bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heliospheric pick-up ions influencing thermodynamics and dynamics of the distant solar wind
Authors: Fahr H. J. , Rucinski D.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Neutral interstellar H-atoms penetrate into the inner heliosphere and upon the event of ionization are converted into pick-up ions (PUIs). The magnetized solar wind flow incorporates these ions into the plasma bulk and enforces their co-motion. By nonlinear interactions with wind-entrained Alfvén waves, these ions are then processed in the comoving velocity space. The complete pick-up process is connected with forces acting back to the original solar wind ion flow, thereby decelerating and heating the solar wind plasma. As we show here, the resulting deceleration cannot be treated as a pure loading effect, but requires adequate consideration of the action of the pressure of PUI-scattered waves operating by the PUI pressure gradient. Hereby, it is important to take into proper account the stochastic acceleration which PUIs suffer from at their convection out of the inner heliosphere by quasi-linear interactions with MHD turbulences. Only then can the presently reported VOYAGER observations of solar wind decelerations and heatings in the outer heliosphere be understood in view of the most likely values of interstellar gas parameters, such as an H-atom density of 0.12 cm-3 . Solar wind protons (SWPs) appear to be globally heated in their motion to larger solar distances. Ascribing the needed heat transfer to the action of suprathermal PUIs, which drive MHD waves that are partly absorbed by SWPs, in order to establish the observed SWP polytropy, we can obtain a quantitative expression for the solar wind proton pressure as a function of solar distance. This expression clearly shows the change from an adiabatic to a quasi-polytropic SWP behaviour with a decreasing polytropic index at increasing distances. This also allows one to calculate the average percentage of initial pick-up energy fed into the thermal proton energy. In a first order evaluation of this expression, we can estimate that about 10% of the initial PUI injection energy is eventually transfered to SWPs independent of the PUI injection rate.
On the properties of turbulent boundary layer over polar cusps
Authors: Savin S. , Büchner J. , Consolini G. , Nikutowski B. , Zelenyi L. , Amata E. , Auster H. U. , Blecki J. , Dubinin E. , Fornacon K. H. , Kawano H. , Klimov S. , Marcucci F. , Nemecek Z. , Pedersen A. , Rauch J. L. , Romanov S. , Safrankova J. , Sauvaud J. A. , Skalsky A. , Song P. , Yermolaev Yu.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. We study properties of nonlinear magnetic fluctuations in the turbulent boundary layer (TBL) over polar cusps during a typical TBL crossing on 19 June 1998. Interball-1data in the summer TBL are compared with that of Geotail in solar wind (SW) and Polar in the northern TBL. In the TBL two characteristic slopes are seen: ~ - 1 at (0.004- 0.08) Hz and ~ - 2.2 at (0.08-2) Hz. We present evidences that random current sheets with features of coherent solitons can result in: (i) slopes of ~ - 1 in the magnetic power spectra; (ii) demagnetization of the SW plasma in "diamagnetic bubbles"; (iii) nonlinear, presumably, 3-wave phase coupling with cascade features; (iiii) departure from the Gaussian statistics. We discuss the above TBL properties in terms of intermittency and self-organization of nonlinear systems, and compare them with kinetic simulations of reconnected current sheet at the nonlinear state. Virtual satellite data in the model current sheet reproduce valuable cascade-like spectral and bi-spectral properties of the TBL turbulence.
Prevention of destructive tropical and extratropical storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, dangerous thunderstorms, and catastrophic floods
Authors: Krasilnikov E. Yu.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Tropical cyclones and storms, hurricanes, powerful thunderclouds, which generate tornadoes, destructive extratropical cyclones, which result in catastrophic floods, are the powerful cloud systems that contain huge amount of water. According to the hypothesis argued in this paper, an electric field coupled with powerful clouds and electric forces play a cardinal role in supporting this huge mass of water at a high altitude in the troposphere and in the instability of powerful clouds sometimes during rather a long time duration. Based on this hypothesis, a highly effective method of volume electric charge neutralization of powerful clouds is proposed. It results in the decrease in an electric field, a sudden increase in precipitation, and subsequent degradation of powerful clouds. This method, based on the natural phenomenon, ensures the prevention of the intensification of tropical and extratropical cyclones and their transition to the storm and hurricane (typhoon) stages, which makes it possible to avoid catastrophic floods. It also ensures the suppression of severe thunderclouds, which, in turn, eliminates the development of dangerous thunderstorms and the possibility of the emergence and intensification of tornadoes.
