical gradients in ocean waters.

Major role of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in dark ocean carbon fixation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pachiadaki, Maria G.; Sintes, Eva; Bergauer, Kristin; Brown, Julia M.; Record, Nicholas R.; Swan, Brandon K.; Mathyer, Mary Elizabeth; Hallam, Steven J.; Lopez-Garcia, Purificacion; Takaki, Yoshihiro; Nunoura, Takuro; Woyke, Tanja; Herndl, Gerhard J.; Stepanauskas, Ramunas

2017-11-01

Carbon fixation by chemoautotrophic microorganisms in the dark ocean has a major impact on global carbon cycling and ecological relationships in the ocean’s interior, but the relevant taxa and energy sources remain enigmatic. We show evidence that nitrite-oxidizing bacteria affiliated with the Nitrospinae phylum are important in dark ocean chemoautotrophy. Single-cell genomics and community metagenomics revealed that Nitrospinae are the most abundant and globally distributed nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in the ocean. Metaproteomics and metatranscriptomics analyses suggest that nitrite oxidation is the main pathway of energy production in Nitrospinae. Microautoradiography, linked with catalyzed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization, indicated that Nitrospinae fix 15 to 45% of inorganic carbon in the mesopelagic western North Atlantic. Nitrite oxidation may have a greater impact on the carbon cycle than previously assumed.

Rick Driscoll | NREL

Science.gov Websites

of the Offshore Wind and Ocean Power Systems team, Rick works in the areas of offshore wind and joining NREL, Rick was an Associate Professor of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), where he focused on ocean energy and navy projects for more than 10 years. While at FAU, he

Multi-platform operational validation of the Western Mediterranean SOCIB forecasting system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juza, Mélanie; Mourre, Baptiste; Renault, Lionel; Tintoré, Joaquin

2014-05-01

The development of science-based ocean forecasting systems at global, regional, and local scales can support a better management of the marine environment (maritime security, environmental and resources protection, maritime and commercial operations, tourism, ...). In this context, SOCIB (the Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System, www.socib.es) has developed an operational ocean forecasting system in the Western Mediterranean Sea (WMOP). WMOP uses a regional configuration of the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS, Shchepetkin and McWilliams, 2005) nested in the larger scale Mediterranean Forecasting System (MFS) with a spatial resolution of 1.5-2km. WMOP aims at reproducing both the basin-scale ocean circulation and the mesoscale variability which is known to play a crucial role due to its strong interaction with the large scale circulation in this region. An operational validation system has been developed to systematically assess the model outputs at daily, monthly and seasonal time scales. Multi-platform observations are used for this validation, including satellite products (Sea Surface Temperature, Sea Level Anomaly), in situ measurements (from gliders, Argo floats, drifters and fixed moorings) and High-Frequency radar data. The validation procedures allow to monitor and certify the general realism of the daily production of the ocean forecasting system before its distribution to users. Additionally, different indicators (Sea Surface Temperature and Salinity, Eddy Kinetic Energy, Mixed Layer Depth, Heat Content, transports in key sections) are computed every day both at the basin-scale and in several sub-regions (Alboran Sea, Balearic Sea, Gulf of Lion). The daily forecasts, validation diagnostics and indicators from the operational model over the last months are available at www.socib.es.

The Ebb and Flow of Tidal Science, and the Impact of Satellite Altimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Richard; Egbert, Gary

2006-01-01

In the years immediately preceding the launches of Geosat and Topex/Poseidon, tidal science had lapsed into a period of uncertainty and discouragement, brought about by the failure of once-exciting new ideas that eventually proved overly optimistic. A long list of outstanding problems presented themselves, but progress had reached a "low water mark". What was lacking was a high-quality global dataset of tidal measurements, which satellite altimetry -- and especially Topex/Poseidon -- provided. With these data in hand, a "flood tide" of marked progress resulted. In this paper we review some of that progress. An important area of progress, with potentially important implications for other areas of physical oceanography, falls under the topic of "energy dissipation." With precise global constraints provided by altimetry -- combined with precise laser tracking of the altimeter, other geodetic satellites like Lageos, as well as the moon -- the planetary energy budgets of both Earth and ocean tides are now well determined. Moreover, the local energy balances, and thus local estimates of tidal dissipation, have now been mapped, although somewhat coarsely, throughout the ocean. This work has pointed to internal-tide generation in the deep ocean as the once missing sink of tidal energy, and has led to a plethora of new observational and theoretical studies of internal tides, and their role in vertical mixing of the deep ocean. The discovery that internal tides, or some part of them, can be directly mapped with an altimeter opens new lines of research on this topic. Low-mode internal tides have been found, at least in some regions, to propagate several thousand kilometers across open ocean. The study of such waves with altimetry gives us a global view heretofore unattainable, allowing strong observational constraints to be placed on possible ocean mixing processes, such as subharmonic instabilities.

Oceanic Impacts: A Growing Field of Fundamental Geoscience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gersonde, Rainer; Deutsch, Alexander; Ivanov, Boris A.; Kyte, Frank T.

2002-01-01

The importance of oceanic impacts of collisional events and resulting energy release, are briefly described. Data collection methods from the Eltanin (a mesosiderite projectile) deep water impact, are presented.

NOAA/DOE CWP structural analysis package. [CWPFLY, CWPEXT, COTEC, and XOTEC codes

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

Pompa, J.A.; Lunz, D.F.

1979-09-01

The theoretical development and computer code user's manual for analysis of the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) plant cold water pipe (CWP) are presented. The analysis of the CWP includes coupled platform/CWP loadngs and dynamic responses. This report with the exception of the Introduction and Appendix F was orginally published as Hydronautics, Inc., Technical Report No. 7825-2 (by Barr, Chang, and Thasanatorn) in November 1978. A detailed theoretical development of the equations describing the coupled platform/CWP system and preliminary validation efforts are described. The appendices encompass a complete user's manual, describing the inputs, outputs and operation of the four componentmore » programs, and detail changes and updates implemented since the original release of the code by Hydronautics. The code itself is available through NOAA's Office of Ocean Technology and Engineering Services.« less

Improved atmosphere-ocean coupled modeling in the tropics for climate prediction

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

Zhang, Minghua

2015-01-01

We investigated the initial development of the double ITCZ in the Community Climate System Model (CCSM Version 3) in the central Pacific. Starting from a resting initial condition of the ocean in January, the model developed a warm bias of sea-surface temperature (SST) in the central Pacific from 5oS to 10oS in the first three months. We found this initial bias to be caused by excessive surface shortwave radiation that is also present in the standalone atmospheric model. The initial bias is further amplified by biases in both surface latent heat flux and horizontal heat transport in the upper ocean.more » These biases are caused by the responses of surface winds to SST bias and the thermocline structure to surface wind curls. We also showed that the warming biases in surface solar radiation and latent heat fluxes are seasonally offset by cooling biases from reduced solar radiation after the austral summer due to cloud responses and in the austral fall due to enhanced evaporation when the maximum SST is closest to the equator. The warming biases from the dynamic heat transport by ocean currents however stay throughout all seasons once they are developed, which are eventually balanced by enhanced energy exchange and penetration of solar radiation below the mixed layer. Our results also showed that the equatorial cold tongue develops after the warm biases in the south central Pacific, and the overestimation of surface shortwave radiation recurs in the austral summer in each year.« less

Solutions for ecosystem-level protection of ocean systems under climate change.

PubMed

Queirós, Ana M; Huebert, Klaus B; Keyl, Friedemann; Fernandes, Jose A; Stolte, Willem; Maar, Marie; Kay, Susan; Jones, Miranda C; Hamon, Katell G; Hendriksen, Gerrit; Vermard, Youen; Marchal, Paul; Teal, Lorna R; Somerfield, Paul J; Austen, Melanie C; Barange, Manuel; Sell, Anne F; Allen, Icarus; Peck, Myron A

2016-12-01

The Paris Conference of Parties (COP21) agreement renewed momentum for action against climate change, creating the space for solutions for conservation of the ocean addressing two of its largest threats: climate change and ocean acidification (CCOA). Recent arguments that ocean policies disregard a mature conservation research field and that protected areas cannot address climate change may be oversimplistic at this time when dynamic solutions for the management of changing oceans are needed. We propose a novel approach, based on spatial meta-analysis of climate impact models, to improve the positioning of marine protected areas to limit CCOA impacts. We do this by estimating the vulnerability of ocean ecosystems to CCOA in a spatially explicit manner and then co-mapping human activities such as the placement of renewable energy developments and the distribution of marine protected areas. We test this approach in the NE Atlantic considering also how CCOA impacts the base of the food web which supports protected species, an aspect often neglected in conservation studies. We found that, in this case, current regional conservation plans protect areas with low ecosystem-level vulnerability to CCOA, but disregard how species may redistribute to new, suitable and productive habitats. Under current plans, these areas remain open to commercial extraction and other uses. Here, and worldwide, ocean conservation strategies under CCOA must recognize the long-term importance of these habitat refuges, and studies such as this one are needed to identify them. Protecting these areas creates adaptive, climate-ready and ecosystem-level policy options for conservation, suitable for changing oceans. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Putting the Deep Biosphere on the Map for Oceanography Courses: Gas Hydrates As a Case Study for the Deep Biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sikorski, J. J.; Briggs, B. R.

