A Corrente de Contorno Oeste Profunda (CCP) é um dos principais componentes da Célula de Revolvimento Meridional do Atlântico e, portanto, é determinante para a manutenção do clima global. Ela é gerada nas regiões subpolares do Atlântico Norte e transporta as águas formadas neste sítio para o Hemisfério Sul. A sua trajetória bem como a sua variabilidade têm sido estudada ao longo dos tempos, mas informações acerva desta corrente no Atlântico Sul ainda são escassas. Estudos recentes mostram que ao sul da latitude de 8ºS a CCP se quebra em vórtices anticiclônicos e se propagam para sul. Reunimos um amplo conjunto de dados observacionais de cruzeiros oceanográficos e os utilizamos para observar estas feições ao largo da costa leste brasileira. Utilizamos o cálculo geostrófico referenciado em 4000 dbar a partir dos dados hidrográficos destes. Os resultados do cálculo geostrófico confirmam os achados na literatura, identificando estruturas vorticais com diâmetros entre 162 e 220 m e velocidades azimutais máximas ultrapassando 25 cm s-1. Um fundeio correntográfico instalado nas imediações da latitude 11ºS pela Universidade de Kiel no inicio do século foi utilizado para avaliar a regularidade e sazonalidade na formação dos anticiclones. Foi conferido que a formação de vórtices possui uma modulação sazonal, ocorrendo predominantemente em períodos que se observa uma maior intensidade da CCP, ou seja, de abril a setembro. Os resultados de simulação global do modelo HYCOM nos permitiram analisar a região de estudo de forma mais ampla, tanto espacial como temporalmente. A análise dos resultados de modelo sugere que a ocorrência de vórtices anticiclônicos da CCP entre 11ºS e 20ºS é bem regular e se propaga com velocidade velocidade de translação média de 5 cm s-1, porém é severamente interrompido ao se deparar com a complexa topografia ao sul de 17ºS. Entre os obstáculos topográficos, podemos destacar a Cadeia de Abrolhos (principalmente), o Monte Submarino Hot Spur e a Cadeia Vitoria Trindade, sendo que este último deflete para leste o escoamento associado provavelmente a uma CCP restabelecida. Embora os anticiclones da CCP tenham sido descritos há mais de uma década, acreditamos ser este o trabalho que primeiro mostra o destino e a destruição dessas feições ao largo da margem continental leste brasileira. / The Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) is one of the main components of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and is therefor determinant in the maintainance of the global climate. This current has its origins in the subpolar region of the North Atlantic and transports the water mass formed at deep levels to the Southern Hemisphere. Its path as well as its variability have been studied in the last twenty years but information about the DWBC in the South Atlantic are still sparse. Recent investigations showed that the DWBC breaks into large anticyclonic eddies at around 8ºS. In this wrok, we gathered an ample observation data set of oceanographic cruises and used them to describe the vortical rings off the Eastern Brazilian coast. We emplyed the classic dynamics method referenced to 4,000 dbar to infer geostrophic velocity patterns from the data set. We indentify vortical structures of typically 162-220 km of diameter and azimuthal velocities higher than 25 cm s-1. A currentmeter mooring deployed by the University of Kiel in the begining of the century was used to investigate regularity and sazonality of the eddy formation and their passing of the 11ºS paralell. We found by inspecting the 5-year time series that there are about 3,7 events/year and a seasonal modulation dictated by the strength of the DWBC. More rings are shed during the April-September season when the DWBC is more intense and transports more. We also analyzed the output of a assimilative global simulation by the Hybrid Ocean Circulation Model (HYCOM) Consortium after validating it with our observational data set. Our results indicate that the anticyclones propagate at a characteristic speed of about 5cm s-1 until interacts with complex seamount topography at 17ºS. The topography is formed by th Abrolhos Ridge (17ºS), the Seamount Hot Sput (18ºS) and the Vitória-Trindade Ridge (20ºS). Moreover, it seems that the vast majority of the vortical features are destroted on the northernmost obstacle - the Abrolhos Ridge. Only a few survive and are destructed south. It seems from the analysis that a recoalesced DWBC existis nearby 20ºS, where it veers east and flows toward the interior of the Atlantic Ocean basin. We should emphasize that despite the DWBC anticyclones original description is more than a decade old, this is the first work to describe the fate of these large rings off the Eastern Brazil Continental Margin.