Dynamics of nonlinear resonant slow MHD waves in twisted flux tubes
Authors: Erdélyi R. , Ballai I.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Nonlinear resonant magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves are studied in weakly dissipative isotropic plasmas in cylindrical geometry. This geometry is suitable and is needed when one intends to study resonant MHD waves in magnetic flux tubes (e.g. for sunspots, coronal loops, solar plumes, solar wind, the magnetosphere, etc.) The resonant behaviour of slow MHD waves is confined in a narrow dissipative layer. Using the method of simplified matched asymptotic expansions inside and outside of the narrow dissipative layer, we generalise the so-called connection formulae obtained in linear MHD for the Eulerian perturbation of the total pressure and for the normal component of the velocity. These connection formulae for resonant MHD waves across the dissipative layer play a similar role as the well-known Rankine-Hugoniot relations connecting solutions at both sides of MHD shock waves. The key results are the nonlinear connection formulae found in dissipative cylindrical MHD which are an important extension of their counterparts obtained in linear ideal MHD (Sakurai et al., 1991), linear dissipative MHD (Goossens et al., 1995; Erdélyi, 1997) and in nonlinear dissipative MHD derived in slab geometry (Ruderman et al., 1997). These generalised connection formulae enable us to connect solutions obtained at both sides of the dissipative layer without solving the MHD equations in the dissipative layer possibly saving a considerable amount of CPU-time when solving the full nonlinear resonant MHD problem.
Water mass transformation in the North Atlantic over 1985-2002 simulated in an eddy-permitting model
Authors: Marsh R. , Josey S. A. , de Nurser A. J. G. , Cuevas B. A. , Coward A. C.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Water mass transformation in the North Atlantic is examined in an eddy-permitting simulation with the OCCAM ocean general circulation model, forced by realistic surface fluxes over the period 1985-2002. Three Atlantic regions are considered - the subtropics, mid-latitudes, the northeast Atlantic - along with the Labrador Sea. The oceanic boundaries of each region coincide with hydrographic sections occupied in recent years. These regions broadly represent the formation sites of Eighteen Degree Water (EDW), Subtropical Mode Water (STMW), Subpolar Mode Water (SPMW) and Labrador Sea Water (LSW). Water mass budgets are obtained for each region and year. Terms in the budget comprise surface-forced transformation rates, boundary exchanges and unsteadiness. Transformation rates due to "total mixing" are obtained as the difference between net and surface transformation rates. Transports at the boundaries are evaluated alongside recent hydrographic section datasets, while surface-driven and mixing-driven transformation rates are compared with estimates based on air-sea flux datasets and inverse analysis of hydrographic data. In general OCCAM compares well with the observations, although two particular discrepancies are identified: deep overflows at high latitudes too light by around 0.2 kg m-3 and spurious heat gain of up to 100 Wm-2 east of the Grand Banks. Over 1985-2002, there is considerable variability on a range of timescales, in the annual surface-driven and mixing-driven formation rates of all four water masses. In the case of EDW and STMW, surface-driven and mixing-driven formation rates largely cancel. This is not so for SPMW and LSW, leading to regional net formation rates of up to 17 Sv and 15 Sv, respectively. In particular, OCCAM successfully simulates the strong LSW formation event of 1989-1994.
Numerical implementation and oceanographic application of the Gibbs thermodynamic potential of seawater
Authors: Feistel R.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The 2003 Gibbs thermodynamic potential function represents a very accurate, compact, consistent and comprehensive formulation of equilibrium properties of seawater. It is expressed in the International Temperature Scale ITS-90 and is fully consistent with the current scientific pure water standard, IAPWS-95. Source code examples in FORTRAN, C++ and Visual Basic are presented for the numerical implementation of the potential function and its partial derivatives, as well as for potential temperature. A collection of thermodynamic formulas and relations is given for possible applications in oceanography, from density and chemical potential over entropy and potential density to mixing heat and entropy production. For colligative properties like vapour pressure, freezing points, and for a Gibbs potential of sea ice, the equations relating the Gibbs function of seawater to those of vapour and ice are presented.
Temporal and spatial characteristics of sea surface height variability in the North Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Cromwell D.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. We investigate the spatial and temporal variability of sea surface height (SSH) in the North Atlantic basin using satellite altimeter data from October 1992–January 2004. Our primary aim is to provide a detailed description of such variability, including that associated with propagating signals. We also investigate possible correlations between SSH variability and atmospheric pressure changes as represented by climate indices. We first investigate interannual SSH variations by deriving the complex empirical orthogonal functions (CEOFs) of altimeter data lowpass-filtered at 18 months. We determine the spatial structure of the leading four modes (both in amplitude and phase) and also the associated principal component (PC) time series. Using wavelet analysis we derive the time-varying spectral density of the PCs, revealing when particular modes were strongest between 1992–2004. The spatial pattern of the leading CEOF, comprising 30% of the total variability, displays a 5-year periodicity in phase; signal propagation is particularly marked in the Labrador Sea. The second mode, with a dominant 3-year signal, has strong variability in the eastern basin. Secondly, we focus on the Azores subtropical frontal zone. The leading mode (35%) is strong in the south and east of this region with strong variations at 3- and 5-year periods. The second mode (21%) has a near-zonal band of low variance between  22°–27° N, sandwiched between two regions of high variance. Thirdly, we lowpass filter the altimeter data at a cutoff of 30 days, instead of 18 months, in order to retain signals associated with propagating baroclinic Rossby waves and/or eddies. The leading mode is the annual steric signal, around 46% of the SSH variability. The third and fourth CEOFs,  11% of the remaining variability, are associated with westward propagation which is particularly dominant in a "waveband" between 32°–36° N. For all three cases considered above, no significant cross-correlation is found between the North Atlantic Oscillation index and the amplitude of the leading four PCs of interannual SSH variability. The only exception is an anti-correlation found over the North Atlantic basin between the NAO and the 4th PC. In the subtropical front, the East Atlantic Pattern index is anti-correlated with the leading PC for SSH variations lowpass filtered at 30 days. Further investigation of forcing mechanisms is suggested using hindcasts from ocean general circulation models.