2014-12-01

The ocean is essential for life on our planet. It covers 71% of the Earth's surface, is the source of the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the food we eat. Yet, the exponential growth in human population is putting the ocean and thus life on our planet at risk. However, based on student evaluations from our introductory oceanography course it is clear that our students have deficiencies in ocean literacy that impact their ability to recognize that the ocean and humans are inextricably connected. Furthermore, life present in deep subsurface marine environments is also interconnected to the study of the ocean, yet the deep biosphere is not typically covered in undergraduate oceanography courses. In an effort to improve student ocean literacy we developed an instructional module on the deep biosphere focused on gas hydrate deposits. Specifically, our module utilizes Google Earth and cutting edge research about microbial life in the ocean to support three inquiry-based activities that each explore different facets of gas hydrates (i.e. environmental controls, biologic controls, and societal implications). The relevant nature of the proposed module also makes it possible for instructors of introductory geology courses to modify module components to discuss related topics, such as climate, energy, and geologic hazards. This work, which will be available online as a free download, is a solid contribution toward increasing the available teaching resources focused on the deep biosphere for geoscience educators.

Parallel Computation of Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave Coupled Storm Surge Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, K.; Yamashita, T.

2003-12-01

Ocean-atmosphere interactions are very important in the formation and development of tropical storms. These interactions are dominant in exchanging heat, momentum, and moisture fluxes. Heat flux is usually computed using a bulk equation. In this equation air-sea interface supplies heat energy to the atmosphere and to the storm. Dynamical interaction is most often one way in which it is the atmosphere that drives the ocean. The winds transfer momentum to both ocean surface waves and ocean current. The wind wave makes an important role in the exchange of the quantities of motion, heat and a substance between the atmosphere and the ocean. Storm surges can be considered as the phenomena of mean sea-level changes, which are the result of the frictional stresses of strong winds blowing toward the land and causing the set level and the low atmospheric pressure at the centre of the cyclone can additionally raise the sea level. In addition to the rise in water level itself, another wave factor must be considered. A rise of mean sea level due to white-cap wave dissipation should be considered. In bounded bodies of water, such as small seas, wind driven sea level set up is much serious than inverted barometer effects, in which the effects of wind waves on wind-driven current play an important role. It is necessary to develop the coupled system of the full spectral third-generation wind-wave model (WAM or WAVEWATCH III), the meso-scale atmosphere model (MM5) and the coastal ocean model (POM) for simulating these physical interactions. As the component of coupled system is so heavy for personal usage, the parallel computing system should be developed. In this study, first, we developed the coupling system of the atmosphere model, ocean wave model and the coastal ocean model, in the Beowulf System, for the simulation of the storm surge. It was applied to the storm surge simulation caused by Typhoon Bart (T9918) in the Yatsushiro Sea. The atmosphere model and the ocean model have been made the parallel codes by SPMD methods. The wave-current interface model was developed by defining the wave breaking stresses. And we developed the coupling program to collect and distribute the exchanging data with the parallel system. Every models and coupler are executed at same time, and they calculate own jobs and pass data with organic system. MPMD method programming was performed to couple the models. The coupler and each models united by the separated group, and they calculated by the group unit. Also they passed message when exchanging data by global unit. The data are exchanged every 60-second model time that is the least common multiple time of the atmosphere model, the wave model and the ocean model. The model was applied to the storm surge simulation in the Yatsushiro Sea, in which we could not simulated the observed maximum surge height with the numerical model that did not include the wave breaking stress. It is confirmed that the simulation which includes the wave breaking stress effects can produce the observed maximum height, 450 cm, at Matsuai.

Nonlinear Cascades of Surface Oceanic Geostrophic Kinetic Energy in the Frequency Domain

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

kinetic energy in wavenumber k space for surface ocean geostrophic flows have been computed from sat - ellite altimetry data of sea surface height (Scott...5 0.65kN, where kN corresponds to the Nyquist scale. The filter is applied to bq 1 and bq 2 , the Fourier transforms of q1 and q2, at every time step

Global energy transports and the influence of clouds on transport requirements - A satellite analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sohn, Byung-Ju; Smith, Eric A.

1992-01-01

This report investigates the impact of differential net radiative heating on 2D energy transports within the atmosphere ocean system and the role of clouds on this process. The 2D mean energy transports, in answer to zonal and meridional gradients in the net radiation field, show an east-west coupled dipole structure in which the Pacific acts as the major energy source and North Africa as the major energy sink. It is demonstrated that the dipole is embedded in the secondary energy transports arising mainly from the differential heating between land and oceans in the tropics in which the tropical east-west (zonal) transports are up to 30 percent of the tropical north-south (meridional) transports.

A conceptual model of oceanic heat transport in the Snowball Earth scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comeau, Darin; Kurtze, Douglas A.; Restrepo, Juan M.

2016-12-01

Geologic evidence suggests that the Earth may have been completely covered in ice in the distant past, a state known as Snowball Earth. This is still the subject of controversy, and has been the focus of modeling work from low-dimensional models up to state-of-the-art general circulation models. In our present global climate, the ocean plays a large role in redistributing heat from the equatorial regions to high latitudes, and as an important part of the global heat budget, its role in the initiation a Snowball Earth, and the subsequent climate, is of great interest. To better understand the role of oceanic heat transport in the initiation of Snowball Earth, and the resulting global ice covered climate state, the goal of this inquiry is twofold: we wish to propose the least complex model that can capture the Snowball Earth scenario as well as the present-day climate with partial ice cover, and we want to determine the relative importance of oceanic heat transport. To do this, we develop a simple model, incorporating thermohaline dynamics from traditional box ocean models, a radiative balance from energy balance models, and the more contemporary "sea glacier" model to account for viscous flow effects of extremely thick sea ice. The resulting model, consisting of dynamic ocean and ice components, is able to reproduce both Snowball Earth and present-day conditions through reasonable changes in forcing parameters. We find that including or neglecting oceanic heat transport may lead to vastly different global climate states, and also that the parameterization of under-ice heat transfer in the ice-ocean coupling plays a key role in the resulting global climate state, demonstrating the regulatory effect of dynamic ocean heat transport.

Using Combined Marine Spatial Planning Tools and Observing System Experiments to define Gaps in the Emerging European Ocean Observing System.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolan, G.; Pinardi, N.; Vukicevic, T.; Le Traon, P. Y.; Fernandez, V.

2016-02-01

Ocean observations are critical to providing accurate ocean forecasts that support operational decision making in European open and coastal seas. Observations are available in many forms from Fixed platforms e.g. Moored Buoys and tide gauges, underway measurements from Ferrybox systems, High Frequency radars and more recently from underwater Gliders and profiling floats. Observing System Simulation Experiments have been conducted to examine the relative contribution of each type of platform to an improvement in our ability to accurately forecast the future state of the ocean with HF radar and Gliders showing particular promise in improving model skill. There is considerable demand for ecosystem products and services from today's ocean observing system and biogeochemical observations are still relatively sparse particularly in coastal and shelf seas. There is a need to widen the techniques used to assess the fitness for purpose and gaps in the ocean observing system. As well as Observing System Simulation Experiments that quantify the effect of observations on the overall model skill we present a gap analysis based on (1) Examining where high model skill is required based on a marine spatial planning analysis of European seas i.e where does activity take place that requires more accurate forecasts? and (2) assessing gaps based on the capacity of the observing system to answer key societal challenges e.g. site suitability for aquaculture and ocean energy, oil spill response and contextual oceanographic products for fisheries and ecosystems. The broad based analysis will inform the development of the proposed European Ocean Observing System as a contribution to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS).

