Evolution of an advancing gravel front: observations from Vedder Canal,British Columbia     

R. I. Ferguson  D. J. Bloomer  M. Church 《地球表面变化过程与地形》2011,36(9):1172-1182

Channelization of the lowermost part of Vedder River in 1922 initiated a natural experiment relevant to the unresolved question of how abrupt gravel–sand transitions develop along rivers. The new channel (Vedder Canal) had a fine bed and a much lower slope than the gravel‐bed river immediately upstream. Changes in morphology and sedimentology as gravel advanced into and along the Canal are documented using air photos, historical surveys, and fieldwork. The channel aggraded and steepened until stabilized by occasional gravel extraction in recent decades. The deposited material fines progressively along the Canal but the gravel front has retained an abrupt appearance because it has advanced by the sequential development of discrete gravel tops on initially sandy alternate bars. Near the gravel front the bed is highly bimodal and there is a sharper drop in the extent of gravel‐framework surface facies than in bulk gravel content. Ahead of the front, gravel is restricted to thin ribbons which often become buried by migrating sand. Calculations show that even though the gravel bed at the head of the Canal is almost unimodal, size‐selective transport during floods can account for the strong bimodality farther downstream. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Transiting aircraft parameter estimation using underwater acousticsensor data     

Ferguson  B.G. Lo  K.W. 《Oceanic Engineering, IEEE Journal of》1999,24(4):424-435

Sound from an airborne source travels to a receiver beneath the sea surface via a geometric path that is most simply described using ray theory, where the atmosphere and the sea are assumed to be isospeed sound propagation media separated by a planar surface (the air-sea interface). This theoretical approach leads to the development of a time-frequency model for the signal received by a single underwater acoustic sensor and a time-delay model for the signals received by a pair of spatially separated underwater acoustic sensors. The validity of these models is verified using spatially averaged experimental data recorded from a linear array of hydrophones during various transits of a turboprop aircraft. The same approach is used to solve the inverse time-frequency problem, that is, estimation of the aircraft's speed, altitude, and propeller blade rate given the observed variation with time of the instantaneous frequency of the received signal. Similarly, the inverse time-delay problem is considered whereby the speed and altitude of the aircraft are estimated using the differential time-of-arrival information from each of two adjacent pairs of widely spaced hydrophones (with one hydrophone being common to each pair). It is found that the solutions to each of the inverse problems provide reliable estimates of the speed and altitude of the aircraft, with the inverse time-frequency method also providing an estimate that closely matches the actual propeller blade rate  相似文献   

The spatial and temporal patterns of aggradation in a temperate,upland, gravel‐bed river     

Emma K. Raven  Stuart N. Lane  Rob I. Ferguson  Louise J. Bracken 《地球表面变化过程与地形》2009,34(9):1181-1197

Intensive field monitoring of a reach of upland gravel‐bed river illustrates the temporal and spatial variability of in‐channel sedimentation. Over the six‐year monitoring period, the mean bed level in the channel has risen by 0·17 m with a maximum bed level rise of 0·5 m noted at one location over a five month winter period. These rapid levels of aggradation have a profound impact on the number and duration of overbank flows with flood frequency increasing on average 2·6 times and overbank flow time increasing by 12·8 hours. This work raises the profile of coarse sediment transfer in the design and operation of river management, specifically engineering schemes. It emphasizes the need for the implementation of strategic monitoring programmes before engineering work occurs to identify zones where aggradation is likely to be problematic. Exploration of the sediment supply and transfer system can explain patterns of channel sedimentation. The complex spatial, seasonal and annual variability in sediment supply and transfer raise uncertainties into the system's response to potential changes in climate and land‐use. Thus, there is a demand for schemes that monitor coarse sediment transfer and channel response. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Consequences of change and variability in sea ice on marine ecosystem and biogeochemical processes during the 2007–2008 Canadian International Polar Year program     