Study of the combined effects of data assimilation and grid nesting in ocean models – application to the Gulf of Lions
Authors: Vandenbulcke L. , Barth A. , Rixen M. , Alvera-Azcarate A. , Ben Bouallegue Z. , Beckers J. M.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Modern operational ocean forecasting systems routinely use data assimilation techniques in order to take observations into account in the hydrodynamic model. Moreover, as end users require higher and higher resolution predictions, especially in coastal zones, it is now common to run nested models, where the coastal model gets its open-sea boundary conditions from a low-resolution global model. This configuration is used in the "Mediterranean Forecasting System: Towards environmental predictions" (MFSTEP) project. A global model covering the whole Mediterranean Sea is run weekly, performing 1 week of hindcast and a 10-day forecast. Regional models, using different codes and covering different areas, then use this forecast to implement boundary conditions. Local models in turn use the regional model forecasts for their own boundary conditions. This nested system has proven to be a viable and efficient system to achieve high-resolution weekly forecasts. However, when observations are available in some coastal zone, it remains unclear whether it is better to assimilate them in the global or local model. We perform twin experiments and assimilate observations in the global or in the local model, or in both of them together. We show that, when interested in the local models forecast and provided the global model fields are approximately correct, the best results are obtained when assimilating observations in the local model.
Assessment of the impact of TS assimilation from ARGO floats in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Griffa A. , Molcard A. , Raicich F. , Rupolo V.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. In this paper, the impact of assimilating Temperature (T) and Salinity (S) profiles from Argo floats in the Mediterranean Sea is quantitatively investigated using the Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSE) approach. The impact of varying the number of floats and their launch positions is considered, using numerical simulations with a MOM model and a reduced-order multivariate Optimal Interpolation scheme (SOFA) for assimilation. Realistic float coverage and launch positions used during the first MFSTEP phase are considered, as well as "ideal" density coverage that can be envisioned for the future, corresponding to a double coverage with respect to MFSTEP and with floats released along the VOS tracks. The most effective float trajectories are identified, showing that frontal regions play a major role, and that it is crucial to maintain a sufficient coverage of them. In addition to this, a comparison is also performed between the results obtained from MEDARGO floats in ideal conditions and results from "ideal" profiles taken at fixed points along the VOS tracks, as for the XBT data. For consistency the coverage considered is double the actual XBT coverage during MFSTEP, resulting in a threefold increase in the number of profiles compared to the MEDARGO experiment. The maximum error reduction is of approximately 10%, suggesting that spatially coarser profiles from floats can be more efficient since they follow flow features.
M3A system (2000–2005) – operation and maintenance
Authors: Petihakis G. , Drakopoulos P. , Nittis C. , Zervakis V. , Christodoulou C. , Tziavos C.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. During the pilot phase of the Mediterranean Forecasting System (MFSPP) (2000 2003), a prototype observing system (Mediterranean Moored Multi-sensor Array – M3A) was designed, developed and operated in the Cretan Sea for continuous oceanographic measurements in real time. The main problems encountered were associated with biofouling, underwater and aerial communication and with the design of the surface buoy. In the second phase of the MFS project named Mediterranean Forecasting System Towards Environmental Predictions (MFSTEP) (2003–2005), the aim was to solve those problems and to consolidate the M3A. For the minimisation of biofouling a pilot field study was performed and the techniques of bromine solution and copper shielding were evaluated. Additionally, the oligotrophy of the Aegean Sea dictated the need to ignore factory calibrations and to perform site-specific laboratory calibrations of the sensors. This procedure was proved necessary and produced calibration coefficients that gave results comparable to the measurements obtained with the laboratory analysis method. During the approximately five years of operation, there were 13 scheduled and 15 emergency visits, with a total duration of 65 days. The acquired experience through the maintenance program proved that the continuous observation of such a very important system with a relative low cost is feasible.