A Corrente de Contorno Oeste Profunda (CCP) é um dos principais componentes da Célula de Revolvimento Meridional do Atlântico e, portanto, é determinante para a manutenção do clima global. Ela é gerada nas regiões subpolares do Atlântico Norte e transporta as águas formadas neste sítio para o Hemisfério Sul. A sua trajetória bem como a sua variabilidade têm sido estudada ao longo dos tempos, mas informações acerva desta corrente no Atlântico Sul ainda são escassas. Estudos recentes mostram que ao sul da latitude de 8ºS a CCP se quebra em vórtices anticiclônicos e se propagam para sul. Reunimos um amplo conjunto de dados observacionais de cruzeiros oceanográficos e os utilizamos para observar estas feições ao largo da costa leste brasileira. Utilizamos o cálculo geostrófico referenciado em 4000 dbar a partir dos dados hidrográficos destes. Os resultados do cálculo geostrófico confirmam os achados na literatura, identificando estruturas vorticais com diâmetros entre 162 e 220 m e velocidades azimutais máximas ultrapassando 25 cm s-1. Um fundeio correntográfico instalado nas imediações da latitude 11ºS pela Universidade de Kiel no inicio do século foi utilizado para avaliar a regularidade e sazonalidade na formação dos anticiclones. Foi conferido que a formação de vórtices possui uma modulação sazonal, ocorrendo predominantemente em períodos que se observa uma maior intensidade da CCP, ou seja, de abril a setembro. Os resultados de simulação global do modelo HYCOM nos permitiram analisar a região de estudo de forma mais ampla, tanto espacial como temporalmente. A análise dos resultados de modelo sugere que a ocorrência de vórtices anticiclônicos da CCP entre 11ºS e 20ºS é bem regular e se propaga com velocidade velocidade de translação média de 5 cm s-1, porém é severamente interrompido ao se deparar com a complexa topografia ao sul de 17ºS. Entre os obstáculos topográficos, podemos destacar a Cadeia de Abrolhos (principalmente), o Monte Submarino Hot Spur e a Cadeia Vitoria Trindade, sendo que este último deflete para leste o escoamento associado provavelmente a uma CCP restabelecida. Embora os anticiclones da CCP tenham sido descritos há mais de uma década, acreditamos ser este o trabalho que primeiro mostra o destino e a destruição dessas feições ao largo da margem continental leste brasileira. / The Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) is one of the main components of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and is therefor determinant in the maintainance of the global climate. This current has its origins in the subpolar region of the North Atlantic and transports the water mass formed at deep levels to the Southern Hemisphere. Its path as well as its variability have been studied in the last twenty years but information about the DWBC in the South Atlantic are still sparse. Recent investigations showed that the DWBC breaks into large anticyclonic eddies at around 8ºS. In this wrok, we gathered an ample observation data set of oceanographic cruises and used them to describe the vortical rings off the Eastern Brazilian coast. We emplyed the classic dynamics method referenced to 4,000 dbar to infer geostrophic velocity patterns from the data set. We indentify vortical structures of typically 162-220 km of diameter and azimuthal velocities higher than 25 cm s-1. A currentmeter mooring deployed by the University of Kiel in the begining of the century was used to investigate regularity and sazonality of the eddy formation and their passing of the 11ºS paralell. We found by inspecting the 5-year time series that there are about 3,7 events/year and a seasonal modulation dictated by the strength of the DWBC. More rings are shed during the April-September season when the DWBC is more intense and transports more. We also analyzed the output of a assimilative global simulation by the Hybrid Ocean Circulation Model (HYCOM) Consortium after validating it with our observational data set. Our results indicate that the anticyclones propagate at a characteristic speed of about 5cm s-1 until interacts with complex seamount topography at 17ºS. The topography is formed by th Abrolhos Ridge (17ºS), the Seamount Hot Sput (18ºS) and the Vitória-Trindade Ridge (20ºS). Moreover, it seems that the vast majority of the vortical features are destroted on the northernmost obstacle - the Abrolhos Ridge. Only a few survive and are destructed south. It seems from the analysis that a recoalesced DWBC existis nearby 20ºS, where it veers east and flows toward the interior of the Atlantic Ocean basin. We should emphasize that despite the DWBC anticyclones original description is more than a decade old, this is the first work to describe the fate of these large rings off the Eastern Brazil Continental Margin.

