Thesis (S.M.)--Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2011. / This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-65). / Remote sensing and in situ observations are used to investigate the ocean response to the Tokar Wind Jet in the Red Sea. The wind jet blows down the pressure gradient through the Tokar Gap on the Sudanese coast, at about 18°N, during the summer monsoon season. It disturbs the prevailing along-sea (southeastward) winds with strong cross-sea (northeastward) winds that can last from days to weeks and reach amplitudes of 20-25 m/s. By comparing scatterometer winds with along-track and gridded sea level anomaly observations, it is shown that an intense dipolar eddy spins up in less than seven days in response to the wind jet. The eddy pair has a horizontal scale of 140 km. Maximum ocean surface velocities can reach 1 m/s and eddy currents extend at least 200 m into the water column. The eddy currents appear to cover the width of the sea, providing a pathway for rapid transport of marine organisms and other drifting material from one coast to the other. Interannual variability in the strength of the dipole is closely matched with variability in the strength of the wind jet. The dipole is observed to be quasi-stationary, although there is some evidence for slow eastward propagation-simulation of the dipole in an idealized high-resolution numerical model suggests that this is the result of self-advection. These and other recent in situ observations in the Red Sea show that the upper ocean currents are dominated by mesoscale eddies rather than by a slow overturning circulation. / by Ping Zhai. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2012. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 40-41). / The purpose of this study is to understand the interactions of tropical cyclones with ocean eddies. In particular we examine the influence of a cold-core eddy on the cold wake formed during the passage of Typhoon Fanapi (2010). The three-dimensional version of the numerical Price-Weller-Pinkel (PWP) vertical mixing model has previously been used to simulate and study the cold wakes of Atlantic hurricanes. The model has not been used in comparison with observations of typhoons in the Western Pacific Ocean. In 2010 several typhoons were studied during the Impact of Typhoons on the Ocean in the Pacific (ITOP) field campaign and Fanapi was particularly well observed. We use these observations and the 3DPWP to understand the ocean cold wake generated by Fanapi. The cold wake of Fanapi was advected by a cyclonic eddy that was south of the typhoon track. The 3DPWP model outputs with and without an eddy are compared with observations made during the field campaign. These observations are compared to model outputs with eddies in a series of positions right and left of the storm track in order to study effects of mesoscale eddies on ocean vertical mixing in the cold wake of typhoons. / by Alexander Reid Miltenberger. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), June 2011. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-56). / Throughout this thesis we will discuss the theoretical background and empirical observation of a swell band shore normal flux divergence reversal. Specifically, we will demonstrate the existence and persistence of the energy flux divergence reversal in the nearshore region of Atchafalaya Bay, Gulf of Mexico, across storms during the March through April 2010 deployment. We will show that the swell band offshore component of energy flux is rather insignificant during the periods of interest, and as such we will neglect it during the ensuing analysis. The data presented will verify that the greatest flux divergence reversal is seen with winds from the East to Southeast, which is consistent with theories which suggest shoreward energy flux as well as estuarine sediment transport and resuspension prior to passage of a cold front. Employing the results of theoretical calculations and numerical modeling we will confirm that a plausible explanation for this phenomena can be found in situations where temporally varying wind input may locally balance or overpower bottom induced dissipation, which may also contravene the hypothesis that dissipation need increase shoreward due to nonlinear wave-wave interactions and maturation of the spectrum. Lastly, we will verify that the data presented is consistent with other measures collected during the same deployment in the Atchafalaya Bay during March - April 2010. / by Shmuel G. Link. / S.M.