Scaling aspects of the sea-ice-drift dynamics and pack fracture
Authors: Chmel A. , Smirnov V. N. , Panov L. V.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. A study of the sea-ice dynamics in the periods of time prior to and during the cycles of basin-wide fragmentation of the ice cover in the Arctic Ocean is presented. The fractal geometry of the ice-sheets limited by leads and ridges was assessed using the satellite images, while the data on the correlated sea-ice motion were obtained in the research stations "North Pole 32" and "North Pole 33" established on the ice pack. The revealed decrease of the fractal dimension as a result of large-scale fragmentation is consistent with the localization of the fracture process (leads propagation). At the same time, the scaling properties of the distribution of amplitudes of ice-fields accelerations were insensitive to the event of sea-ice fragmentation. The temporal distribution of the accelerations was scale-invariant during "quiet" periods of sea-ice drift but disordered in the period of mechanical perturbation. The period of decorrelated (in time) ice-field motion during the important fracture event was interpreted as an inter-level transition in the hierarchic dynamical system. The mechanism of the long-range correlations in the sea-ice cover, including the fracture process, is suggested to be in relation with the self-organized oscillation dynamics inherent in the ice pack.
Observing the Mediterranean Sea from space: 21 years of Pathfinder-AVHRR sea surface temperatures (1985 to 2005): re-analysis and validation
Authors: Marullo S. , Buongiorno Nardelli B. , Guarracino M. , Santoleri R.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The time series of satellite infrared AVHRR data from 1985 to 2005 has been used to produce a daily series of optimally interpolated SST maps over the regular grid of the operational MFSTEP OGCM model of the Mediterranean basin. A complete validation of this OISST (Optimally Interpolated Sea Surface Temperature) product with in situ measurements has been performed in order to exclude any possibility of spurious trends due to instrumental calibration errors/shifts or algorithms malfunctioning related to local geophysical factors. The validation showed that satellite OISST is able to reproduce in situ measurements with a mean bias of less than 0.1 K and RMSE of about 0.5 K and that errors do not drift with time or with the percent interpolation error.
Unpredictability of internal M2
Authors: van Haren H.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Current observations from a shelf sea, continental slopes and the abyssal North-East Atlantic Ocean are all dominated by the semidiurnal lunar (M2) tide. It is shown that motions at M2 vary at usually large barotropic and coherent baroclinic scales, >50 km horizontally and >0.5 H vertically. H represents the waterdepth. Such M2-scales are observed even close to topography, the potential source of baroclinic, "internal" tidal waves. In contrast, incoherent small-scale, ~10 km horizontally and ~0.1 H vertically, baroclinic motions are dominated around f, the local inertial frequency, and/or near 2Ω≈S2, the semidiurnal solar tidal frequency. Ω represents the Earth's rotational vector. This confirms earlier suggestions that small-scale baroclinic M2-motions generally do not exist in the ocean in any predictable manner, except in beams very near, <10 km horizontally, to their source. As a result, M2-motions are not directly important for generating shear and internal wave induced mixing. Indirectly however, they may contribute to ocean mixing if transfer to small-scale motions at f and/or S2 and at high internal wave frequencies can be proven. Also far from topography, small-scale motions are found at either one or both of the latter frequencies. Different suggestions for the scales at these particular frequencies are discussed, ranging from the variability of "background" density gradients and associated divergence and focusing of internal wave rays to the removal of the internal tidal energy by non-linear interactions. Near f and S2 particular short-wave inertio-gravity wave bounds are found in the limits of strong and very weak stratification, which are often observed in small-scale layers.
Atmospheric forcing of salinity in the overflow of Denmark Strait
Authors: Holfort J. , Albrecht T.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The temporal evolution of the characteristics of Denmark Strait Overflow Water (DSOW) is reconstructed using hydrographic data and compared with possible atmospheric forcing mechanisms. It is concluded that the main factor influencing the DSOW characteristics at a time scale of one to several years is the difference in mean sea level pressure across Denmark Strait or, in other words, the wind along Denmark Strait. At these time scales upstream changes in the characteristics of the different water masses involved in the formation of DSOW are only of minor importance. The main process responsible for the observed salinity changes in the DSOW is mixing in Denmark Strait. Triggered by the wind, different water masses contribute with changing amounts to the formation of DSOW, leading to the observed changes in the salinity of DSOW.
Internal tides and energy fluxes over Great Meteor Seamount
Authors: Gerkema T. , van Haren H.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Internal-tide energy fluxes are determined halfway over the southern slope of Great Meteor Seamount (Canary Basin), using data from combined CTD/LADCP yoyoing, covering the whole water column. The strongest signal is semi-diurnal and is concentrated in the upper few hundred meters of the water column. An indeterminacy in energy flux profiles is discussed; it is argued that a commonly applied condition used to determine these profiles is in fact invalid over sloping bottoms. However, the vertically integrated flux can be established unambiguously; the observed results are compared with the outcome of a numerical internal-tide generation model. For the semi-diurnal internal tide, the vertically integrated flux found in the model corresponds well to the observed one. The observed diurnal signal appears to be largely of non-tidal origin.