Using a combination of hydrographic data and the trajectories and profiles of isobaric floats, this dissertation evaluates the connections between remote regions in the North Atlantic. First, I establish that the production and advection of the North Atlantic Subtropical Mode Water (STMW) introduces spatial and temporal variability in the subsurface nutrient reservoir of the subtropical gyre. As the mode water is formed, its nutrients are depleted by biological utilization. When the depleted water mass is exported to the gyre, it injects a wedge of low-nutrient water into the upper layers of the ocean. Contrary to intuition, cold winters that promote deep convective mixing and vigorous mode water formation may diminish downstream primary productivity by altering the subsurface delivery of nutrients. Next, the source of elevated nutrient concentrations in the Gulf Stream is assessed. The historical hydrographic data suggest that imported water advected into the Gulf Stream via the tropics supplies an important source of nutrients to the Gulf Stream. Because the high nutrients are likely imported from the tropics, diapycnal mixing need not be invoked to explain the Gulf Stream's high nutrient concentrations, as had been previously hypothesized. Furthermore, nutrients do not increase along the length of the Stream, as would be expected with strong diapycnal mixing.Finally, profiling float data are used to investigate how the Labrador Sea Water enters the Deep Western Boundary Current, one of the primary pathways by which it exits the subpolar gyre. With the trajectories and profiles of an extensive array of P-ALACE floats I evaluate three processes for their role in the entry of Labrador Sea Water in the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC): 1) LSW is formed directly in the DWBC, 2) Eddies flux LSW laterally from the interior Labrador Sea to the DWBC, and 3) A horizontally divergent mean flow advects LSW from the interior to the DWBC. Each of the three processes has the potential to remove heat from the boundary current, and both the formation of LSW directly in the boundary current and the eddy heat flux are possible sources of interannual variability in the exported LSW product. / Dissertation

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), 2011. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 221-227). / Eastern oceanic boundary currents are subject to hydrodynamic instability, generate small scale features that are visible in satellite images and may radiate westward into the interior, where they can be modified by the large-scale circulations. This thesis studies the stability of an eastern boundary current with and without the large-scale flow influence in an idealized framework represented by barotropic quasi-geostrophic dynamics. The linear stability analysis of a meridional current with a continuous velocity profile shows that meridional eastern and western boundary currents support a limited number of radiating modes with long meridional and zonal wavelengths and small growth rates. However, the linearly stable, long radiating modes of an eastern boundary current can become nonlinearly unstable by resonating with short trapped unstable modes. This phenomenon is clearly demonstrated in the weakly nonlinear simulations. Results suggest that linearly stable longwave modes deserve more attention when the radiating instability of a meridional boundary current is considered. A large-scale flow affects the short trapped unstable mode and long radiating mode through different mechanisms. The large-scale flow modifies the structure of the boundary current to stabilize or destabilize the unstable modes, leading to a meridionally localized maximum in the perturbation kinetic energy field. The shortwave mode is accelerated or decelerated by the meridional velocity adjustment of the large-scale flow to have an elongated or a squeezed meridional structure, which is confirmed both in a linear WKB analysis and in nonlinear simulations. The squeezed or elongated unstable mode detunes the nonlinear resonance with the longwave modes, which then become less energetic. These two modes show different meridional structures in kinetic energy field because of the different mechanisms. In spite of the model simplicity, these results can potentially explain the formation of the zonal jets observed in altimeter data, and indicate the influence of the large-scale wind-driven circulation on eastern boundary upwelling systems in the real ocean. Studies with more realistic configurations remain future challenges. / by Jinbo Wang. / Ph.D.