Investigation on the possibility of extracting wave energy from the Texas coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haces-Fernandez, Francisco

Due to the great and growing demand of energy consumption in the Texas Coast area, the generation of electricity from ocean waves is considered very important. The combination of the wave energy with offshore wind power is explored as a way to increase power output, obtain synergies, maximize the utilization of assigned marine zones and reduce variability. Previously literature has assessed the wave energy generation, combined with wind in different geographic locations such as California, Ireland and the Azores Island. In this research project, the electric power generation from ocean waves on the Texas Coast was investigated, assessing its potential from the meteorological data provided by five buoys from National Data Buoy Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, considering the Pelamis 750 kW Wave Energy Converter (WEC) and the Vesta V90 3 MW Wind Turbine. The power output from wave energy was calculated for the year 2006 using Matlab, and the results in several locations were considered acceptable in terms of total power output, but with a high temporal variability. To reduce its variability, wave energy was combined with wind energy, obtaining a significant reduction on the coefficient of variation on the power output. A Matlab based interface was created to calculate power output and its variability considering data from longer periods of time.

Preliminary assessment of industrial needs for an advanced ocean technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mourad, A. G.; Maher, K. M.; Balon, J. E.; Coyle, A. G.; Henkener, J. A.

1979-01-01

A quick-look review of selected ocean industries is presented for the purpose of providing NASA OSTA with an assessment of technology needs and market potential. The size and growth potential, needs and problem areas, technology presently used and its suppliers, are given for industries involved in deep ocean mining, petrochemicals ocean energy conversion. Supporting services such as ocean bottom surveying; underwater transportation, data collection, and work systems; and inspection and diving services are included. Examples of key problem areas that are amenable to advanced technology solutions are included. Major companies are listed.

Near-Surface Meteorology During the Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS): Evaluation of Reanalyses and Global Climate Models.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

De Boer, G.; Shupe, M.D.; Caldwell, P.M.; Bauer, Susanne E.; Persson, O.; Boyle, J.S.; Kelley, M.; Klein, S.A.; Tjernstrom, M.

2014-01-01

Atmospheric measurements from the Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS) are used to evaluate the performance of three atmospheric reanalyses (European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF)- Interim reanalysis, National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) reanalysis, and NCEP-DOE (Department of Energy) reanalysis) and two global climate models (CAM5 (Community Atmosphere Model 5) and NASA GISS (Goddard Institute for Space Studies) ModelE2) in simulation of the high Arctic environment. Quantities analyzed include near surface meteorological variables such as temperature, pressure, humidity and winds, surface-based estimates of cloud and precipitation properties, the surface energy budget, and lower atmospheric temperature structure. In general, the models perform well in simulating large-scale dynamical quantities such as pressure and winds. Near-surface temperature and lower atmospheric stability, along with surface energy budget terms, are not as well represented due largely to errors in simulation of cloud occurrence, phase and altitude. Additionally, a development version of CAM5, which features improved handling of cloud macro physics, has demonstrated to improve simulation of cloud properties and liquid water amount. The ASCOS period additionally provides an excellent example of the benefits gained by evaluating individual budget terms, rather than simply evaluating the net end product, with large compensating errors between individual surface energy budget terms that result in the best net energy budget.

76 FR 26253 - Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-06

...; National Ocean Policy, coastal and marine spatial planning, ocean energy and climate change adaptation.../ . Matters To Be Considered This agenda is subject to change. The meeting is convened to hear presentations...

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Programmatic Environmental Analysis--Appendices

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

Authors, Various

1980-01-01

The programmatic environmental analysis is an initial assessment of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology considering development, demonstration and commercialization. It is concluded that the OTEC development program should continue because the development, demonstration, and commercialization on a single-plant deployment basis should not present significant environmental impacts. However, several areas within the OTEC program require further investigation in order to assess the potential for environmental impacts from OTEC operation, particularly in large-scale deployments and in defining alternatives to closed-cycle biofouling control: (1) Larger-scale deployments of OTEC clusters or parks require further investigations in order to assess optimal platform siting distancesmore » necessary to minimize adverse environmental impacts. (2) The deployment and operation of the preoperational platform (OTEC-1) and future demonstration platforms must be carefully monitored to refine environmental assessment predictions, and to provide design modifications which may mitigate or reduce environmental impacts for larger-scale operations. These platforms will provide a valuable opportunity to fully evaluate the intake and discharge configurations, biofouling control methods, and both short-term and long-term environmental effects associated with platform operations. (3) Successful development of OTEC technology to use the maximal resource capabilities and to minimize environmental effects will require a concerted environmental management program, encompassing many different disciplines and environmental specialties. This volume contains these appendices: Appendix A -- Deployment Scenario; Appendix B -- OTEC Regional Characterization; and Appendix C -- Impact and Related Calculations.« less

University of Washington/ Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center Tidal Current Technology Test Protocol, Instrumentation, Design Code, and Oceanographic Modeling Collaboration: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-11-452

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

Driscoll, Frederick R.

The University of Washington (UW) - Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (UW-NNMREC) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will collaborate to advance research and development (R&D) of Marine Hydrokinetic (MHK) renewable energy technology, specifically renewable energy captured from ocean tidal currents. UW-NNMREC is endeavoring to establish infrastructure, capabilities and tools to support in-water testing of marine energy technology. NREL is leveraging its experience and capabilities in field testing of wind systems to develop protocols and instrumentation to advance field testing of MHK systems. Under this work, UW-NNMREC and NREL will work together to develop a common instrumentation systemmore » and testing methodologies, standards and protocols. UW-NNMREC is also establishing simulation capabilities for MHK turbine and turbine arrays. NREL has extensive experience in wind turbine array modeling and is developing several computer based numerical simulation capabilities for MHK systems. Under this CRADA, UW-NNMREC and NREL will work together to augment single device and array modeling codes. As part of this effort UW NNMREC will also work with NREL to run simulations on NREL's high performance computer system.« less

Satellite Observations of Imprint of Oceanic Current on Wind Stress by Air-Sea Coupling.

PubMed

Renault, Lionel; McWilliams, James C; Masson, Sebastien

2017-12-18

Mesoscale eddies are present everywhere in the ocean and partly determine the mean state of the circulation and ecosystem. The current feedback on the surface wind stress modulates the air-sea transfer of momentum by providing a sink of mesoscale eddy energy as an atmospheric source. Using nine years of satellite measurements of surface stress and geostrophic currents over the global ocean, we confirm that the current-induced surface stress curl is linearly related to the current vorticity. The resulting coupling coefficient between current and surface stress (s τ [N s m -3 ]) is heterogeneous and can be roughly expressed as a linear function of the mean surface wind. s τ expresses the sink of eddy energy induced by the current feedback. This has important implications for air-sea interaction and implies that oceanic mean and mesoscale circulations and their effects on surface-layer ventilation and carbon uptake are better represented in oceanic models that include this feedback.

Learning about Oceanography. Superific Science Book VII. A Good Apple Science Activity Book for Grades 5-8+.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conway, Lorraine

Based upon the recognition that the sea has great potential as a future source of energy, minerals, and water, this document was developed to provide students with learning experiences in oceanography. It contains background information about ocean tides, waves, chemistry, depths, and plant and animal life. The book provides the teacher with…

30 CFR 250.245 - What hydrogen sulfide (H2S) information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What hydrogen sulfide (H2S) information must accompany the DPP or DOCD? 250.245 Section 250.245 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT... Development Operations Coordination Documents (docd) § 250.245 What hydrogen sulfide (H2S) information must...

75 FR 44276 - Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE); Cancellation of Oil and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-28

... Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, (the National Commission was established by Executive Order 13543...); Cancellation of Oil and Gas Lease Sale 220 in the Mid- Atlantic Planning Area on the Outer Continental Shelf.... Cancellation of Sale 220 will allow time to develop and implement measures to improve the safety of oil and gas...

Baseline design of an OTEC pilot plantship. Volume A. Detailed report. [Performance analysis of OTEC power plant

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

George, J. F.; Richards, D.; Perini, L. L.

1979-05-01

The Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) of the Johns Hopkins University has engineered a baseline design of an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) pilot plantship. The work was sponsored jointly by the Department of Energy and the US Maritime Administration of the Department of Commerce. The design, drawings, specifications, supporting calculations, and narrative documentation are available through APL for use by the Government and industry for the acquisition of a pilot OTEC system. The baseline design features a platform that is configured to produce up to 20 MW(e) (net) power, using low-cost folded-tube aluminum heat exchangers, while it grazes slowly inmore » tropical waters where the thermal gradient is greatest and the ocean environment is least severe. The design was developed by a team of contractors whose capabilities provided a systems approach to the design process. The work is documented in three volumes. Volume A is the Detailed report, which develops the design rationale, summarizes important calculations, outlines areas for future work, and presents a study of system costs. Volumes B and C, respectively, contain the engineering drawings and specifications.« less

Ocean power technology design optimization

DOE PAGES

van Rij, Jennifer; Yu, Yi -Hsiang; Edwards, Kathleen; ...

