Solitary Rossby Waves in Zonally Varying Jet Flows     

Daniel Hodyss  Terrence Nathan 《地球物理与天体物理流体动力学》2013,107(3):239-262

The dynamics of solitary Rossby waves (SRWs) embedded in a meridionally sheared, zonally varying background flow are examined using a non-divergent barotropic model centered on a midlatitude g -plane. The zonally varying background flow, which is produced by an external potential vorticity (PV) forcing, yields a modified Korteweg-de Vries (K-dV) equation that governs the spatial-temporal evolution of a disturbance field that contains both Rossby wave packets and SRWs. The modified K-dV equation differs from the classical equation in that the zonally varying background flow, which varies on the same scale as the disturbance field, directly affects the disturbance linear translation speed and linear growth characteristics. In the limit of a locally parallel background flow, equations governing the amplitude and propagation characteristics of SRWs are derived analytically. These equations show, for example, that a sufficiently large (small) translation speed and/or a sufficiently weak (strong) background zonal shear favor transmission (reflection) of the SRW through (from) the jet. Conservation equations are derived showing that time changes in the domain averaged amplitude ("mass") or squared amplitude ("momentum") are due to zonal variation in both the linear, long-wave phase speed and linear growth; dispersion and nonlinearity do not affect the "mass" or "momentum". Provided (1) the background PV forcing is sufficiently small, or (2) the background PV forcing is meridionally symmetric and the disturbance is a SRW, the dynamics of the disturbance field is Hamiltonian and mass and energy are thus conserved. Numerical solutions of the K-dV equation show that the zonally varying background flow yields three general classes of behavior: reflection, transmission, or trapping. Within each class there exists SRWs and Rossby wave packets. SRWs that become trapped within the zonally localized jet region may exhibit the following behaviors: (1) an oscillatory decay to a steady state at the jet center, (2) the creation of additional SRWs within the jet region, or (3) a steady-state wherein the solution has a smoothed step-like structure located downstream along the jet axis.  相似文献   

Outlier separability analysis with a multiple alternative hypotheses test   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

Ling Yang  Jinling Wang  Nathan L. Knight  Yunzhong Shen 《Journal of Geodesy》2013,87(6):591-604

Outlier separability analysis is a fundamental component of modern geodetic measurement analysis, positioning, navigation, and many other applications. The current theory of outlier separability is based on using two alternative hypotheses—an assumption that may not necessarily be valid. In this paper, the current theory of outlier separability is statistically analysed and then extended to the general case, where there are multiple alternative hypotheses. Taking into consideration the complexity of the critical region and the probability density function of the outlier test, the bounds of the associated statistical decision probabilities are then developed. With this theory, the probabilities of committing type I, II, and III errors can be controlled so that the probability of successful identification of an outlier can be guaranteed when performing data snooping. The theoretical findings are then demonstrated using a simulated GPS point positioning example. Detailed analysis shows that the larger the correlation coefficient, between the outlier statistics, the smaller the probability of committing a type II error and the greater the probability of committing a type III error. When the correlation coefficient is greater than 0.8, there is a far greater chance of committing a type III error than committing a type II error. In addition, to guarantee successful identification of an outlier with a set probability, the minimal detectable size of the outlier (often called the Minimal Detectable Bias or MDB) should dramatically increase with the correlation coefficient.  相似文献   

Origin of glacial ridges (OIS 6) in the Kaskaskia Sublobe,southwestern Illinois,USA     

Nathan D. Webb  David A. Grimley  Andrew C. Phillips  Bruce W. Fouke 《Quaternary Research》2012,78(2):341-352

The origin of Illinois Episode (OIS 6) glacial ridges (formerly: ‘Ridged Drift’) in the Kaskaskia Basin of southwestern Illinois is controversial despite a century of research. Two studied ridges, containing mostly fluvial sand (OSL ages: ~ 150 ± 19 ka), with associated debris flows and high-angle reverse faults, are interpreted as ice-walled channels. A third studied ridge, containing mostly fine-grained till, is arcuate and morainal. The spatial arrangement of various ridge types can be explained by a glacial sublobe in the Kaskaskia Basin, with mainly fine-grained ridges along the sublobe margins and coarse-grained glaciofluvial ridges in a paleodrainage network within the sublobe interior. Illinois Episode till fabric and striation data demonstrate southwesterly ice flow that may diverge near the sublobe terminus. The sublobe likely formed as glacial ice thinned and receded from its maximum extent. The Kaskaskia Basin contains some of the best-preserved Illinois Episode constructional glacial landforms in the North American midcontinent. Such distinctive features probably result from ice flow and sedimentation into this former lowland, in addition to minimal postglacial erosion. Other similar OIS 6 glacial landforms may exist in association with previously unrecognized sublobes in the midcontinent, where paleo-lowlands might also have focused glacial sedimentation.  相似文献   

Non-monotonic Responses of Phytoplankton Biomass Accumulation to Hydrologic Variability: A Comparison of Two Coastal Plain North Carolina Estuaries     

Benjamin L. Peierls  Nathan S. Hall  Hans W. Paerl 《Estuaries and Coasts》2012,35(6):1376-1392