David G. Barber  Matthew G. Asplin  Tim N. Papakyriakou  Lisa Miller  Brent G. T. Else  John Iacozza  C. J. Mundy  M. Gosslin  Natalie C. Asselin  Steve Ferguson  Jennifer V. Lukovich  Gary A. Stern  Ashley Gaden  Monika Pu?ko  N.-X. Geilfus  Fei Wang 《Climatic change》2012,115(1):135-159

Change and variability in the timing and magnitude of sea ice geophysical and thermodynamic state have consequences on many aspects of the arctic marine system. The changes in both the geophysical and thermodynamic state, and in particular the timing of the development of these states, have consequences throughout the marine system. In this paper we review the ??consequences?? of change in sea ice state on primary productivity, marine mammal habitats, and sea ice as a medium for storage and transport of contaminants and carbon exchange across the ocean-sea-ice-atmosphere interface based upon results from the International Polar Year. Pertinent results include: 1) conditions along ice edges can bring deep nutrient-rich ??pacific?? waters into nutrient-poor surface waters along the arctic coast, affecting local food webs; 2) both sea ice thermodynamic and dynamic processes ultimately affect ringed seal/polar bear habitats by controlling the timing, location and amount of surface deformation required for ringed seal and polar bear preferred habitat 3) the ice edges bordering open waters of flaw leads are areas of high biological production and are observed to be important beluga habitat. 4) exchange of climate-active gases, including CO₂, is extremely active in sea ice environments, and the overall question of whether the Arctic Ocean is (or will be) a source or sink for CO₂ will be dependent on the balance of competing climate-change feedbacks.  相似文献   

Current state and trends in Canadian Arctic marine ecosystems: II. Heterotrophic food web, pelagic-benthic coupling, and biodiversity     

Gérald Darnis  Dominique Robert  Corinne Pomerleau  Heike Link  Philippe Archambault  R. John Nelson  Maxime Geoffroy  Jean-éric Tremblay  Connie Lovejoy  Steve H. Ferguson  Brian P. V. Hunt  Louis Fortier 《Climatic change》2012,115(1):179-205

As part of the Canadian contribution to the International Polar Year (IPY), several major international research programs have focused on offshore arctic marine ecosystems. The general goal of these projects was to improve our understanding of how the response of arctic marine ecosystems to climate warming will alter food web structure and ecosystem services provided to Northerners. At least four key findings from these projects relating to arctic heterotrophic food web, pelagic-benthic coupling and biodiversity have emerged: (1) Contrary to a long-standing paradigm of dormant ecosystems during the long arctic winter, major food web components showed relatively high level of winter activity, well before the spring release of ice algae and subsequent phytoplankton bloom. Such phenological plasticity among key secondary producers like zooplankton may thus narrow the risks of extreme mismatch between primary production and secondary production in an increasingly variable arctic environment. (2) Tight pelagic-benthic coupling and consequent recycling of nutrients at the seafloor characterize specific regions of the Canadian Arctic, such as the North Water polynya and Lancaster Sound. The latter constitute hot spots of benthic ecosystem functioning compared to regions where zooplankton-mediated processes weaken the pelagic-benthic coupling. (3) In contrast with another widely shared assumption of lower biodiversity, arctic marine biodiversity is comparable to that reported off Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Canada, albeit threatened by the potential colonization of subarctic species. (4) The rapid decrease of summer sea-ice cover allows increasing numbers of killer whales to use the Canadian High Arctic as a hunting ground. The stronger presence of this species, bound to become a new apex predator of arctic seas, will likely affect populations of endemic arctic marine mammals such as the narwhal, bowhead, and beluga whales.  相似文献   

Globular clusters in the outer halo of M31: the survey     

A. P. Huxor  N. R. Tanvir  A. M. N. Ferguson  M. J. Irwin  R. Ibata  T. Bridges  G. F. Lewis 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2008,385(4):1989-1997

  相似文献   

Spatiotemporal analysis of residential flood exposure in the Atlanta,Georgia metropolitan area     

Ferguson  Alex P.  Ashley  Walker S. 《Natural Hazards》2017,87(2):989-1016

Natural Hazards - This research examines changes in residential built-environment flood exposure within the current boundaries of the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan statistical area, by estimating...  相似文献   