2017-07-18

For this study, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) conducted a collaborative code validation and design optimization study for OPT's PowerBuoy wave energy converter (WEC). NREL utilized WEC-Sim, an open-source WEC simulator, to compare four design variations of OPT's PowerBuoy. As an input to the WEC-Sim models, viscous drag coefficients for the PowerBuoy floats were first evaluated using computational fluid dynamics. The resulting WEC-Sim PowerBuoy models were then validated with experimental power output and fatigue load data provided by OPT. The validated WEC-Sim models were then used to simulate the power performance and loads for operationalmore » conditions, extreme conditions, and directional waves, for each of the four PowerBuoy design variations, assuming the wave environment of Humboldt Bay, California. And finally, ratios of power-to-weight, power-to-fatigue-load, power-to-maximum-extreme-load, power-to-water-plane-area, and power-to-wetted-surface-area were used to make a final comparison of the potential PowerBuoy WEC designs. Lastly, the design comparison methodologies developed and presented in this study are applicable to other WEC devices and may be useful as a framework for future WEC design development projects.« less

Ocean power technology design optimization

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

van Rij, Jennifer; Yu, Yi -Hsiang; Edwards, Kathleen

For this study, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) conducted a collaborative code validation and design optimization study for OPT's PowerBuoy wave energy converter (WEC). NREL utilized WEC-Sim, an open-source WEC simulator, to compare four design variations of OPT's PowerBuoy. As an input to the WEC-Sim models, viscous drag coefficients for the PowerBuoy floats were first evaluated using computational fluid dynamics. The resulting WEC-Sim PowerBuoy models were then validated with experimental power output and fatigue load data provided by OPT. The validated WEC-Sim models were then used to simulate the power performance and loads for operationalmore » conditions, extreme conditions, and directional waves, for each of the four PowerBuoy design variations, assuming the wave environment of Humboldt Bay, California. And finally, ratios of power-to-weight, power-to-fatigue-load, power-to-maximum-extreme-load, power-to-water-plane-area, and power-to-wetted-surface-area were used to make a final comparison of the potential PowerBuoy WEC designs. Lastly, the design comparison methodologies developed and presented in this study are applicable to other WEC devices and may be useful as a framework for future WEC design development projects.« less

On the Effect of Offshore Wind Parks on Ocean Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludewig, E.; Pohlmann, T.

2012-12-01

Nowadays renewable energy resources play a key role in the energy supply discussion and especially an increasingly interest in wind energy induces intensified installations of wind parks. At this offshore wind energy gains in popularity in the course of higher and more consistent energy availability than over land. For example Germany's government adopted a national interurban offshore wind energy program comprising the construction of hundreds of wind turbines within Germany's Exclusive Economic Zone to ensure up to 50% of Germany's renewable energy supply. The large number of installation in coastal regions asks for analyzing the impact of offshore wind parks (OWPs) on the atmosphere and the ocean. As known from literature such wind parks excite also-called wake-effect and such an influence on the wind field in turn affects ocean circulation. To cover OWP's impact on ocean dynamics we evaluate model simulations using the Hamburg Shelf-Ocean-Model (HAMSOM). All simulations were driven with a wind forcing produced by the Mesoscale Atmosphere Model of the Hamburg University (METRAS) which has implemented wind turbines. Wind forcing data were generated in collaboration with and by courtesy of the Meteorological Institute of the University of Hamburg, Department Technical Meteorology, Numeric Modeling-METRAS. To evaluate dynamical changes forced by the OWP's wind wake-effect we did a sensitivity study with a theoretical setup of a virtual ocean of 60m depth with a flat bottom and a temperature and salinity stratification according to common North Sea's conditions. Here our results show that already a small OWP of 12 wind turbines, placed in an area of 4 km^2, lead to a complex change in ocean dynamics. Due to the wake-effect zones of upwelling and downwelling are formed within a minute after turning-on wind turbines. The evolving vertical cells have a size of around 15x15 kilometers with a vertical velocity in order of 10^-2 mm/sec influencing the dynamic of an area being hundred times bigger than the wind park itself. The emerged vertical structure is generated due to a newly created geostrophic balance resulting in a redistribution of the ocean mass field. A number of additional upwelling and downwelling cells around the wind park support an intensified vertical dispersion through all layers and incline the thermocline which also influences the lower levels. The disturbances of mass show a dipole structure across the main wind direction with a maximum change in thermocline depth of some meters close to the OWP. Diffusion, mostly driven by direct wind induced surface shear is also modified by the wind turbines and supports a further modification of the vertical patterns. Considering that wind turbines operate only in a special window of wind speed, i.e. wind turbines will stop in case of too weak or too strong wind speeds as well as in case of technical issues, the averaged dimension and intensity of occurring vertical cells depend on the number of rotors and expected wind speeds. Finally we will focus on scenario runs for the North Sea under fully realistic conditions to estimate possible changes in ocean dynamics due to OWPs in future and these results will be further used for process analyzes of the ecosystem. If we assume a continuous operation of North Sea's OWPs in future we expect a fundamental constant change in ocean dynamics and moreover in the ecosystem in its vicinity.

Using kinetic energy measurements from altimetry to detect shifts in the positions of fronts in the Southern Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, Don P.

2018-02-01

A novel analysis is performed utilizing cross-track kinetic energy (CKE) computed from along-track sea surface height anomalies. The midpoint of enhanced kinetic energy averaged over 3-year periods from 1993 to 2016 is determined across the Southern Ocean and examined to detect shifts in frontal positions, based on previous observations that kinetic energy is high around fronts in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current system due to jet instabilities. It is demonstrated that although the CKE does not represent the full eddy kinetic energy (computed from crossovers), the shape of the enhanced regions along ground tracks is the same, and CKE has a much finer spatial sampling of 6.9 km. Results indicate no significant shift in the front positions across the Southern Ocean, on average, although there are some localized, large movements. This is consistent with other studies utilizing sea surface temperature gradients, the latitude of mean transport, and the probability of jet occurrence, but is inconsistent with studies utilizing the movement of contours of dynamic topography.

The physical basis for estimating wave-energy spectra with the radar ocean-wave spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, Frederick C.

1987-01-01

The derivation of the reflectivity modulation spectrum of the sea surface for near-nadir-viewing microwave radars using geometrical optics is described. The equations required for the derivation are presented. The derived reflectivity modulation spectrum provides data on the physical basis of the radar ocean-wave spectrometer measurements of ocean-wave directional spectra.

30 CFR 254.7 - How do I submit my response plan to the MMS?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70123-2394. (c) Send plans for facilities in the Pacific Ocean (except seaward of...? 254.7 Section 254.7 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT..., Anchorage, AK 99508-4302. (b) Send plans for facilities in the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic Ocean to: Minerals...

Hawaii Ocean Mixing Experiment: Program Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Richard D.; Chao, Benjamin F. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

It is becoming apparent that insufficient mixing occurs in the pelagic ocean to maintain the large scale thermohaline circulation. Observed mixing rates fall a factor of ten short of classical indices such as Munk's "Abyssal Recipe." The growing suspicion is that most of the mixing in the sea occurs near topography. Exciting recent observations by Polzin et al., among others, fuel this speculation. If topographic mixing is indeed important, it must be acknowledged that its geographic distribution, both laterally and vertically, is presently unknown. The vertical distribution of mixing plays a critical role in the Stommel Arons model of the ocean interior circulation. In recent numerical studies, Samelson demonstrates the extreme sensitivity of flow in the abyssal ocean to the spatial distribution of mixing. We propose to study the topographic mixing problem through an integrated program of modeling and observation. We focus on tidally forced mixing as the global energetics of this process have received (and are receiving) considerable study. Also, the well defined frequency of the forcing and the unique geometry of tidal scattering serve to focus the experiment design. The Hawaiian Ridge is selected as a study site. Strong interaction between the barotropic tide and the Ridge is known to take place. The goals of the Hawaiian Ocean Mixing Experiment (HOME) are to quantify the rate of tidal energy loss to mixing at the Ridge and to identify the mechanisms by which energy is lost and mixing generated. We are challenged to develop a sufficiently comprehensive picture that results can be generalized from Hawaii to the global ocean. To achieve these goals, investigators from five institutions have designed HOME, a program of historic data analysis, modeling and field observation. The Analysis and Modeling efforts support the design of the field experiments. As the program progresses, a global model of the barotropic (depth independent) tide, and two models of the baroclinic (depth varying) tide, all validated with near-Ridge data, will be applied, to reveal the mechanisms of tidal energy conversion along the Ridge, and allow spatial and temporal integration of the rate of conversion. Field experiments include a survey to identify "hot spots" of enhanced mixing and barotropic to baroclinic conversion, a Nearfield study identifying the dominant mechanisms responsible for topographic mixing, and a Farfield program which quantifies the barotropic energy flux convergence at the Ridge and the flux divergence associated with low mode baroclinic waves radiation. The difference is a measure of the tidal power available for mixing at the Ridge. Field work is planned from years 2000 through 2002, with analysis and modeling efforts extending through early 2006. If successful, HOME will yield an understanding of the dominant topographic mixing processes applicable throughout the global ocean. It will advance understanding of two central problems in ocean science, the maintenance of the abyssal stratification, and the dissipation of the tides. HOME data will be used to improve the parameterization of dissipation in models which presently assimilate TOPEX-POSEIDON observations. The improved understanding of the dynamics and spatial distribution of mixing processes will benefit future long-term programs such as CLIVAR.