Seasonal variability of phytoplankton fluorescence in relation to the Straits of Messina (Sicily) tidal upwelling
Authors: Azzaro F. , Decembrini F. , Raffa F. , Crisafi E.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. In the Straits of Messina, large gradients of tidal displacements, as well as the topographic constrictions, determine the upwelling of deeper waters in the surface layer. This work describes the seasonal variability in the surface distribution of phytoplankton biomass depending on the upwelling phenomena. Temperature, salinity, nitrates and phytoplankton fluorescence were measured in 1994 and 1995 by continuous underway surface real-time measurements onboard dedicated research boats. Each survey was performed following the dynamic phases of flooding and ebbing tides. Tidal currents are essentially southward during high tide and northward during low tide. During the low water slack tide, large spatial gradients of physical-chemical and biological parameters were found, while at the high water slack tide, a diffused phytoplankton fluorescence was observed only in autumn due to a seasonal thermocline. Salinity, nitrate and chlorophyll-a fluorescence data revealed a significant positive intercorrelation, whereas they were inversely correlated with temperature. Generally, the upwelling distribution was limited to narrow zones during winter, while in summer it was found in the middle of the Straits and in the southern zones. During spring in the southern zone of the Straits, the maximum chlorophyll-a fluorescence was detected (May 1995, 0.32 μg-Chla l−1); in summer, when back and forth tidal movements between the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian seas intensify, decreased values were observed throughout the study area. The data set obtained through continuous and repeatable samplings has allowed the study of different time-space scales in the Straits of Messina, a very strong and dynamic environment. The Straits system could be compared to an "intermittent pump" which, during the different seasons, initially enriches itself and subsequently provides nutrients to the surrounding basins.
An Oceanographer's Guide to GOCE and the Geoid
Authors: Hughes C. W. , Bingham R. J.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. A review is given of the geodetic concepts necessary for oceanographers to make use of satellite gravity data to define the geoid, and to interpret the resulting product. The geoid is defined, with particular attention to subtleties related to the representation of the permanent tide, and the way in which the geoid is represented in ocean models. The usual spherical harmonic description of the gravitational field is described, together with the concepts required to calculate a geoid from the spherical harmonic coefficients. A brief description is given of the measurement system in the GOCE satellite mission, scheduled for launch shortly. Finally, a recipe is given for calculation of the ocean dynamic topography, given a map of sea surface height above a reference ellipsoid, a set of spherical harmonic coefficients for the gravitational field, and defining constants.
The low-resolution CCSM2 revisited: new adjustments and a present-day control run
Authors: Prange M.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The low-resolution (T31) version of the Community Climate System Model CCSM2.0.1 is revisited and adjusted by deepening the Greenland-Scotland ridge, changing oceanic mixing parameters, and applying a regional freshwater flux adjustment at high northern latitudes. The main purpose of these adjustments is to maintain a robust Atlantic meridional overturning circulation which collapses in the original model release. The paper describes the present-day control run of the adjusted model (referred to as "CCSM2/T31x3a") which is brought into climatic equilibrium by applying a deep-ocean acceleration technique. The accelerated integration is extended by a 100-year synchronous phase. The simulated meridional overturning circulation has a maximum of 14×106 m3 s−1 in the North Atlantic. The CCSM2/T31x3a control run is evaluated against observations and simulations with other climate models. Most shortcomings found in the CCSM2/T31x3a control run are identified as "typical problems" in global climate modelling. Finally, examples (simulation of North Atlantic hydrography, West African monsoon) are shown in which CCSM2/T31x3a has a better simulation skill than the latest low-resolution Community Climate System Model release, CCSM3/T31.
A comparison between vertical motions measured by ADCP and inferred from temperature data
Authors: van Haren H.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Combined vertical current (w) and thermistor string data demonstrate that high-, near-buoyancy frequency internal "wave" trains along a pycnocline in a flat-bottom shelf sea consist for 2 periods of a dominant mode-1 non-linear part, while thereafter mainly of linear [mode-2, quadrupled frequency] waves, to first order. In a simple [linear] heat budget the use of unfiltered temperature gradient or its time mean changes results by only 10%. The observations also demonstrate that temperature is not always adequate to estimate vertical motions using the linear 1-D heat equation. In shallow seas, tidal-w estimated from temperature data can be an order of magnitude weaker than directly observed w, and thus do not represent free internal waves. In the ocean, not too far from the main internal wave topography source, tidal motions represent linear waves and are well described by temperature-inferred w. There however, temperature-inferred w and directly observed w differ strongly near the buoyancy frequency, at which w is dominated by non-linear waves, and near [sub]inertial frequencies, at which w is dominated by eddies and gyroscopic waves.