Freshwater inputs often play a more direct role in estuarine phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a) accumulation than nitrogen (N) inputs, since discharge simultaneously controls both phytoplankton residence time and N loading. Understanding this link is critical, given potential changes in climate and human activities that may affect discharge and watershed N supply. Chlorophyll a (chla) relationships with hydrologic variability were examined in 3-year time series from two neighboring, shallow (<5?m), microtidal estuaries (New and Neuse River estuaries, NC, USA) influenced by the same climatic conditions and events. Under conditions ranging from drought to floods, N concentration and salinity showed direct positive and negative responses, respectively, to discharge for both estuaries. The response of chla to discharge was more complex, but was elucidated through conversion of discharge to freshwater flushing time, an estimate of transport time scale. Non-linear fits of chla to flushing time revealed non-monotonic, unimodal relationships that reflected the changing balance between intrinsic growth and losses through time and along the axis of each estuary. Maximum biomass occurred at approximately 10-day flushing times for both systems. Residual analysis of the fitted data revealed positive relationships between chla and temperature, suggesting enhanced growth rates at higher temperatures. N loading and system-wide, volume-weighted chla were positively correlated, and biomass yields per N load were greater than other marine systems. When combined with information on loss processes, these results on the hydrologic control of phytoplankton biomass will help formulate mechanistic models necessary to predict ecosystem responses to future climate and anthropogenic changes.  相似文献   

Forest–savanna–morichal dynamics in relation to fire and human occupation in the southern Gran Sabana (SE Venezuela) during the last millennia     

Encarni Montoya  Valentí Rull  Nathan D. Stansell  Mark B. Abbott  Sandra Nogué  Broxton W. Bird  Wilmer A. Díaz 《Quaternary Research》2011,76(3):335-344

The southern Gran Sabana (SE Venezuela) holds a particular type of neotropical savanna characterized by the local occurrence of morichales (Mauritia palm swamps), in a climate apparently more suitable for rain forests. We present a paleoecological analysis of the last millennia of Lake Chonita (4°39′N–61°0′W, 884 m elevation), based on biological and physico-chemical proxies. Savannas dominated the region during the last millennia, but a significant vegetation replacement occurred in recent times. The site was covered by a treeless savanna with nearby rainforests from 3640 to 2180 cal yr BP. Water levels were higher than today until about 2800 cal yr BP. Forests retreated since about 2180 cal yr BP onwards, likely influenced by a higher fire incidence that facilitated a dramatic expansion of morichales. The simultaneous appearance of charcoal particles and Mauritia pollen around 2000 cal yr BP supports the potential pyrophilous nature of this palm and the importance of fire for its recent expansion. The whole picture suggests human settlements similar to today – in which fire is an essential element – since around 2000 yr ago. Therefore, present-day southern Gran Sabana landscapes seem to have been the result of the synergy between biogeographical, climatic and anthropogenic factors, mostly fire.  相似文献   

Global extent and distribution of artificial, residential waterways in estuaries     

Nathan J. Waltham  Rod M. Connolly 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2011,94(2):192-197

Artificial residential waterways are now widespread in the world’s estuaries. We used the global mapping tool, Google Earth, to determine that there are nearly 4000 linear km of artificial waterways globally, covering an area of 270 km². Residential waterways constructed as open, flow-through canal estates are at their greatest extent in North America (77% of global linear extent), where systems are typically longer and narrower, with more openings and dead-ends than systems elsewhere. The remaining canal estates are spread across all other continents except Antarctica: Asia (7%), Europe (7%), Oceania (7%), South America (0.9%), and Africa (0.6%). A relatively recent design change from open canals to artificial estuarine lakes with tidal barriers has occurred on all continents except Africa, most extensively in Australia (14 km² area, 57 independent systems). The extremely large expansion in artificial residential waterways aimed at increasing opportunities for waterfront living by humans has also modified and expanded estuarine habitat available to aquatic biota. Research can best underpin planning and management of these types of waterways by focussing on their value as habitat and their provision of other goods and services.  相似文献   

Distributed deformation around the eastern tip of the Kunlun fault   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

Eric Kirby  Nathan Harkins 《International Journal of Earth Sciences》2013,102(7):1759-1772

Whether active strain within the Indo-Asian collision zone is primarily localized along major strike-slip fault systems or is distributed throughout the intervening crust between faults remains uncertain. Despite refined estimates of slip rates along many of the major fault zones, relatively little is known about how displacement along these structures is accommodated at fault terminations. Here, we show that a systematic decrease in left-lateral slip rates along the eastern ~200 km of the Kunlun fault, from >10 mm/year to <1 mm/year, is coincident with high topography in the Anyemaqen Shan and with a broad zone of distributed shear and clockwise vorticity within the Tibetan Plateau. Geomorphic analysis of river longitudinal profiles, coupled with inventories of cosmogenic radionuclides in fluvial sediment, reveal correlated variations in fluvial relief and erosion rate across the Anyemaqen Shan that reflect ongoing differential rock uplift across the range. Our results imply that the termination of the Kunlun fault system is accommodated by a combination of distributed crustal thickening and by clockwise rotation of the eastern fault segments.  相似文献   