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.

Geophysical potential for wind energy over the open oceans

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Wind turbines continuously remove kinetic energy from the lower troposphere, thereby reducing the wind speed near hub height. The rate of electricity generation in large wind farms containing multiple wind arrays is, therefore, constrained by the rate of kinetic energy replenishment from the atmosphere above. In recent years, a growing body of research argues that the rate of generated power is limited to around 1.5 W m−2 within large wind farms. However, in this study, we show that considerably higher power generation rates may be sustainable over some open ocean areas. In particular, the North Atlantic is identified as a region where the downward transport of kinetic energy may sustain extraction rates of 6 W m−2 and above over large areas in the annual mean. Furthermore, our results indicate that the surface heat flux from the oceans to the atmosphere may play an important role in creating regions where sustained high rates of downward transport of kinetic energy and thus, high rates of kinetic energy extraction may be geophysical possible. While no commercial-scale deep water wind farms yet exist, our results suggest that such technologies, if they became technically and economically feasible, could potentially provide civilization-scale power. PMID:29073053

Geophysical potential for wind energy over the open oceans.

PubMed

Possner, Anna; Caldeira, Ken

2017-10-24

Wind turbines continuously remove kinetic energy from the lower troposphere, thereby reducing the wind speed near hub height. The rate of electricity generation in large wind farms containing multiple wind arrays is, therefore, constrained by the rate of kinetic energy replenishment from the atmosphere above. In recent years, a growing body of research argues that the rate of generated power is limited to around 1.5 W m -2 within large wind farms. However, in this study, we show that considerably higher power generation rates may be sustainable over some open ocean areas. In particular, the North Atlantic is identified as a region where the downward transport of kinetic energy may sustain extraction rates of 6 W m -2 and above over large areas in the annual mean. Furthermore, our results indicate that the surface heat flux from the oceans to the atmosphere may play an important role in creating regions where sustained high rates of downward transport of kinetic energy and thus, high rates of kinetic energy extraction may be geophysical possible. While no commercial-scale deep water wind farms yet exist, our results suggest that such technologies, if they became technically and economically feasible, could potentially provide civilization-scale power.

Physical Mechanisms for the Maintenance of GCM-Simulated Madden-Julian Oscillation over the Indian Ocean and Pacific

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

Deng, Liping; Wu, Xiaoqing

2011-05-05

The kinetic energy budget is conducted to analyze the physical processes responsible for the improved Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) simulated by the Iowa State University general circulation models (ISUGCM). The modified deep convection scheme that includes the revised convection closure, convection trigger condition and convective momentum transport (CMT) enhances the equatorial (10oS-10oN) MJO-related perturbation kinetic energy (PKE) in the upper troposphere and leads to more robust and coherent eastward propagating MJO signal. In the MJO source region-the Indian Ocean (45oE-120oE), the upper-tropospheric MJO PKE is maintained by the vertical convergence of wave energy flux and the barotropic conversion through the horizontalmore » shear of mean flow. In the convectively active region-the western Pacific (120oE-180o), the upper-tropospheric MJO PKE is supported by the convergence of horizontal and vertical wave energy fluxes. Over the central-eastern Pacific (180o-120oW), where convection is suppressed, the upper-tropospheric MJO PKE is mainly due to the horizontal convergence of wave energy flux. The deep convection trigger condition produces stronger convective heating which enhances the perturbation available potential energy (PAPE) production and the upward wave energy fluxes, and leads to the increased MJO PKE over the Indian Ocean and western Pacific. The trigger condition also enhances the MJO PKE over the central-eastern Pacific through the increased convergence of meridional wave energy flux from the subtropical latitudes of both hemispheres. The revised convection closure affects the response of mean zonal wind shear to the convective heating over the Indian Ocean and leads to the enhanced upper-tropospheric MJO PKE through the barotropic conversion. The stronger eastward wave energy flux due to the increase of convective heating over the Indian Ocean and western Pacific by the revised closure is favorable to the eastward propagation of MJO and the convergence of horizontal wave energy flux over the central-eastern Pacific. The convection-induced momentum tendency tends to decelerate the upper-tropospheric wind which results in a negative work to the PKE budget in the upper troposphere. However, the convection momentum tendency accelerates the westerly wind below 800 hPa over the western Pacific, which is partially responsible for the improved MJO simulation.« less

In the Beginning...

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trent, Jonathan

2010-01-01

Having just emerged from the warmest decade on record and watching as the oceans acidify and sea level rises, global resources peak, the world's population continues to climb, and nearly half of all known species face extinction by the end of the century. We stand on the threshold of one of the most important transition in human history-the transition from hunting-and-gathering our energy to cultivating sustainable, carbon-neutral, environmentally-friendly energy supplies. Can we develop an alternative to fossil fuels in time to make a difference for our children and the "children" of all species? NASA puts people into outer space, where all resources (food, water, air, pressure, gravity, energy) are limited and far away and where conditions (temperature, radiation, vacuum) are problematic and dangerous-the life expectancy of an unprotected astronaut (physically exposed to the space environment) is 15 seconds. Therefore, by necessity, NASA has explored and developed "life-support systems" that optimize the use of resources, minimize the use of energy, and recycle, refurbish, re-use everything that on earth would be considered a waste material. Emerging from the legacy of life-support systems, the NASA OMEGA project uses microalgae, municipal wastewater, and the encroaching oceans to address our global needs for a sustainable, carbon-neutral, environmentally friendly energy supply that does not compete with agriculture. The OMEGA project is focused on producing aviation fuel, treating municipal wastewater, and sequestering carbon dioxide. More generally, however, OMEGA is an example of an "ecology of technologies" in which all processes are integrated and inter-dependent and wastes become resources. From a NASA perspective, the OMEGA project is also a reminder that "we are not passengers on Spaceship Earth, we are the crew."

Analysis of Surface Albedo to Improve Upper-Ocean Heat Budget Calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogikyan, A.; Zhang, D.; Cronin, M. F.

2016-12-01

Over 90% of the Earth's energy imbalance is stored in the oceans, so it is important to understand the ocean-atmosphere heat transfer. The Ocean Climate Stations group (OCS) at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory maintains two moored surface buoys in the North Pacific (PAPA and KEO) as air-sea flux reference sites. The goal of the reference sites is to validate global air-sea flux products from atmospheric reanalyses and satellite products, that are critical to understand and model the variability and trend of the earth climate. As other air-sea flux reference buoys in the world ocean, PAPA and KEO only measure downward shortwave radiation (SWdown), but utilize the albedo and the directly measured SWdown to calculate the SWup. Since the open ocean albedo is small, the errors associated with this practice are thought to be comparable or smaller than the instrumentation errors in the air-sea flux measurements. In addition, it is generally accepted that ocean surface albedos can be derived with reasonable confidence from surface radiative fluxes in satellite products such as the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) and the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP). This project developed a CERES-based albedo product for derivation of SWnet at PAPA and KEO, and assessed the impact of CERES-based albedo on the net surface heat fluxes relative to the currently used ISCCP-based albedo in the OCS air-sea flux data (http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/ocs/data/fluxdisdel/). The high-resolution surface fluxes from CERES are more frequently updated, and consider more physical factors in the approximation, than those from ISCCP. There was a greater change between ISCCP and CERES albedo during wintertime than during summer. There was a greater change at Station PAPA in the northeastern sub-Arctic Pacific, than at Station KEO in the northwestern subtropical Pacific. The rate of temperature change of the mixed-layer is shown to increase based on the new source of albedo data, .08 and .5 °C/year at KEO and PAPA, respectively. The differences in the net surface heat flux due to different albedos used in this study suggest that more comprehensive investigations of the albedo in different products and radiative models, and their impacts on oceanic and atmospheric processes are needed.