AbstractThe overall safety of dams depend on several stipulations. One of them is global stability of the dam, which is addressed with approaches like that in (RIDAS, 2017) (the Swedish power companies’ guidelines for dam safety). When designing a new dam, two global failure modes; sliding and overturning should be considered according to RIDAS. However, this is a simplification and other failure modes may exist, such as the combination of sliding and overturning failure. In this combined mode, the dam typically starts to overturn slightly, then as it looses its contact in the upstream area of the footprint, the dam starts to slide. This combined failure mode is yet to be fully addressed in design codes.One additional failure mode that may occur is an internal failure which is caused by material failure of the dam or where existing cracks govern the failure mode. Reinforced concrete structures are expected to crack and hence it likely that such failure mode may occur. The objective of this report is to understand the behavior of a pre-cracked buttress dam under typical loading conditions, and to analyze potential internal failure modes caused by these cracks. Moreover, the validity of using RIDAS design criteria for evaluating the safety of cracked concrete buttress dams will be examined. Finally, this report will study the influence of various possible cracks to study if these are critical and influence the overall dam safety.The stated objectives were investigated by performing analytical calculations and FE-analyses for three different geometries, where each geometry was analyzed with and without pre-existing cracks. The analytical calculations were carried out using MATLAB, to study the two global failure modes suggested by RIDAS: sliding and overturning for the selected geometries. FE-analyses were performed using BRIGADE Plus 6.2 software, where all geometries were studied for all potential global failure modes, including a combination of sliding and overturning failure modes. When comparing results of uncracked and cracked sections, whether it was obtained analytically or by FE-analyses, the influence of cracks in reducing the overall safety of the structure could be clearly highlighted. Moreover, the results comparing analytical solution using RIDAS and FE-analysis did not follow a uniform pattern, therefore, no concrete results could be concluded and further studies to develop more detailed analytical calculation methods were suggested. Finally, the cracks develop between the inspection gangway and the front-plate was proven to have larger influence on the residual mass of the dam, and thus, the overall safety of the dam.

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) has a central role in the interhemispheric transport of heat and changes in its intensity are known to have profound impact on global climate. Disturbances in the AMOC are also supposedly associated with the past changes in marine productivity and oceanic uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which contributed to the global climate changes that led to the termination of the last glacial cycle. Although the South Atlantic Ocean constitutes an important pathway for the return flow of the AMOC, the changing impacts of the AMOC especially in the subtropical western South Atlantic still remain elusive. In this study, high-resolution records of upper water column properties and productivity have been applied to reconstruct the evolution of oceanographic conditions in the subtropical western South Atlantic covering the last 40,000 years. The proxy records employed here are based both on faunal assemblages and on the stable oxygen isotopic composition of planktonic foraminifera from a marine sediment core collected off southern Brazilian continental margin (27°S). The main findings of the present study reveal, for the first time, enhanced primary productivity in the subtropical western South Atlantic during Heinrich Stadials along the last glacial, when the AMOC showed reduced strength. Additionally, this study reveals decreased primary productivity over the Last Glacial Maximum and the Younger Dryas, when the AMOC showed only moderate reductions. The most outstanding productivity decline is depicted after the Holocene inception, when the AMOC recovered its strength. Further, the findings of the present work also reveal that rather overall glacial-like conditions prevailed at the onset of the Holocene, before complete reinvigoration of the AMOC. Full interglacial configuration would only establish at approximately 9,000 years, when the AMOC fully recovered; although such interglacial setting would be abruptly interrupted during the Mid Holocene, accompanying a sudden reduction of the AMOC. Those findings suggest