Mutually consistent thermodynamic potentials for fluid water, ice and seawater: a new standard for oceanography
Authors: Feistel R. , Wright D. G. , Miyagawa K. , Harvey A. H. , Hruby J. , Jackett D. R. , McDougall T. J. , Wagner W.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. A new seawater standard for oceanographic and engineering applications has been developed that consists of three independent thermodynamic potential functions, derived from extensive distinct sets of very accurate experimental data. The results have been formulated as Releases of the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam, IAPWS (1996, 2006, 2008) and are expected to be adopted internationally by other organizations in subsequent years. In order to successfully perform computations such as phase equilibria from combinations of these potential functions, mutual compatibility and consistency of these independent mathematical functions must be ensured. In this article, a brief review of their separate development and ranges of validity is given. We analyse background details on the conditions specified at their reference states, the triple point and the standard ocean state, to ensure the mutual consistency of the different formulations, and the necessity and possibility of numerically evaluating metastable states of liquid water. Computed from this formulation in quadruple precision (128-bit floating point numbers), tables of numerical reference values are provided as anchor points for the consistent incorporation of additional potential functions in the future, and as unambiguous benchmarks to be used in the determination of numerical uncertainty estimates of double-precision implementations on different platforms that may be customized for special purposes.
Ecological niches of three teuthophageous odontocetes in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Praca E. , Gannier A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. In the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, sperm whales, pilot whales and Risso's dolphins prey exclusively or preferentially on cephalopods. In order to evaluate their competition, we modelled their habitat suitability with the Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) and compared their ecological niches using a discriminant analysis. We used a long term (1995–2005) small boat data set, with visual and acoustic (sperm whale) detections. Risso's dolphin had the shallowest and the more spatially restricted principal habitat, mainly located on the upper part of the continental slope (640 m mean depth). With a wider principal habitat, at 1750 m depth in average, the sperm whale used a deeper part of the slope as well as the closest offshore waters. Finally, the pilot whale has the most oceanic habitat (2500 m mean depth) mainly located in the central Ligurian Sea and Provençal basin. Therefore, potential competition for food between these species may be reduced by the differentiation of their habitats.
Operational ocean models in the Adriatic Sea: a skill assessment
Authors: Chiggiato J. , Oddo P.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. In the framework of the Mediterranean Forecasting System (MFS) project, the performance of regional numerical ocean forecasting systems is assessed by means of model-model and model-data comparison. Three different operational systems considered in this study are: the Adriatic REGional Model (AREG); the Adriatic Regional Ocean Modelling System (AdriaROMS) and the Mediterranean Forecasting System General Circulation Model (MFS-GCM). AREG and AdriaROMS are regional implementations (with some dedicated variations) of POM and ROMS, respectively, while MFS-GCM is an OPA based system. The assessment is done through standard scores. In situ and remote sensing data are used to evaluate the system performance. In particular, a set of CTD measurements collected in the whole western Adriatic during January 2006 and one year of satellite derived sea surface temperature measurements (SST) allow to asses a full three-dimensional picture of the operational forecasting systems quality during January 2006 and to draw some preliminary considerations on the temporal fluctuation of scores estimated on surface quantities between summer 2005 and summer 2006. The regional systems share a negative bias in simulated temperature and salinity. Nonetheless, they outperform the MFS-GCM in the shallowest locations. Results on amplitude and phase errors are improved in areas shallower than 50 m, while degraded in deeper locations, where major models deficiencies are related to vertical mixing overestimation. In a basin-wide overview, the two regional models show differences in the local displacement of errors. In addition, in locations where the regional models are mutually correlated, the aggregated mean squared error was found to be smaller, that is a useful outcome of having several operational systems in the same region.
Depth dependence of westward-propagating North Atlantic features diagnosed from altimetry and a numerical 1/6° model
Authors: Lecointre A. , Penduff T. , Cipollini P. , Tailleux R. , Barnier B.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. A 1/6° numerical simulation is used to investigate the vertical structure of westward propagation between 1993 and 2000 in the North Atlantic ocean. The realism of the simulated westward propagating signals, interpreted principally as the signature of first-mode baroclinic Rossby waves (RW), is first assessed by comparing the simulated amplitude and zonal phase speeds of Sea Level Anomalies (SLA) against TOPEX/Poseidon-ERS satellite altimeter data. Then, the (unobserved) subsurface signature of RW phase speeds is investigated from model outputs by means of the Radon Transform which was specifically adapted to focus on first-mode baroclinic RW. The analysis is performed on observed and simulated SLA and along 9 simulated isopycnal displacements spanning the 0–3250 m depth range. Simulated RW phase speeds agree well with their observed counterparts at the surface, although with a slight slow bias. Below the surface, the simulated phase speeds exhibit a systematic deceleration with increasing depth, by a factor that appears to vary geographically. Thus, while the reduction factor is about 15–18% on average at 3250 m over the region considered, it appears to be much weaker (about 5–8%) in the eddy-active Azores Current, where westward propagating structures might be more coherent in the vertical. In the context of linear theories, these results question the often-made normal mode assumption of many WKB-based theories that the phase speed is independent of depth. Alternatively, these results could also suggest that the vertical structure of westward propagating signals may significantly depend on their degree of nonlinearity, with the degree of vertical coherence possibly increasing with the degree of nonlinearity.