Thesis: Ph. D., Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2016. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages [191]-201). / Submesoscale flows, current systems 1-100 km in horizontal extent, are increasingly coming into focus as an important component of upper-ocean dynamics. A range of processes have been proposed to energize submesoscale flows, but which process dominates in reality must be determined observationally. We diagnose from observed flow statistics that in the thermocline the dynamics in the submesoscale range transition from geostrophic turbulence at large scales to inertia-gravity waves at small scales, with the transition scale depending dramatically on geographic location. A similar transition is shown to occur in the atmosphere, suggesting intriguing similarities between atmospheric and oceanic dynamics. We furthermore diagnose from upper-ocean observations a seasonal cycle in submesoscale turbulence: fronts and currents are more energetic in the deep wintertime mixed layer than in the summertime seasonal thermocline. This seasonal cycle hints at the importance of baroclinic mixed layer instabilities in energizing submesoscale turbulence in winter. To better understand this energization, three aspects of the dynamics of baroclinic mixed layer instabilities are investigated. First, we formulate a quasigeostrophic model that describes the linear and nonlinear evolution of these instabilities. The simple model reproduces the observed wintertime distribution of energy across scales and depth, suggesting it captures the essence of how the submesoscale range is energized in winter. Second, we investigate how baroclinic instabilities are affected by convection, which is generated by atmospheric forcing and dominates the mixed layer dynamics at small scales. It is found that baroclinic instabilities are remarkably resilient to the presence of convection and develop even when rapid overturns keep the mixed layer unstratified. Third, we discuss the restratification induced by baroclinic mixed layer instabilities. We show that the rate of restratification depends on characteristics of the baroclinic eddies themselves, a dependence not captured by a previously proposed parameterization. These insights sharpen our understanding of submesoscale dynamics and can help focus future inquiry into whether and how submesoscale flows influence the ocean's role in climate. / by Jörn Callies. / Ph. D.

This study reports on a new formulation of the spectral dissipation source term Sds for wind-wave modelling applications. This new form of Sds features a nonlinear dependence on the local wave spectrum, expressed in terms of the azimuthally integrated saturation parameter B(k)=k^4 F(k). The basic form of this saturation-dependent Sds is based on a new framework for the onset of deep-water wave breaking due to the nonlinear modulation of wave groups. The new form of Sds is succesfully validated through numerical experiments that include exact nonlinear computations of fetch-limited wind-wave evolution and hindcasts of two-dimensional wave fields made with an operational wind-wave model. The newly-proposed form of Sds generates integral spectral parameters that agree more closely with observations when compared to other dissipation source terms used in state-of-the-art wind-wave models. It also provides more flexibility in controlling properties of the wave spectrum within the high wavenumber range. Tests using a variety of wind speeds, three commonly-used wind input source functions and two alternative full-development evolution limits further demonstrate the robustness and flexibility of the new saturation-dependent dissipation source term. Finally, improved wave hindcasts obtained with an implementation of the new form of Sds in a version of the WAM model demonstrate its potential usefulness in operational wind-wave forecasting applications.

Recent studies have found that equatorial Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) variability may be influencing tropical Indian Ocean climate (Kucharski 2009, Wang 2009). Due to the economic and social impact of tropical cyclones, it is important to investigate how an Atlantic-Indian Ocean connection may be affecting tropical cyclone behavior in the southern Indian Ocean. In this study, the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrAC) tropical cyclone database is used to derive metrics of tropical cyclone behavior, which are then compared with indices of tropical Atlantic SST variability representing Atlantic Niño, and Benguela Niño events. Changes in tropical Atlantic SSTs are found to coincide with significant differences in tropical cyclone activity for portions of the southern Indian Ocean. In addition, for these same regions, tropical Atlantic SST variability is associated with changes in large-scale atmospheric conditions, including steering flow, low level vorticity, and humidity, typically associated with tropical cyclogenesis, and tropical cyclone track. The changes in steering flow related to both indices of Atlantic SST anomaly are reproduced by an atmospheric model. The changes in steering flow are also found to be linked to changes in TC translational velocity, and TC tracking. These findings indicate a possible link between tropical Atlantic conditions and cyclone activity in the Indian Ocean mediated through a teleconnection between tropical Atlantic SSTs and large scale atmospheric conditions over the southern Indian Ocean. The teleconnection related to the Benguela Niño region of SST variability was found to consist of a Rossby wave initiated off the coast of South America, and propagating into the Indian Ocean, thereby influencing several atmospheric variables, including steering flow. The teleconnection related to the Atlantic Niño region of SST variability was not well defined, although there was some evidence of a Walker circulation anomaly extending from the equatorial Atlantic over the continent of Africa, and influencing SIO steering flow. / Graduation date: 2012