that the impact of the AMOC on the subtropical western South Atlantic would have played a critical role not only over the last glacial, but also throughout the glacial-interglacial transition and even under full interglacial conditions. The main hypothesis of this research is that the observed changes were triggered by the dynamics of the Brazil Current primarily driven by disturbances in the AMOC. / A célula de revolvimento meridional do Atlântico (AMOC) desempenha um papel central no transporte inter-hemisférico de calor e mudanças em sua intensidade têm profundo impacto sobre o clima global. Distúrbios na AMOC supostamente também estariam associados a alterações pretéritas na produtividade marinha e absorção oceânica de dióxido de carbono atmosférico, que contribuíram para mudanças no clima global e levaram à terminação do último ciclo glacial. Embora o Atlântico Sul constitua importante rota para o fluxo de retorno da AMOC, impactos de alterações na AMOC especialmente na porção subtropical do Atlântico Sudoeste ainda permanecem elusivos. Neste estudo, registros de alta resolução de propriedades da camada superior da coluna de água e de produtividade foram utilizados para reconstruir a evolução de condições oceanográficas na porção subtropical do Atlântico Sudoeste ao longo dos últimos 40,000 anos. Os indicadores empregados se baseiam na composição de assembleias faunísticas e de isótopos estáveis de oxigênio em foraminíferos planctônicos de testemunho sedimentar marinho coletado na margem continental sul do Brasil (27°S). Os principais resultados deste estudo revelam, pela primeira vez, aumento de produtividade primária na porção subtropical do Atlântico Sudoeste durante Heinrich Stadials ao longo do último glacial, quando a AMOC apresentou reduzida intensidade. Adicionalmente, o presente estudo revela diminuição de produtividade primária durante o Último Máximo Glacial e Younger Dryas, quando a AMOC apresentou apenas moderada redução. O declínio de produtividade mais proeminente é observado após o início do Holoceno, quando a AMOC recuperou sua intensidade. Os resultados do presente trabalho também revelam que, de modo geral, condições similares ao glacial prevaleceram no princípio do Holoceno, antes de completa retomada da AMOC. Plenas condições interglaciais apenas teriam se estabelecido há cerca de 9,000 anos, quando a AMOC foi completamente revigorada; embora plena configuração interglacial tenha sido abruptamente interrompida em meados do Holoceno, acompanhando repentina redução da AMOC. Estes resultados sugerem que o impacto da AMOC na porção subtropical do Atlântico Sudoeste teria desempenhado um papel crítico não apenas durante o último glacial, mas também ao longo da transição glacial-interglacial e mesmo sob plenas condições interglaciais. A principal hipótese deste estudo é de que as mudanças observadas foram ocasionadas por dinâmicas da Corrente do Brasil primariamente induzidas por distúrbios na AMOC.

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) has a central role in the interhemispheric transport of heat and changes in its intensity are known to have profound impact on global climate. Disturbances in the AMOC are also supposedly associated with the past changes in marine productivity and oceanic uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which contributed to the global climate changes that led to the termination of the last glacial cycle. Although the South Atlantic Ocean constitutes an important pathway for the return flow of the AMOC, the changing impacts of the AMOC especially in the subtropical western South Atlantic still remain elusive. In this study, high-resolution records of upper water column properties and productivity have been applied to reconstruct the evolution of oceanographic conditions in the subtropical western South Atlantic covering the last 40,000 years. The proxy records employed here are based both on faunal assemblages and on the stable oxygen isotopic composition of planktonic foraminifera from a marine sediment core collected off southern Brazilian continental margin (27°S). The main findings of the present study reveal, for the first time, enhanced primary productivity in the subtropical western South Atlantic during Heinrich Stadials along the last glacial, when the AMOC showed reduced strength. Additionally, this study reveals decreased primary productivity over the Last Glacial Maximum and the Younger Dryas, when the AMOC showed only moderate reductions. The most outstanding productivity decline is depicted after the Holocene inception, when the AMOC recovered its strength. Further, the findings of the present work also reveal that rather overall glacial-like conditions prevailed at the onset of the Holocene, before complete