Ekman layers in the Southern Ocean: spectral models and observations, vertical viscosity and boundary layer depth
Authors: Elipot S. , Gille S. T.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Spectral characteristics of the oceanic boundary-layer response to wind stress forcing are assessed by comparing surface drifter observations from the Southern Ocean to a suite of idealized models that parameterize the vertical flux of horizontal momentum using a first-order turbulence closure scheme. The models vary in their representation of vertical viscosity and boundary conditions. Each is used to derive a theoretical transfer function for the spectral linear response of the ocean to wind stress. The transfer functions are evaluated using observational data. The ageostrophic component of near-surface velocity is computed by subtracting altimeter-derived geostrophic velocities from observed drifter velocities (nominally drogued to represent motions at 15-m depth). Then the transfer function is computed to link these ageostrophic velocities to observed wind stresses. The traditional Ekman model, with infinite depth and constant vertical viscosity is among the worst of the models considered in this study. The model that most successfully describes the variability in the drifter data has a shallow layer of depth O(30–50 m), in which the viscosity is constant and O(100–1000 m2 s−1), with a no-slip bottom boundary condition. The second best model has a vertical viscosity with a surface value O(200 m2 s−1), which increases linearly with depth at a rate O(0.1–1 cm s−1) and a no-slip boundary condition at the base of the boundary layer of depth O(103 m). The best model shows little latitudinal or seasonal variability, and there is no obvious link to wind stress or climatological mixed-layer depth. In contrast, in the second best model, the linear coefficient and the boundary layer depth seem to covary with wind stress. The depth of the boundary layer for this model is found to be unphysically large at some latitudes and seasons, possibly a consequence of the inability of Ekman models to remove energy from the system by other means than shear-induced dissipation. However, the Ekman depth scale appears to scale like the climatological mixed-layer depth.
Thermodynamic properties of standard seawater: extensions to high temperatures and pressures
Authors: Safarov J. , Millero F. , Feistel R. , Heintz A. , Hassel E.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Measurements of (p, ρ, T) properties of standard seawater with practical salinity S≈35, temperature T=(273.14 to 468.06) K and pressures, p, up to 140 MPa are reported with the reproducibility of the density measurements observed to be in the average percent deviation range Δρ/ρ=±(0.01 to 0.03)%. The measurements are made with a newly constructed vibration-tube densimeter which is calibrated using double-distilled water, methanol and aqueous NaCl solutions. Based on these and previous measurements, an empirical expression for the density of standard seawater has been developed as a function of pressure and temperature. This equation is used to calculate other volumetric properties including isothermal compressibility, isobaric thermal expansibility, differences in isobaric and isochoric heat capacities, the thermal pressure coefficient, internal pressure and the secant bulk modulus. The results can be used to extend the present equation of state of seawater to higher temperatures for pressure up to 140 MPa.
Understanding mixing efficiency in the oceans: do the nonlinearities of the equation of state for seawater matter?
Authors: Tailleux R.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. There exist two central measures of turbulent mixing in turbulent stratified fluids that are both caused by molecular diffusion: 1) the dissipation rate D(APE) of available potential energy APE; 2) the turbulent rate of change Wr, turbulent of background gravitational potential energy GPEr. So far, these two quantities have often been regarded as the same energy conversion, namely the irreversible conversion of APE into GPEr, owing to the well known exact equality D(APE)=Wr, turbulent for a Boussinesq fluid with a linear equation of state. Recently, however, Tailleux (2009) pointed out that the above equality no longer holds for a thermally-stratified compressible, with the ratio ξ=Wr, turbulent/D(APE) being generally lower than unity and sometimes even negative for water or seawater, and argued that D(APE) and Wr, turbulent actually represent two distinct types of energy conversion, respectively the dissipation of APE into one particular subcomponent of internal energy called the "dead" internal energy IE0, and the conversion between GPEr and a different subcomponent of internal energy called "exergy" IEexergy. In this paper, the behaviour of the ratio ξ is examined for different stratifications having all the same buoyancy frequency N vertical profile, but different vertical profiles of the parameter Υ=α P/(ρCp), where α is the thermal expansion coefficient, P the hydrostatic pressure, ρ the density, and Cp the specific heat capacity at constant pressure, the equation of state being that for seawater for different particular constant values of salinity. It is found that ξ and Wr, turbulent depend critically on the sign and magnitude of dΥ/dz, in contrast with D(APE), which appears largely unaffected by the latter. These results have important consequences for how the mixing efficiency should be defined and measured in practice, which are discussed.