Numerical modelling of climate change impacts on Saint‐Lawrence River tributaries     

P. M. Verhaar  P. M. Biron  R. I. Ferguson  T. B. Hoey 《地球表面变化过程与地形》2010,35(10):1184-1198

The impacts of climate‐induced changes in discharge and base level in three tributaries of the Saint‐Lawrence River, Québec, Canada, are modelled for the period 2010–2099 using a one‐dimensional morphodynamic model. Changes in channel stability and bed‐material delivery to the Saint‐Lawrence River over this period are simulated for all combinations of seven tributary hydrological regimes (present‐day and those predicted using three global climate models and two greenhouse gas emission scenarios) and three scenarios of how the base level provided by the Saint‐Lawrence River will alter (no change, gradual fall, step fall). Even with no change in base level the projected discharge scenarios lead to an increase in average bed material delivery for most combinations of river and global climate model, although the magnitude of simulated change depends on the choice of global climate model and the trend over time seems related to whether the river is currently aggrading, degrading or in equilibrium. The choice of greenhouse gas emission scenario makes much less difference than the choice of global climate model. As expected, a fall in base level leads to degradation in the rivers currently aggrading or in equilibrium, and amplifies the effects of climate change on sediment delivery to the Saint‐Lawrence River. These differences highlight the importance of investigating several rivers using several climate models in order to determine trends in climate change impacts. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

The geothermal potential of the basal clastics of Saskatchewan,Canada   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Grant Ferguson  Stephen E. Grasby 《Hydrogeology Journal》2014,22(1):143-150

The Winnipeg and Deadwood formations form deep clastic reservoirs in Saskatchewan, Canada, with temperatures exceeding 40 °C over most of southern Saskatchewan and reaching 100 °C in southwestern Saskatchewan. At these temperatures, the formations have geothermal potential for development of direct use and electricity generation systems. Numerous disposal wells operating at rates of 30 L/s or more are currently installed in these formations, suggesting that electricity could be generated at rates exceeding 2 megawatts of electrical output (MW_e) from individual wells. These basal clastic units, thus, could provide significant energy supply over a broad region of Saskatchewan.  相似文献   

Zircon evidence for a ~200 k.y. supereruption-related thermal flare-up in the Miocene southern Black Mountains,western Arizona,USA     

Susanne?M.?McDowellEmail author  Calvin?F.?Miller  Roland?Mundil  Charles?A.?Ferguson  Joseph?L.?Wooden 《Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology》2014,168(1):1031

The Silver Creek caldera (southern Black Mountains, western Arizona) is the source of the 18.8 Ma, >700 km³ Peach Spring Tuff (PST) supereruption, the largest eruption generated in the Colorado River Extensional Corridor (CREC) of the southwestern United States. Within and immediately surrounding the caldera is a sequence of volcanics and intrusions ranging in age from ~19 to 17 Ma. These units offer a record of magmatic processes prior to, during, and immediately following the PST eruption. To investigate the thermal evolution of the magmatic center that produced the PST, we applied a combination of Ti-in-zircon thermometry, zircon saturation thermometry, and high-precision U–Pb CA–TIMS zircon dating to representative pre- and post-supereruption volcanic and intrusive units from the caldera and its environs. Similar to intracaldera PST zircons, zircons from a pre-PST trachytic lava (19 Ma) and a post-PST caldera intrusion (18.8 Ma) yield exceptionally high-Ti concentrations (most >20 ppm, some up to nearly 60 ppm), corresponding to calculated temperatures that exceed 900 °C. In these units, Ti-in-zircon temperatures typically surpass zircon saturation temperatures (ZSTs), suggesting the entrainment of zircon that had grown in hotter environments within the magmatic system. Titanium concentrations in younger volcanic and intrusive units (~18.7–17.5 Ma) decline through time, corresponding to an average cooling rate of 10^?3.5 °C/year. The ~200 k.y. thermal peak evident at Silver Creek caldera is spatially limited: elsewhere in the Miocene record of the northern CREC, Ti-in-zircon concentrations and ZSTs are much lower, suggesting that felsic magmas were generally substantially cooler.  相似文献