Solar Energy - An Option for Future Energy Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glaser, Peter E.

1972-01-01

Discusses the exponential growth of energy consumption and future consequences. Possible methods of converting solar energy to power such as direct energy conversion, focusing collectors, selective rediation absorbers, ocean thermal gradient, and space solar power are considered. (DF)

The Response of the Ocean Thermal Skin Layer to Variations in Incident Infrared Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Elizabeth W.; Minnett, Peter J.

2018-04-01

Ocean warming trends are observed and coincide with the increase in concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere resulting from human activities. At the ocean surface, most of the incoming infrared (IR) radiation is absorbed within the top micrometers of the ocean's surface where the thermal skin layer (TSL) exists. Thus, the incident IR radiation does not directly heat the upper few meters of the ocean. This paper investigates the physical mechanism between the absorption of IR radiation and its effect on heat transfer at the air-sea boundary. The hypothesis is that given the heat lost through the air-sea interface is controlled by the TSL, the TSL adjusts in response to variations in incident IR radiation to maintain the surface heat loss. This modulates the flow of heat from below and hence controls upper ocean heat content. This hypothesis is tested using the increase in incoming longwave radiation from clouds and analyzing vertical temperature profiles in the TSL retrieved from sea-surface emission spectra. The additional energy from the absorption of increasing IR radiation adjusts the curvature of the TSL such that the upward conduction of heat from the bulk of the ocean into the TSL is reduced. The additional energy absorbed within the TSL supports more of the surface heat loss. Thus, more heat beneath the TSL is retained leading to the observed increase in upper ocean heat content.

Solar Pond Potential as A New Renewable Energy in South Sulawesi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fadliah Baso, Nur; Chaerah Gunadin, Indar; Yusran

2018-03-01

Renewable energy sources need to be developed to maintain the electric energy availability by utilizing oceanic energy, namely solar pond energy. This energy is highly influenced by several factors including salinity, air temperature and solar radiation. This study was focused on finding the potential of solar pond in South Sulawesi, a region with fairly high solar radiation and abundant salt water raw materials availability. The method used in this study was analyzing the values from the mathematic models of daily horizontal solar radiation, air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and atmospheric pressure for the last 22 years which were finalized using MATLAB. The findings of this study will show the areas with good potentials to apply solar pond in South Sulawesi that can be utilized in various fields including power generator, industrial heating process, desalination and heating for biomass conversion.

Programs in Renewable Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1990-01-01

Our nation faces significant challenges as we enter the 1990s: securing a reliable supply of competitively priced energy, improving the quality of our environment, and increasing our share of foreign markets for goods and services. The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Programs in Renewable Energy are working toward meeting these challenges by developing the technologies that make use of our nation's largest energy resource: renewable energy. The sunlight, wind biomass, flowing water, ocean energy, and geothermal energy that make up the renewable energy resource can be found throughout our nation. These resources can provide all the forms of energy our nation needs: liquid fuels, electricity, and heating and cooling. Renewable energy meets about 10 percent of our need for these forms of energy today, yet the potential contribution is many times greater. DOE's Programs in Renewable Energy are working side-by-side with American industry to develop the technologies that convert renewable energy resources into practical, cost-competitive energy. After a decade of progress in research, several of these technologies are poised to make large contributions during the 1990s and beyond. This booklet provides an overview of the renewable energy programs and their plans for FY 1990. Sources of additional information are listed at the back of the booklet.

What is Required to Model the Global Ocean Circulation?

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

eddy kinetic energy (EKE) in the upper-ocean, encompassed by mesoscale eddies, meanders and rings of the boundary currents [ Stammer , 1997; Ferrari...Resolution studies [Bryan, et al., 2007 ; Smith, et al., 2000; Hogan and Hurlburt, 2000; Oschlies, 2002] show that increasing the horizontal resolution...energy estimates from surface drifter observations [Lumpkin and Pazos, 2007 ], satellite altimetry (150 m) [Ducet, et al., 2000], ARGO floats at 1,000

Internal Tide Generation by Steep Topography

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

acting on the barotropic tide ( Foda and Hill 1998) was incomplete. Kunze will put this work in the context of recent internal tide research and...Topographically generated internal waves in the open ocean. J. Geophys. Res., 80, 320-327. Foda , M.A., and D.F. Hill, 1998: Nonlinear energy...Bispectral analysis of energy transfer within the two-dimensional ocean internal wave field. . Phys. Oceanogr., 35, 2104-2109. Garrett, C., and E

Surface wave effects in the NEMO ocean model: Forced and coupled experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breivik, Øyvind; Mogensen, Kristian; Bidlot, Jean-Raymond; Balmaseda, Magdalena Alonso; Janssen, Peter A. E. M.

2015-04-01

The NEMO general circulation ocean model is extended to incorporate three physical processes related to ocean surface waves, namely the surface stress (modified by growth and dissipation of the oceanic wavefield), the turbulent kinetic energy flux from breaking waves, and the Stokes-Coriolis force. Experiments are done with NEMO in ocean-only (forced) mode and coupled to the ECMWF atmospheric and wave models. Ocean-only integrations are forced with fields from the ERA-Interim reanalysis. All three effects are noticeable in the extratropics, but the sea-state-dependent turbulent kinetic energy flux yields by far the largest difference. This is partly because the control run has too vigorous deep mixing due to an empirical mixing term in NEMO. We investigate the relation between this ad hoc mixing and Langmuir turbulence and find that it is much more effective than the Langmuir parameterization used in NEMO. The biases in sea surface temperature as well as subsurface temperature are reduced, and the total ocean heat content exhibits a trend closer to that observed in a recent ocean reanalysis (ORAS4) when wave effects are included. Seasonal integrations of the coupled atmosphere-wave-ocean model consisting of NEMO, the wave model ECWAM, and the atmospheric model of ECMWF similarly show that the sea surface temperature biases are greatly reduced when the mixing is controlled by the sea state and properly weighted by the thickness of the uppermost level of the ocean model. These wave-related physical processes were recently implemented in the operational coupled ensemble forecast system of ECMWF.

Distributed Underwater Sensing: A Paradigm Change for the Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, T. C.

Distributed netted underwater sensors (DNUS) present a paradigm change that has generated high interest all over the world. It utilizes many small spatially distributed, inexpensive sensors, and a certain number of mobile nodes, such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), forming a wireless acoustic network to relate data and provide real time monitoring of the ocean. Distributed underwater sensors can be used for oceanographic data collection, pollution monitoring, offshore exploration, disaster prevention, assisted navigation and tactical surveillance applications over wide areas. These functions were traditionally accomplished by a cabled system, such as an array of sensors deployed from a platform, or a large number of sensors moored on the ocean bottom, connected by a cable. The cabled systems are not only expensive but often require heavy ocean engineering (e.g., equipment to deploy heavy armored cables). In the future, as fabrication technology advances making low cost sensors a reality, DNUS is expected to be affordable and will become the undersea "OceanNet" for the marine industry like the current "internet" on land. This paper gives a layman view of the system concept, the state of the art, and future challenges. One of challenges, of particular interest to this conference, is to develop technologies for miniature-size sensors that are energy efficient, allowing long time deployment in the ocean.

Energy flow and trophic partitioning of contrasting Cold Water Coral ecosystems of the NE Atlantic.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiriakoulakis, K.; Smith, E. L.; Dempster, N. M.; Roberts, M.; Hennige, S. J.; Wolff, G. A.

2016-02-01

This study investigates the energy flow, trophic positioning and nutritional quality of suspended particulate organic matter (sPOM) that reaches cold-water coral (CWC) ecosystems from two contrasting oceanographic settings of the N. E. Atlantic using molecular (lipid) and stable isotopic analysis. Study sites are the shallow ( 150m) Mingulay Reef on the NW Scotland shelf vs the deeper ( 700m) Logachev Mounds on the eastern slope of the Rockall Bank. Cold water corals are now being realised as abundant, cosmopolitan and biodiverse hotspots of the global ocean. Recent research has shown links between high levels of surface primary productivity and sPOM flux; which when combined with hydrodynamic processes facilitates an almost continuous supply of nutrient rich sPOM to these deep-ocean ecosystems. However, little is understood regarding the exact nutritional requirements of these ecosystems. Fresh marine sPOM is usually rich in proteins and lipids; however during transport into the ocean interior its chemical composition is influenced by a variety of complex transformation, remineralisation and repackaging processes; thus altering its `freshness' and nutritional quality. The study of the bioavailable and nutritional fractions of sPOM in relation to specific oceanographic transport regimes can help further understand the processes, nutritional requirements and energy flow of these ecosystems. Isotopic ratios of carbon and nitrogen were analysed using EA-IR-MS and lipids via GC-MS. Initial results show significant differences in δ15N and δ13C values of sPOM between the two areas, indicating differences in trophic dynamics and sPOM re-working between locations. In addition lipid results highlight differences in trophic contributions to the energy flows of the two locations, yet similarities in molecular nutritional component contributions; thus supporting previous studies regarding the importance of certain lipid classes in the development of these deep and fragile ecosystems. This multi-disciplinary approach to biogeochemical analysis may also be used to detect chemosynthetic energy pathway contributions to sPOM.