Currents and sea level fluctuations in the Avalon Channel, driven over a broad range of time scales by buoyancy forces, atmospheric pressure, and wind stress, are described and compared with dynamical theory. / Seasonal fluctuations in adjusted coastal sea level at St. John's are shown to be consistent with steric height and bottom pressure variations 3 km offshore in a depth of 180 m. / Low frequency fluctuations (periods of 7-50 d) in observed Avalon Channel currents and water properties suggest the presence of a baroclinically-unstable, buoyancy-driven coastal current. A kinematic analysis of the current fluctuations reveals an eddy structure resembling that predicted for baroclinically-unstable waves on a longshore current with the density stratification and vertical shear observed in the fall. / Cross-spectral analysis of St. John's sea level and meteorological records, and Avalon Channel steric height estimates, shows that sea level responds isostatically to atmospheric pressure forcing at periods longer than 2 days, and to seasonal changes in steric height. Adjusted sea level responds 180 degrees out-of-phase to forcing by longshore wind stress at periods longer than 2 days. Longshore current responds in-phase to longshore wind stress forcing, with surface intensification of the response close to shore. / Frequency response functions are derived from the shallow water equations of motion for the response of sea level and current to atmospheric pressure and wind stress forcing in homogeneous and two-layer, uniform-depth coastal ocean models, and in a homogeneous, step-shelf model. Linear bottom friction is assumed in the homogeneous ocean models. The phases of the observed sea level and current responses to wind stress suggest that the response is due to the existence of continental shelf waves originating at the northern edge of the Grand Banks, about 150 km away from the study site. The near-shore surface intensification of the current and sea level responses are consistent with the predictions of the two-layer uniform-depth model.

Orientador: Ines Joeks / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T21:07:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lage_EulerMartins_D.pdf: 1438659 bytes, checksum: 1425117a8c06f2ba303a23663ae033c4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2002 / Resumo: Neste trabalho estudou-se o transporte de CO2 através da interface água-ar e a sua difusão na água, a partir de experimentos simples e de baixo custo, em escala laboratorial. Para este estudo foram utilizadas soluções aquosas de diferentes salinidades (0, 10, 30 e 65 g/kg), a diferentes temperaturas (25 e 40 °C). Para a determinação da concentração de CO2 dissolvido, adicionou-se indicadores ácido-base. Foram obtidas imagens das soluções a diferentes tempos após o início da difusão. As imagens foram digitalizadas e tratadas com rotinas desenvolvidas utilizando-se o software Matlab. Técnicas de calibração multivariada foram usadas para construir a escala de pH x cor, a partir de curvas de calibração construídas para cada condição experimental. Construiu-se também subrotinas para o cálculo de variogramas e a partir desses calculou-se a dimensão fractal de algumas imagens. Em ensaios iniciais, provou-se que os resultados de velocidade de difusão estão de acordo com a literatura. Nos ensaios definitivos observou-se que os padrões da difusão do CO2 foram reprodutíveis. Ensaios realizados numa cuba retangular em ausência de turbulência mostraram dois padrões de difusão do CO2. Em todas as salinidades, a 40°C e a 25°C com salinidade 65g/kg, o padrão de difusão mostrou uma frente que se desloca de uma maneira regular, na forma de uma cortina. Nas outras condições, a difusão se processa na forma de viscous fingers, caótica e irregular. A salinidade de 65 g/kg proporcionou uma diminuição significativa na velocidade de difusão para ambas as temperaturas. Os resultados foram interpretados em termos da quantidade de CO2 dissolvido, que é maior no segundo caso, e em termos da viscosidade das soluções, que é menor a menor salinidade. Em outro capítulo, estudou-se o fluxo de CO2 e outros gases causadores de efeito estufa (CH4 e N2O) em amostras de pântanos, variando-se a temperatura e a concentração atmosférica de CO2. Os experimentos de medida do fluxo destes gases apresentaram como resultados mais importantes a extrema variabilidade dos valores de fluxo de CH4 e o fato de só se obter uma relação estatisticamente significante entre a produção de CO2 a concentração desse gás na atmosfera / Abstract: In this work CO2 transport through the interface water-air and its diffusion in water, using simple and low cost experiments, in laboratorial scale was studied. Aqueous solutions of different salinities (0, 10, 30 and 65 g/kg) and temperatures (25 and 40° C) had been studied. In order to determinate dissolved CO2 acid-base indicator was added to the solution. Diffusion images were recorded by VHS camera. The images had been digitalized and treated with routines developed using Matlab software. Techniques of multivaried calibration were used to elaborate the pH x color scale from constructed curves of calibration for each experimental condition. It was also constructed subrotines for the calculation of variograms and from them it was calculated the fractal dimension of some images. CO2 diffusion rates obtained in initial assays are in accordance with literature values. In the definitive assays it was observed that the diffusion pattern of CO2 had been reproducible. Assays carried out using a rectangular vessel without turbulence showed two pattern of CO2 diffusion. To all studied salinities, at 40°C and at 25°C with salinity 65 g/kg, the diffusion pattern showed a front that dislocates in a regular way, like a curtain. In the other conditions, the diffusion was chaotic and irregular presenting structures like viscous fingers. The salinity of 65 g/kg provided a significant reduction in the speed of diffusion for both temperatures. The results had been interpreted in terms of the amount of dissolved CO2, that is higher for the second pattern of diffusion and in terms of solutions viscosity, which is proportional to salinity. In another chapter, it was studied the CO2 flow and other greenhouse gases (CH4 and N2O) in wetlands samples, varying its temperature and the atmospheric CO2 concentration. The most relevant results in these measure of the gases flow are the extreme variability of values of CH4 flow. The unique achieved statistically significant obtained relationship was between CO2 production and the concentration of this gas in the atmosphere / Doutorado / Físico-Química / Doutor em Ciências