reinvigoration of the AMOC. Full interglacial configuration would only establish at approximately 9,000 years, when the AMOC fully recovered; although such interglacial setting would be abruptly interrupted during the Mid Holocene, accompanying a sudden reduction of the AMOC. Those findings suggest that the impact of the AMOC on the subtropical western South Atlantic would have played a critical role not only over the last glacial, but also throughout the glacial-interglacial transition and even under full interglacial conditions. The main hypothesis of this research is that the observed changes were triggered by the dynamics of the Brazil Current primarily driven by disturbances in the AMOC. / A célula de revolvimento meridional do Atlântico (AMOC) desempenha um papel central no transporte inter-hemisférico de calor e mudanças em sua intensidade têm profundo impacto sobre o clima global. Distúrbios na AMOC supostamente também estariam associados a alterações pretéritas na produtividade marinha e absorção oceânica de dióxido de carbono atmosférico, que contribuíram para mudanças no clima global e levaram à terminação do último ciclo glacial. Embora o Atlântico Sul constitua importante rota para o fluxo de retorno da AMOC, impactos de alterações na AMOC especialmente na porção subtropical do Atlântico Sudoeste ainda permanecem elusivos. Neste estudo, registros de alta resolução de propriedades da camada superior da coluna de água e de produtividade foram utilizados para reconstruir a evolução de condições oceanográficas na porção subtropical do Atlântico Sudoeste ao longo dos últimos 40,000 anos. Os indicadores empregados se baseiam na composição de assembleias faunísticas e de isótopos estáveis de oxigênio em foraminíferos planctônicos de testemunho sedimentar marinho coletado na margem continental sul do Brasil (27°S). Os principais resultados deste estudo revelam, pela primeira vez, aumento de produtividade primária na porção subtropical do Atlântico Sudoeste durante Heinrich Stadials ao longo do último glacial, quando a AMOC apresentou reduzida intensidade. Adicionalmente, o presente estudo revela diminuição de produtividade primária durante o Último Máximo Glacial e Younger Dryas, quando a AMOC apresentou apenas moderada redução. O declínio de produtividade mais proeminente é observado após o início do Holoceno, quando a AMOC recuperou sua intensidade. Os resultados do presente trabalho também revelam que, de modo geral, condições similares ao glacial prevaleceram no princípio do Holoceno, antes de completa retomada da AMOC. Plenas condições interglaciais apenas teriam se estabelecido há cerca de 9,000 anos, quando a AMOC foi completamente revigorada; embora plena configuração interglacial tenha sido abruptamente interrompida em meados do Holoceno, acompanhando repentina redução da AMOC. Estes resultados sugerem que o impacto da AMOC na porção subtropical do Atlântico Sudoeste teria desempenhado um papel crítico não apenas durante o último glacial, mas também ao longo da transição glacial-interglacial e mesmo sob plenas condições interglaciais. A principal hipótese deste estudo é de que as mudanças observadas foram ocasionadas por dinâmicas da Corrente do Brasil primariamente induzidas por distúrbios na AMOC.

Great loads occur on human body in traffic accidents. Children body have less resistance to these loads. Child Restraint Systems (CRS) are the safety elements used in vehicles for children. In this study, the overturning and the dynamic test setups for CRS, have been designed and analysed according to United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulation No 44 (ECE R44). After manufacturing of the test setups, four different types of CRSs sold in Turkish market have been selected to evaluate their performance according to ECE R44. Each seat has been used once for the tests. The tests have been performed and evaluated according to the performances of CRSs for the dynamic test head displacement limit criterion, the acceleration limit criterion, the abdominal penetration criterion and the overturning head displacement limit criterion. 11 overturning tests and 8 dynamic tests at the sled test facility available in METU-BILTIR Center Vehicle Safety Unit have been conducted. In the tests, P-series 3 years, 6 years and 10 years old child test dummies have been used. During the dynamic tests, 3-axial accelerometer, high-g high speed camera and data acquisition system are also used to gather the test data. 8 more dynamic test with unlocked vehicle safety belt which is improper usage and commonly encountered in real life. As the result of the tests, none of the CRSs succeed in the tests for child seats which are supposed to be used by 3-6 years old children according to ECE R 44 Group II.

