Univ., Diss.--Poznań, 2005.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. / The effects of shoaling inner shelf solitons on the bottom boundary layer have been observed and analyzed over a two month summer period at the Monterey Inner Shelf Observatory in Monterey, CA, during 2002. Utilizing CTD data to characterize the temperature field of the water column, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data to measure the velocity structure from 3m height above the bed (HAB) to the near surface, and Bistatic Doppler Velocity Sediment Profiler (BDVSP) data to measure the velocity structure and sediment concentration from a range of 60cm to 1cm HAB, solitary internal waves and internal tidal bores were regularly observed at the observation site. These events were characterized by their large isotherm displacements and the sudden change from near surface to near bed stratification as the internal tidal bores passed the observation site. Cross-shore timeseries revealed that the strongest events pushed water onshore near the surface and offshore near the bed, indicating a baroclinic water column during their passage. To analyze their effects on the bottom boundary layer, 3m HAB ADCP and BCDV velocities were compared with backscatter data and surface gravity wave energy at 3m HAB to determine their relative contribution to bed stress and resulting sediment suspension. As the strong internal waves passed, a logarithmic layer formed indicating that shear stress above the bed was occurring. This allowed the friction velocity within the log layer to be estimated. Combining this term with the stress contribution due to the wave energy, the total stress on the bed was then estimated. From this it was determined that typically moderate surface gravity wave forcing at the bed suspended sediment, while solitary internal waves and internal tidal bores continued to transport suspended sediment offshore near the bed. / Ensign, United States Navy

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, 2009. / Title from document title page. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of California, Santa Cruz, 1992. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-76).

Thesis (M.S. in Physical Oceanography)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Timothy P. Stanton, Edward B. Thornton. Includes bibliographical references (p. 77-79). Also available online.

Linear sandbanks are located globally in areas where there are strong currents and an abundance of sand. In recent years, these sandbanks have become a strategic interest as a potential source of marine aggregates (sand and gravel) and mineral deposits. They also commonly reach the sea surface and thus pose a threat to navigation. Headland-associated linear sandbanks are a specific type of sandbank, which are located in the lee of coastal topographic features such as headlands and islands. Interaction between tidal currents and topographic features generate complex three-dimensional circulation patterns that significantly influence the distribution of sediments in the vicinity of the feature. Field and numerical model investigations of the three-dimensional flow structure have been undertaken on the Levillain Shoal, a headland-associated linear sandbank present in the lee of Cape Levillain (Shark Bay, Western Australia). The field data indicated the presence of secondary flows near the tip of the Cape and around the bank, which were reproduced in the numerical simulations. Sediment transport paths near the Cape and the bank indicate that the sandbank is part of a sand circulation cell where the sand is circulating around the bank with exchanges between the sandbank and the headland. A morphological model (MTM) has been developed to understand processes responsible for the formation of the headland associated linear sandbanks. With an “idealized” Gaussian shaped headland, the formation of two symmetrical sandbanks on each side of the headland is observed. It is shown that sandbanks are formed in regions where there is a net accumulation of sand over a tidal cycle, due to the acceleration/⁄deceleration effects of the flow in the presence of the headland. Initially, sandbanks develop in a circular shape and grow vertically. As the sandbanks interact with the tidal flow, they evolve into elongated linear deposits (as observed in nature). The sandbank growth is dependent on the tidal regime, secondary flow, sand availability, and sediment grain size

Thesis (M.S.)--Naval Postgraduate School, 1988. / Cover title. "June 1988." Includes bibliographical references (p. 194-202).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Joint Program in Physical Oceanography (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 1999. / Includes bibliographical references. / The thesis investigates the circulation at a 76-m deep study site on the southern flank of Georges Bank, a shallow submarine bank located between the deeper Gulf of Maine and the continental slope. Emphasis is placed on the vertical structure of the bottom boundary layer driven by the semidiurnal tides and the flow field's response to wind forcing. The observational analysis presented here is based on a combination of moored array and bottom tripod-mounted current, temperature, conductivity, and meteorological data taken between February and August 1995. Results from the bottom boundary layer analysis are compared to numerical model predictions for tidal flow over rough bottom topography. The flow response to wind forcing is examined and brought into context with the existing understanding of the wind-induced circulation in the Georges Bank region. Particular attention is given to the vertical distribution of the wind-driven currents, whose variation with background stratification is discussed and compared to observations from open ocean studies. / by Sandra Regina Warner. / Ph.D.