Tsunami exposure estimation with land-cover data: Oregon and the Cascadia subduction zone     

Nathan Wood 《Applied geography (Sevenoaks, England)》2009,29(2):158-170

A Cascadia subduction-zone earthquake has the potential to generate tsunami waves which would impact more than 1000 km of coastline on the west coast of the United States and Canada. Although the predictable extent of tsunami inundation is similar for low-lying land throughout the region, human use of tsunami-prone land varies, creating variations in community exposure and potential impacts. To better understand such variations, land-cover information derived from midresolution remotely-sensed imagery (e.g., 30-m-resolution Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery) was coupled with tsunami-hazard information to describe tsunami-prone land along the Oregon coast. Land-cover data suggest that 95% of the tsunami-prone land in Oregon is undeveloped and is primarily wetlands and unconsolidated shores. Based on Spearman rank correlation coefficients (r_s), correlative relationships are strong and statistically significant (p < 0.05) between city-level estimates of the amount of land-cover pixels classified as developed (impervious cover greater than 20%) and the amount of various societal assets, including residential and employee populations, homes, businesses, and tax-parcel values. Community exposure to tsunami hazards, described here by the amount and relative percentage of developed land in tsunami-prone areas, varies considerably among the 26 communities of the study area, and these variations relate to city size. Correlative relationships are strong and significant (p < 0.05) for community exposure rankings based on land-cover data and those based on aggregated socioeconomic data. In the absence of socioeconomic data or community-based knowledge, the integration of hazards information and land-cover information derived from midresolution remotely-sensed imagery to estimate community exposure may be a useful first step in understanding variations in community vulnerability to regional hazards.  相似文献   

An integrated lake-catchment approach for determining sediment source changes at Aqualate Mere,Central England     

Nathan J. Pittam  Ian D. L. Foster  Tim M. Mighall 《Journal of Paleolimnology》2009,42(2):215-232

This paper raises fundamental questions about the sole use of paleolimnological techniques to identify sediment sources and develop catchment management plans. The concept of an integrated lake: catchment framework was established 30 years ago, yet paleolimnologists occasionally fail to appreciate the dynamics of the contributing catchment. This is especially critical when the predominant source of sediment accumulating in a lake is allochthonous. In this paper we argue that a detailed appraisal of catchment sources and investigation of historical documentary evidence is needed to identify and evaluate the relative significance of sediment sources. We used such an approach at Aqualate Mere, Shropshire, UK. Mineral magnetic and radionculide signatures of potential catchment sources and accumulating lake sediments were compared in an attempt to match the sources to sediments deposited in the Mere. Dated lake sediments indicate there has been an increase in sedimentation rate and the relative amount of minerogenic material delivered to the Mere over the last 200 years. In contrast to a previous study at the same site, there is no evidence to attribute this increase to an overspill from a nearby canal. Other catchment disturbances include landscaping in parkland surrounding the Mere in the early nineteenth century and drainage systems installed to improve catchment agriculture over the last ca. 150 years. Both activities may explain the change in sedimentation rates and types, independent of the hypothesized canal origin. Although our results exclude the canal as a major sediment source, identifying the contribution of other potential catchment sources remains problematic. ¹³⁷Cs inventories for the lake are similar to those recorded at a local reference site, suggesting little influx of ¹³⁷Cs-bearing topsoil, yet ¹³⁷Cs activities remain high in the upper 20–30 cm of the lake sediment profile, indicating a topsoil origin. Combined radionuclide and mineral magnetic signatures proved to be relatively poor discriminators of potential sources, and the high atmospheric pollution load from the West Midland conurbation has probably altered recent lake sediment signatures. Although further research is required to identify the origins of recent (last ca. 200 years) minerogenic sediment inputs to the Mere, we suggest that the combined lake: catchment approach offers a more rigorous method for understanding the impact of catchment disturbance than analysis of the paleolimnological record alone.  相似文献   

Distribution of Winter Flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, in the Hampton–Seabrook Estuary, New Hampshire: Observations from a Field Study     

Elizabeth A. Fairchild  James Sulikowski  Nathan Rennels  W. Huntting Howell  Christopher W. D. Gurshin 《Estuaries and Coasts》2008,31(6):1158-1173

From July to October 2004, five sites in the Hampton–Seabrook Estuary in New Hampshire were sampled with beam and otter trawls. The goals were to describe winter flounder (1) abundance in the estuary, (2) size class distributions, (3) spatial distribution by different size classes, and (4) distribution patterns. Of the 19 species caught, winter flounder was the most abundant and was dominated by young-of-the-year (YOY) fish. The five sites were fairly homogenous in depth, bottom type, salinity, and temperature. However, YOY abundance ranged from 2.1 to 32.1 fish 1,000 m^?2 depending on the site. Benthic community was the best indicator of juvenile winter flounder abundance. Catch data of other organisms fluctuated, but no one species was a strong predictor of winter flounder abundance and distribution. During late summer and early fall, the estuary is used primarily by YOY winter flounder, indicating that this estuary functions as a nursery ground.  相似文献