Electromagnetic backscattering from one-dimensional drifting fractal sea surface II: Electromagnetic backscattering model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Xie; William, Perrie; Shang-Zhuo, Zhao; He, Fang; Wen-Jin, Yu; Yi-Jun, He

2016-07-01

Sea surface current has a significant influence on electromagnetic (EM) backscattering signals and may constitute a dominant synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging mechanism. An effective EM backscattering model for a one-dimensional drifting fractal sea surface is presented in this paper. This model is used to simulate EM backscattering signals from the drifting sea surface. Numerical results show that ocean currents have a significant influence on EM backscattering signals from the sea surface. The normalized radar cross section (NRCS) discrepancies between the model for a coupled wave-current fractal sea surface and the model for an uncoupled fractal sea surface increase with the increase of incidence angle, as well as with increasing ocean currents. Ocean currents that are parallel to the direction of the wave can weaken the EM backscattering signal intensity, while the EM backscattering signal is intensified by ocean currents propagating oppositely to the wave direction. The model presented in this paper can be used to study the SAR imaging mechanism for a drifting sea surface. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41276187), the Global Change Research Program of China (Grant No. 2015CB953901), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, China, the Program for the Innovation Research and Entrepreneurship Team in Jiangsu Province, China, the Canadian Program on Energy Research and Development, and the Canadian World Class Tanker Safety Service Program.

Measuring Ocean Literacy: What teens understand about the ocean using the Survey of Ocean Literacy and Engagement (SOLE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greely, T. M.; Lodge, A.

2009-12-01

Ocean issues with conceptual ties to science and global society have captured the attention, imagination, and concern of an international audience. Climate change, over fishing, marine pollution, freshwater shortages and alternative energy sources are a few ocean issues highlighted in our media and casual conversations. The ocean plays a role in our life in some way everyday, however, disconnect exists between what scientists know and the public understands about the ocean as revealed by numerous ocean and coastal literacy surveys. While the public exhibits emotive responses through care, concern and connection with the ocean, there remains a critical need for a baseline of ocean knowledge. However, knowledge about the ocean must be balanced with understanding about how to apply ocean information to daily decisions and actions. The present study analyzed underlying factors and patterns contributing to ocean literacy and reasoning within the context of an ocean education program, the Oceanography Camp for Girls. The OCG is designed to advance ocean conceptual understanding and decision making by engagement in a series of experiential learning and stewardship activities from authentic research settings in the field and lab. The present study measured a) what understanding teens currently hold about the ocean (content), b) how teens feel toward the ocean environment (environmental attitudes and morality), and c) how understanding and feelings are organized when reasoning about ocean socioscientific issues (e.g. climate change, over fishing, energy). The Survey of Ocean Literacy and Engagement (SOLE), was used to measure teens understanding about the ocean. SOLE is a 57-item survey instrument aligned with the Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts of Ocean Literacy (NGS, 2007). Rasch analysis was used to refine and validate SOLE as a reasonable measure of ocean content knowledge (reliability, 0.91). Results revealed that content knowledge and environmental attitudes significantly contributed to ocean literacy. Teens demonstrated a 2-32% increase in content knowledge following the OCG learning experience. The most significant content gains correlated with ocean literacy Essential Principles 1, 2 and 5. Analysis of environmental reasoning patterns revealed that biocentric reasoning (71%) was most important to teens in solving ocean dilemmas. Further, teens reasoning about challenging ocean dilemmas were capable of supporting a position, counter-argument, rebuttal, and accurately use scientific information. Findings provide empirical evidence that connects field studies with ocean literacy. Current guidelines for ocean literacy address cognitive understanding but lack multimodality. The need for ocean literacy that goes beyond content to include reasoning and actions is relevant towards preparing students, teachers and citizens to regularly contribute to decisions about ocean issues and undertake actions as consumer, citizen or steward. This research supports the use of socioscientific issues and stewardship to advance ‘functional’ ocean literacy.

Impact of alternative energy forms on public utilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keith, F. W., Jr.

1977-01-01

The investigation of alternative energy sources by the electric utility industry is discussed. Research projects are reviewed in each of the following areas; solar energy, wind energy conversion, photosynthesis of biomass, ocean thermal energy conversion, geothermal energy, fusion, and the environmental impact of alternative energy sources.

Emerging Energy Alternatives for the Southeastern States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stefanakos, E. K. (Editor)

1978-01-01

The proceedings of the first symposium on emerging energy alternatives for the Southeastern States are presented. Some topics discussed are: (1) solar energy, (2) wood energy, (3) novel energy sources, (4) agricultural and industrial process heat, (5) waste utilization, (6) energy conservation and (7) ocean thermal energy conversion.

Exploring the Oxidation Chemistry of Enceladus' Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ray, C.; Glein, C. R.; Waite, J. H.; Teolis, B. D.

2018-05-01

We explore the various physical and chemical processes in Enceladus ice shell and ocean that affect the availability of oxidants, and constrain this availability to determine how much chemical energy may be available for possible life.

On the Effects of Unsteady Flow Conditions on the Performance of a Cross Flow Hydrokinetic Turbine

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-22

of Marine Energy BEI Sensors Ocean Engineering Mechanics: With Applications US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service, National Data Buoy Center.

A Comparison Between Internal Waves Observed in the Southern Ocean and Lee Wave Generation Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikurashin, M.; Benthuysen, J.; Naveira Garabato, A.; Polzin, K. L.

2016-02-01

Direct observations in the Southern Ocean report enhanced internal wave activity and turbulence in a few kilometers above rough bottom topography. The enhancement is co-located with the deep-reaching fronts of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, suggesting that the internal waves and turbulence are sustained by near-bottom flows interacting with rough topography. Recent numerical simulations confirm that oceanic flows impinging on rough small-scale topography are very effective generators of internal gravity waves and predict vigorous wave radiation, breaking, and turbulence within a kilometer above bottom. However, a linear lee wave generation theory applied to the observed bottom topography and mean flow characteristics has been shown to overestimate the observed rates of the turbulent energy dissipation. In this study, we compare the linear lee wave theory with the internal wave kinetic energy estimated from finestructure data collected as part of the Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean (DIMES). We show that the observed internal wave kinetic energy levels are generally in agreement with the theory. Consistent with the lee wave theory, the observed internal wave kinetic energy scales quadratically with the mean flow speed, stratification, and topographic roughness. The correlation coefficient between the observed internal wave kinetic energy and mean flow and topography parameters reaches 0.6-0.8 for the 100-800 m vertical wavelengths, consistent with the dominant lee wave wavelengths, and drops to 0.2-0.5 for wavelengths outside this range. A better agreement between the lee wave theory and the observed internal wave kinetic energy than the observed turbulent energy dissipation suggests remote breaking of internal waves.

The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicolaus, M.; Rex, M.; Dethloff, K.; Shupe, M.; Sommerfeld, A.

2016-12-01

The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) is a key international flagship initiative under the auspices of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). The main aim of MOSAiC is to improve our understanding of the functioning of the Arctic coupled system with a complex interplay between processes in the atmosphere, ocean, sea ice and ecosystem coupled through bio-geochemical interactions. The main objective of MOSAiC is to develop a better understanding of these important coupled-system processes so they can be more accurately represented in regional- and global-scale weather- and climate models. Observations covering a full annual cycle over the Arctic Ocean of many critical parameters such as cloud properties, surface energy fluxes, atmospheric aerosols, small-scale sea-ice and oceanic processes, biological feedbacks with the sea-ice ice and ocean, and others have never been made in the central Arctic in all seasons, and certainly not in a coupled system fashion. The main scientific goals focus on data assimilation for numerical weather prediction models, improved sea ice forecasts and climate models, ground truth for satellite remote sensing, energy budget and fluxes through interfaces, sources, sinks and cycles of chemical species, boundary layer processes, habitat conditions and primary productivity and stakeholder services. The MOSAiC Observatory will be deployed in, and drift with, the Arctic sea-ice pack for a full annual cycle, starting in fall 2019 and ending in fall 2020. Initial drift plans are to start in the newly forming fall sea-ice in the East Siberian Sea and follow the Transpolar Drift. The German Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research will made a huge contribution with the icebreaker Polarstern to serve as the central drifting observatory for this year long drift, and the US Department of Energy has committed a comprehensive atmospheric measurement suite. Many other nations and agencies have expressed interest in participation and in gaining access to this unprecedented observational dataset.