Solid concrete Lego blocks can be used as temporary retaining wall systems or as wall separators between different materials such as sand, salt, compost, etc. The advantage of concrete blocks is that you can create temporary constructions. It is easy to move or expand the constructions when no casting is required between the blocks. The purpose of this study is to make models in the Finite Element (FE) software Abaqus/CAE that can be used for calculations of the capacity for interlocking blocks. FE method is an approximate method for solving differential equations. As the concrete blocks are stacked without casting, it is important to find out the construction’s load capacity when it is subjected to a horizontal load. Several types of structures have been modeled in the FE program Abaqus/CAE. These FE models were created with boundary conditions consisting of springs and a pinned connection that allows rotation.The evaluation has been focused on rotating the interlocking blocks. With the help of the FE models, reaction forces have been calculated. The FE results in term of reaction forces have been compared with hand calculations made ​​for the same models. Moreover, a wall and a wall with lateral supports have been simulated to determine the horizontal reaction force for the interlocking concrete blocks. / Massiva Lego betongblock kan ändvänds som tillfälliga stödmurar eller vägg avskiljare för olika material som salt, kompost, sand mm. Fördelen med betongblocken är att man kan skapa tillfälliga konstruktioner. Det är lätt att flytta eller bygga ut konstruktionen när ingen fog krävs mellan blocken. Syftet med denna studie är att skapa modeller i Finita Element (FE) programmet Abaqus/CAE som kan senare användas för beräkning av kapaciteten för sammankopplade block. FE Metoden är en approximativ metod för att lösa differential ekvationer. Eftersom betongblocken är staplade på varandra utan fog är det viktigt att ta reda på konstruktionens lastupptagnings förmåga när den är belastade med horisontalkrafter. Flera typer av konstruktioner har modellerats i FE programmet Abaqus/CAE. Dessa FE modeller har skapats med randvillkor som består av fjädrar och fasta lager som tillåter rotation. Utvärderingen har gjorts med fokus på vältningen i betongblocken. Med hjälp av dessa FE modeller har reaktionskraften tagits fram. FE resultaten i form av reaktionskrafter har sedan jämförts med handberäkningar gjorda för samma modeller. Vidare har en vägg och en vägg med sidostöd FE modellerats för att utvärdera horisontala deformationsegenskaper. / - / -

The strength of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is believed to be associated with changes in surface buoyancy in the subpolar North Atlantic, which naturally leads to a notion that the AMOC has been weakening under global warming. Yet, a variety source of observations and its assimilation into ocean circulation models have not supported such an AMOC decline so far. In this study, an aspect that has not been paid attention, regarding the maintenance of the AMOC strength, is explored: storm activity in the subpolar North Atlantic (NA). An analysis using reanalysis data shows that the wintertime turbulent heat flux variability in the LS deep convection region is largely controlled by a small number of extreme heat flux event days, suggesting a pivotal role of winter storms in prompting LS deep-water formation. A set of forced ocean-ice model simulations, in which synoptic winter storm activity associated with these event days is either suppressed or doubled over the subpolar NA, confirms the above analysis as the altered storm activity results in a substantial change in LS convection and the AMOC strength. These experiments also show an upward AMOC trend during the late twentieth century, the degree of which is to some extent related to the intensity of storm activity in the LS. The upward AMOC trend found in the first part of the dissertation opposes to a downward AMOC trend in the twentieth century coupled model simulations employing the identical ocean component. An analysis suggests that contrast to the ocean-ice model, storm activity in the LS convection region and associated heat flux decreases during the late twentieth century. Although there is also a buoyancy increase over the LS, the wintertime heat flux decrease appears to be a more dominant factor for a decrease in convection in the LS, as an increasing freshwater input from Arctic/Subarctic Ocean bypasses the interior LS along the western boundary current. Therefore, the downward AMOC trend in the coupled model can be linked ultimately to the decreasing storm activity over the LS. This study therefore suggests that storm activity over the major convection regions needs to be paid further attention in assessing AMOC variations, including long-term trend in response to a warming scenario, in future studies.