Regional impacts of ocean color on tropical Pacific variability
Authors: Anderson W. , Gnanadesikan A. , Wittenberg A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The role of the penetration length scale of shortwave radiation into the surface ocean and its impact on tropical Pacific variability is investigated with a fully coupled ocean, atmosphere, land and ice model. Previous work has shown that removal of all ocean color results in a system that tends strongly towards an El Niño state. Results from a suite of surface chlorophyll perturbation experiments show that the mean state and variability of the tropical Pacific is highly sensitive to the concentration and distribution of ocean chlorophyll. Setting the near-oligotrophic regions to contain optically pure water warms the mean state and suppresses variability in the western tropical Pacific. Doing the same above the shadow zones of the tropical Pacific also warms the mean state but enhances the variability. It is shown that increasing penetration can both deepen the pycnocline (which tends to damp El Niño) while shifting the mean circulation so that the wind response to temperature changes is altered. Depending on what region is involved this change in the wind stress can either strengthen or weaken ENSO variability.
Detecting marine hazardous substances and organisms: sensors for pollutants, toxins, and pathogens
Authors: Zielinski O. , Busch J. A. , Cembella A. D. , Daly K. L. , Engelbrektsson J. , Hannides A. K. , Schmidt H.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Marine environments are influenced by a wide diversity of anthropogenic and natural substances and organisms that may have adverse effects on human health and ecosystems. Real-time measurements of pollutants, toxins, and pathogens across a range of spatial scales are required to adequately monitor these hazards, manage the consequences, and to understand the processes governing their magnitude and distribution. Significant technological advancements have been made in recent years for the detection and analysis of such marine hazards. In particular, sensors deployed on a variety of mobile and fixed-point observing platforms provide a valuable means to assess hazards. In this review, we present state-of-the-art of sensor technology for the detection of harmful substances and organisms in the ocean. Sensors are classified by their adaptability to various platforms, addressing large, intermediate, or small areal scales. Current gaps and future demands are identified with an indication of the urgent need for new sensors to detect marine hazards at all scales in autonomous real-time mode. Progress in sensor technology is expected to depend on the development of small-scale sensor technologies with a high sensitivity and specificity towards target analytes or organisms. However, deployable systems must comply with platform requirements as these interconnect the three areal scales. Future developments will include the integration of existing methods into complex and operational sensing systems for a comprehensive strategy for long-term monitoring. The combination of sensor techniques on all scales will remain crucial for the demand of large spatial and temporal coverage.
Observations of turbulence beneath sea ice in southern McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
Authors: Stevens C. L. , Robinson N. J. , Williams M. J. M. , Haskell T. G.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The first turbulence profiler observations beneath land fast sea ice which is directly adjacent to an Antarctic ice shelf are described. The stratification in the 325 m deep water column consisted of a layer of supercooled water in the upper 40 m lying above a quasi-linearly stratified water column with a sharp step in density at mid-depth. Turbulent energy dissipation rates were on average 3×10−8 m2 s−3 with peak bin-averaged values reaching 4×10−7 m2 s−3. The local dissipation rate per unit area was estimated to be 10 m Wm−2 on average with a peak of 50 m Wm−2. These values are consistent with a moderate baroclinic response to the tides. The small-scale turbulent energetics lie on the boundary between isotropy and buoyancy-affected. This will likely influence the formation and aggregation of frazil ice crystals within the supercooled layer. The data suggest that the large crystals observed in McMurdo Sound will transition from initial growth at scales smaller than the Kolmogorov lengthscale to sizes substantially (1–2 orders of magnitude) greater than the Kolmogorov scale. An estimate of the experiment-averaged vertical diffusivity of mass Kρ yields a coefficient of around 2×10−4 m2s−1 although this increased by a factor of 2 near the surface. Combining this estimate of Kρ with available observations of average and maximum currents suggests the layer of supercooled water can persist for a distance of ~250 km from the front of the McMurdo Ice Shelf.
A chemical ionization mass spectrometer for continuous underway shipboard analysis of dimethylsulfide in near-surface seawater
Authors: Saltzman E. S. , De Bruyn W. J. , Lawler M. J. , Marandino C. A. , McCormick C. A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. A compact, low-cost atmospheric pressure, chemical ionization mass spectrometer ("mini-CIMS") has been developed for continuous underway shipboard measurements of dimethylsulfide (DMS) in seawater. The instrument was used to analyze DMS in air equilibrated with flowing seawater across a porous Teflon membrane equilibrator. The equilibrated gas stream was diluted with air containing an isotopically-labeled internal standard. DMS is ionized at atmospheric pressure via proton transfer from water vapor, then declustered, mass filtered via quadrupole mass spectrometry, and detected with an electron multiplier. The instrument described here is based on a low-cost residual gas analyzer (Stanford Research Systems), which has been modified for use as a chemical ionization mass spectrometer. The mini-CIMS has a gas phase detection limit of 220 ppt DMS for a 1 min averaging time, which is roughly equivalent to a seawater DMS concentration of 0.1 nM DMS at 20°C. The mini-CIMS has the sensitivity, selectivity, and time response required for underway measurements of surface ocean DMS over the full range of oceanographic conditions. The simple, robust design and relatively low cost of the instrument are intended to facilitate use in process studies and surveys, with potential for long-term deployment on research vessels, ships of opportunity, and large buoys.