Cultivation and conversion of marine macroalgae. [Gracilaria and Ulva

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

Ryther, J.H.; DeBusk, T.A.; Blakeslee, M.

1984-05-01

Research was conducted on the development of an alternative ocean energy farm concept that would not be dependent upon deep ocean water or other extraneous sources for its nutrient supply and that could be located in shallow, near shore, and protected coastal ocean areas. There are five tasks reported in this document: determination of the annual yield of Ulva in non-intensive cultures; evaluation of the effect of carbon concentration on Gracilaria and Ulva yields; evaluation of spray/mist culture of Ulva and Gracilaria; species screening for the production of petroleum replacement products; and synthesis analysis, and economic energy evaluation of culturemore » data. An alternative concept to open ocean culture is a land-based energy production system utilizing saline waters from underground aquifers or enclosed coastal areas. Research was performed to evaluate growth and biomass production of all macroscopic algal species that could be obtained in adequate quantity in the central Florida area. A total of 42 species were grown in specially adapted burial vaults. These included 16 green algae (Garcilaria 4 weekshlorophyta), 2 brown algae (Phaeophyta), and 18 red algae (Rhodophyta). Of these, the most successful and suitable species were a strain of Gracilaria (a red seaweed) and Ulva (a green seaweed). These two species have a high carbohydrate content that may be anaerobically digested to methane gas. Well-nourished Gracilaria will double its biomass in 1 to 4 weeks, depending on the season, water flow, and other variables. After its biomass has doubled (i.e., from 2 to 4 kg/m/sup 2/) the incremental growth is harvested to return the crop to a starting density. Enrichment of the new starting crop following harvest could conceivably be accomplished onsite at the seaweed farm, but the rapid uptake and storage of nutrients by depleted seaweeds makes possible a simpler process, known as pulse fertilization.« less

On the coupled evolution of oceanic internal waves and quasi-geostrophic flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Gregory LeClaire

Oceanic motion outside thin boundary layers is primarily a mixture of quasi-geostrophic flow and internal waves with either near-inertial frequencies or the frequency of the semidiurnal lunar tide. This dissertation seeks a deeper understanding of waves and flow through reduced models that isolate their nonlinear and coupled evolution from the Boussinesq equations. Three physical-space models are developed: an equation that describes quasi-geostrophic evolution in an arbitrary and prescribed field of hydrostatic internal waves; a three-component model that couples quasi-geostrophic flow to both near-inertial waves and the near-inertial second harmonic; and a model for the slow evolution of hydrostatic internal tides in quasi-geostrophic flow of near-arbitrary scale. This slow internal tide equation opens the path to a coupled model for the energetic interaction of quasi-geostrophic flow and oceanic internal tides. Four results emerge. First, the wave-averaged quasi-geostrophic equation reveals that finite-amplitude waves give rise to a mean flow that advects quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity. Second is the definition of a new material invariant: Available Potential Vorticity, or APV. APV isolates the part of Ertel potential vorticity available for balanced-flow evolution in Eulerian frames and proves necessary in the separating waves and quasi-geostrophic flow. The third result, hashed out for near-inertial waves and quasi-geostrophic flow, is that wave-flow interaction leads to energy exchange even under conditions of weak nonlinearity. For storm-forced oceanic near-inertial waves the interaction often energizes waves at the expense of flow. We call this extraction of balanced quasi-geostrophic energy 'stimulated generation' since it requires externally-forced rather than spontaneously-generated waves. The fourth result is that quasi-geostrophic flow can encourage or 'catalyze' a nonlinear interaction between a near-inertial wave field and its second harmonic that transfers energy to the small near-inertial vertical scales of wave breaking and mixing.

Ice-tethered measurement platforms in the Arctic Ocean: a contribution by the FRAM infrastructure program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoppmann, Mario; Nicolaus, Marcel; Rabe, Benjamin; Wenzhöfer, Frank; Katlein, Christian; Scholz, Daniel

2016-04-01

The Arctic Ocean has been in the focus of many studies during recent years, investigating the state, the causes and the implications of the observed rapid transition towards a thinner and younger sea-ice cover. However, consistent observational datasets of sea ice, ocean and atmosphere are still sparse due to the limited accessibility and harsh environmental conditions. One important tool to fill this gap has become more and more feasible during recent years: autonomous, ice-tethered measurement platforms (buoys). These drifting instruments independently transmit their data via satellites, and enable observations over larger areas and over longer time periods than manned expeditions, even throughout the winter. One aim of the newly established FRAM (FRontiers in Arctic marine Monitoring) infrastructure program at the Alfred-Wegener-Institute is to realize and maintain an interdisciplinary network of buoys in the Arctic Ocean, contributing to an integrated, Arctic-wide observatory. The additional buoy infrastructure, ship-time, and developments provided by FRAM are critical elements in the ongoing international effort to fill the large data gaps in a rapidly changing Arctic Ocean. Our focus is the particularly underrepresented Eurasian Basin. Types of instruments range from snow depth beacons and ice mass balance buoys for monitoring ice growth and snow accumulation, over radiation and weather stations for energy budget estimates, to ice-tethered profiling systems for upper ocean monitoring. Further, development of new bio-optical and biogeochemical buoys is expected to enhance our understanding of bio-physical processes associated with Arctic sea ice. The first set of FRAM buoys was deployed in September 2015 from RV Polarstern. All datasets are publicly available on dedicated web portals. Near real time data are reported into international initiatives, such as the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) and the International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP). The additional data acquired by FRAM buoys facilitate the validation of model results and remote sensing products, play an important role in understanding the linkages between the atmosphere, sea ice and upper ocean, and help assess the physical, biological and biogeochemical states of the future Arctic Ocean. Here we present our recent work and future plans, but are also aiming for additional collaborations, especially on technical developments, scientific questions and deployment logistics.

Nine microsatellite loci developed from the octocoral, Paragorgia arborea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coykendall, D. Katharine; Morrison, Cheryl L.

2015-01-01

Paragorgia arborea, or bubblegum coral, occurs in continental slope habitats worldwide, which are increasingly threatened by human activities such as energy development and fisheries practices. From 101 putative loci screened, nine microsatellite markers were developed from samples taken from Baltimore canyon in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The number of alleles ranged from two to thirteen per locus and each displayed equilibrium. These nuclear resources will help further research on population connectivity in threatened coral species where mitochondrial markers are known to lack fine-scale genetic diversity.

10 CFR 451.9 - Procedures for processing applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... or operators of qualified renewable energy facilities using solar, wind, ocean, geothermal, and... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Procedures for processing applications. 451.9 Section 451.9 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION INCENTIVES § 451.9...

Solar Energy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaton, William W.

Presented is the utilization of solar radiation as an energy resource principally for the production of electricity. Included are discussions of solar thermal conversion, photovoltic conversion, wind energy, and energy from ocean temperature differences. Future solar energy plans, the role of solar energy in plant and fossil fuel production, and…

An overview of mesoscales distribution of ocean color in the North Atlantic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yentsch, C. S.

1989-01-01

The spatial changes in phytoplankton abundance is the result of regional differences in the amount of nutrient fluxed into the euphotic zone. The energy contributing to this flux is derived from ocean currents. A close coupling between physics and biology of the system accounts for mesoscale features associated with fluid dynamics being reflected by changes in ocean color.

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.

OTEC Potential of East Nusa Tenggara Province in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widyartono, M.; Rahmadian, R.

2018-04-01

Indonesia is the largest archipelago country in the world, located between Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Indonesia has more than 17000 islands with 70 per cent of the region is ocean. The Growth of the economic and population in Indonesia increasing the demand of the electricity annually, in 2015 alone electricity consumption in Indonesia reaching 200 TWh and will continue increasing every year. However, East Nusa Tenggara Province electrification ratio only around 58.64%, this is the second lowest ratio in Indonesia. This electrification ratio describes the level of availability of electrical energy for the community. Power Plant with renewable source placement in East Nusa Tenggara Province or smaller district need to be prioritise to cope with the low electrification ratio. Renewable sources for power plant have a good potential to work with, in example wind power, solar power, geothermal, or biomass. In addition, another renewable source that not yet known is from the ocean itself. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is one of the renewable source method from ocean. This paper will uncover the potential of OTEC in East Nusa Tenggara province so it will bring possibility to build an OTEC power plant in the future.