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), 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [221]-232). / Marine ecosystems reflect the physical structure of their environment and the biological processes they carry out. This leads to spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability, some of which is imposed externally and some of which emerges from the ecological mechanisms themselves. The main focus of this thesis is on the formation of spatial patterns in the distribution of zooplankton arising from social interactions between individuals. In the Southern Ocean, krill often assemble in swarms and schools, the dynamics of which have important ecological consequences. Mathematical and numerical models are employed to study the interplay of biological and physical processes that contribute to the observed patchiness. The evolution of social behavior is simulated in a theoretical framework that includes zooplankton population dynamics, swimming behavior, and some aspects of the variability inherent to fluid environments. First, I formulate a model of resource utilization by a stage-structured predator population with density-dependent reproduction. Second, I incorporate the predator-prey dynamics into a spatially-explicit model, in which aggregations develop spontaneously as a result of linear instability of the uniform distribution. In this idealized ecosystem, benefits related to the local abundance of mates are offset by the cost of having to share resources with other group members. Third, I derive a weakly nonlinear approximation for the steady-state distributions of predator and prey biomass that captures the spatial patterns driven by social tendencies. Fourth, I simulate the schooling behavior of zooplankton in a variable environment; when turbulent flows generate patchiness in the resource field, schools can forage more efficiently than individuals. / (cont.) Taken together, these chapters demonstrate that aggregation/ schooling can indeed be the favored behavior when (i) reproduction (or other survival measures) increases with density in part of the range and (ii) mixing of prey into patches is rapid enough to offset the depletion. In the final two chapters, I consider sources of temporal variability in marine ecosystems. External perturbations amplified by nonlinear ecological interactions induce transient ex-cursions away from equilibrium; in predator-prey dynamics the amplitude and duration of these transients are controlled by biological processes such as growth and mortality. In the Southern Ocean, large-scale winds associated with ENSO and the Southern Annular Mode cause convective mixing, which in turn drives air-sea fluxes of carbon dioxide and oxygen. Whether driven by stochastic fluctuations or by climatic phenomena, variability of the biogeochemical/physical environment has implications for ecosystem dynamics. / by Ariane Verdy. / Ph.D.

Thesis (S.M.)--Joint Program in Physical Oceanography (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 62-63). / The work was motivated by studies of Austin and Lentz (2002) and Pedlosky (2007). The above mentioned works considered two different responses of the stratified flow to a downwelling favorable wind forcing. The first study investigated a time dependent flow with a formation of a constantly expanding relatively well mixed region near the shore and the second considered a steady flow that arises when an offshore varying wind is applied. In my thesis I use ROMS to determine which type of response will take place based on the wind amplitude near the coast. It was demonstrated that if the value of the wind is much smaller than the critical value (determined by the stratification, the rotation rate and the horizontal diffusivity) then the flow is steady (the bbl case) and similar to the one investigated by Pedlosky. If the wind is of the order, or larger than, the critical value then the response is time dependent (the pool case) and similar to the one described by Austin and Lentz. The resulting flow structure of each response was also investigated. I examined the sensitivity of the bbl response to variations in the background vertical diffusivity, the initial stratification and the bottom slope. It was shown that a higher background vertical diffusivity, a higher stratification and a shallower bottom slope correspond to thinner (vertically) and narrower (horizontally) bbl. For the pool case the time dependent structure was also examined, using a number of idealized models. It was shown that the rate of the pool region expansion is a complex function of the local wind stress amplitude and the local depth. / by Evgeny Logvinov. / S.M.